St. John’s Wort, the popular herb touted as a natural alternative to prescription antidepressants, is ineffective, a new study suggests.
The study’s researchers, in an article published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, debunk dozens of European studies by finding that the herb was no more effective than a placebo in combating severe depression.
“I’m not surprised,” said Fred Quitkin, head of the Depression Evaluation Service at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
“This study reaffirms what most doctors already knew: that St. John’s Wort simply doesn’t work. There are plenty of good antidepressants out there, but unfortunately, people are attracted to herbs because they are natural.”
The study – funded by Pfizer Inc., which makes a St. John’s Wort extract – didn’t evaluate the herb’s effect on mild depression. But some New Yorkers who have taken the herb to treat their low-level blues said it simply doesn’t work on that, either.
“My mom made me take St. John’s Wort to help with my depression after my parents’ divorce, and the only thing it did was give me headaches,” said 20-year-old Clea Driscoll, who works in public relations at Club Monaco.
Dr. Norman Sussman, a psychiatrist at New York University Medical Center, said previous reports of St. John’s Wort’s effectiveness could be attributed to the idea that some people get better simply by believing the herb works.
“Many St. John’s Wort users don’t seek medical advice and aren’t aware of the herb’s risks,” he said.
Studies have shown that St. John’s Wort can interfere with drugs such as oral contraceptives and antibiotics, causing increased sun sensitivity when both are used together.
And since herbs aren’t subject to Federal Drug Administration regulation, there are other concerns, such as what’s exactly in the St. John’s Wort being sold at local health-food stores.
Renee Ambrosio, 33, took St. John’s Wort to battle a bout of mild depression – but stopped after two weeks when she began experiencing heart palpitations.
“My doctor said it was probably a side effect,” she said. “He said there might be something mixed into the supplement that caused the reaction.”
Even doctors who specialize in alternative medicine say they are reluctant to treat patients with St. John’s Wort anymore.
Woodsen Merrell, executive director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center, said he’s now recommending that his patients take the natural remedy SamE.
“It works faster than St. John’s Wort and has virtually no side effects,” he said.