Ma Wee Green Pill (St. John's Wort)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	St. John's Wort
Date:	13/11/06 (1466 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: May help with depression, insomnia

Disadvantages: May not work at all

I’ve never really slept that well. I know it’s an over active mind and I should do something about it. In fact, I’ve tried lots of things over the years. Yep, I’ve tried self hypnosis, meditation (not quite the same), a chillow (might do a review one day) and even being boinked on the head with a mallet. Well actually, the last one’s a lie although my missus would gladly volunteer. So to my latest brainwave – St. John’s Wort. I’d considered this herbal route some time ago but baulked at the cost; what with me being a tight Brummie, but then I saw a packet of 30 tablets on sale in Aldi for just 89p. Even with my elementary maths, that was less than 3p a day for a month’s tablets so I checked this wonder cure out again to see whether it was worth the investment (89p is a lot to us folks from Birmingham).

The facts about St. John’s Wort are that it has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and nerve pain. Before I go any further, I should explain that St. John’s Wort is scientifically known as Hypericum perforatum, a yellow-flowering, rhizomatous, perennial herb indigenous to Europe, which has been introduced to the Americas and grows wild in many meadows. The common name comes from the fact that it traditionally flowers by and is harvested on St John's day, 24 June. Apparently, in ancient times herbalists wrote about its use as a sedative and a treatment for malaria, as well as a balm for wounds, burns, and insect bites and today, this popular herb is used by some for depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders.

St. John’s Wort has an illustrious history. The first recorded use of Hypericum for medicinal purposes dates back to ancient Greece, and has been used ever since. The herb was also used by Native Americans internally as an abortifacient (a substance that induces abortion) and externally as an anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antiseptic. The aerial parts of the plant can be cut and dried for later use in the form of herbal tea, which has long been enjoyed both for its pleasant, though somewhat bitter taste, and for its medicinal properties. I can honestly say that I’ve never tried tea with SJW in it but I do like herbal tea per se (i.e. Twinings) and wouldn’t rule it out in the future (clarsy, ain’t I?). In modern medicine, standardized Hypericum extract is commonly used as a treatment for depression and anxiety disorders. In homeopathy, Hypericum is used in the treatment of numerous medical problems, yet the rate of success has not been adequately documented, as can be the case in homeopathy. Historically, the flowers and stems of St John's Wort have also been used to produce red and yellow dye. This could be very useful if you about to dye something red or yellow. Personally, I’m a big fan of homeopathy and think it’s a hugely under utilized area of medicine although it is big business these days and getting bigger all the time. Check out Holland and Barrett’s recent growth over the last few years!

To manufacture things like these tablets, the flowering tops of St. John's Wort are used to extract concentrate that gets mixed with other ingredients to prepare teas and tablets. In the case of these ‘ere tablets, the St. John’s Wort was mixed with dicalcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, sodium starch glycolate, croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose and magnesium stearate. The recommendation is to take one a day after food to get the best affect. Of course, after reading that little list you could be forgiven for worrying about what each of those ingredients might do and, quite frankly, I’ve no idea but I decided to trust the manufacturer who happened to be a company working for the supermarket.

There was always the chance that this wouldn’t work (like so many other attempts to cure my insomnia) and recent scientific evidence suggests that St. John's Wort *could* be useful for treating mild to moderate depression.....except for the fact that two large studies (one sponsored by NCCAM) showed that the herb was no more effective than placebo in treating major depression of moderate severity. In fact, there are possible side affects of using this herbal remedy i.e. increased sensitivity to sunlight, anxiety, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, headache and sexual dysfunction (eek). The bottom line seems to be that St. John's Wort is not a proven therapy for depression/insomnia and if a sufferer was struggling then they really should take urgent medical advice. Well, did it work for me? I’m nearly at the end of the packet and, I have to say, I do seem to be sleeping better. I’m not completely convinced that it’s all down to this potential wonder herb but then it may be; who knows? All I can suggest is to try it (subject to the caveats above). At 89p for 30, it’s worth a go.

Thanks for reading

Mara

Summary: Overview of St. John's Wort