St john's wort in modern times: what the research shows

ST JOHN'S WORT IN MODERN TIMES: WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Even though research is still going on, the available data show that Hypericum extract is clinically effective as an anti-depressant drug and that it probably works by biochemical mechanisms not so much different from the mechanisms of action of the tricyclics or the SSRIs. We feel that these findings are important enough to be communicated and interesting enough to stimulate further research.
Walter E. Muller, Frankfurt Siegfried Rasper, Vienna 1997
The modern era of research into St John's Wort was ushered in by the German Health Department, which set up Commission E to investigate the many herbal remedies in general use in Germany and to find out for which of these there was reasonable evidence of efficacy. Commission E came out with its report in 1984 and identified approximately 300 herbs for which such evidence existed. Shortly after this, certain German pharmaceutical companies targeted some of these herbs as worthy of particular research attention; St John's Wort was one of these herbs.
Research into a new treatment, such as St John's Wort for depression, usually develops in predictable ways. One needs to establish whether the treatment actually works, who benefits most from it, what dosages are appropriate and for how long treatment should be continued. Side-effects need to be documented. Only once a treatment is regarded as safe and effective does attention usually turn to how the treatment actually works. Research in St John's Wort is ongoing, but so far it has taken these expected directions. In this chapter I summarize the state of the art of research on the herbal anti-depressant.
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Anti-Depressants/Sleeping Aid
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