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St Johns wort depression: Depression treatments have typically favored prescription drugs but the use of natural alternatives such as St Johns wort have increased greatly. Studies have shown that St Johns wort helps the body alleviate depression. In Europe and especially in Germany, St Johns is prescribed twice as often as standard prescription antidepressants. In the US, Prozac has been prescribed for more than 17 million Americans. Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, prescription anti-depressant drugs, rank 2, 5 and 9 respectively in the top 10 prescriptions. While they definitely help some people, they may have become a cure all for not just serious depression but simply bad moods. One result is that many people have started looking for alternative, more natural and less harsh treatments. St. Johns wort is considered by many to be the new natural prozac.
Clinical studies have shown that St Johns wort has improved symptoms such as anxiety, anorexia and depression. In some studies the herbal remedy was deemed more effective than the prescription anti-depressant. The specific action of St Johns is currently unknown, but it is suspected of being a serotonin booster. Likewise, its active agent is unknown. The commonly accepted marker agent is called hypericin. What this means is that when hypericin is present, the anti-depressant effects are present, but we don't yet know how it works, or if it is indeed the responsible agent-only that it is very likely the effective substance.
St. Johns wort contains numerous chemical substances as do all plants and is considered very safe. Purdue University herb expert Varro Tyler notes that prescription anti-depressants cause more common and more serious side effects such as insomnia, weight loss, and sexual dysfunction. "The absence of serious side effects is one of St Johns biggest selling points," he says. Out of thousands tested on St. Johns wort only a very few had experienced side effects which included restlessness, gastrointestinal irritation and mild allergic reaction. The standard dosage is 300 mg three times a day. The added benefits of this herbal remedy are anti-viral activity as well as hepato-protective (liver protective). In fact it aids the liver by increasing the flow of bile.
For those with occasional bouts of depression I have formulated recommend my
Lift the Spirits Tea. The tea contains St Johns wort plus two other herbal depression medicine related herbs,
 passion flower and kava kava, which raise the spirits, reduce anxiety and calm irritable nerves. These herbs work synergistically together to help control depressive moods: St. Johns wort depression.
To purchase, click
Lift the Spirits Tea or the "Teas" sign post below for other herbal teas.
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