Depressed not Helped by St. John's Wort

N E W   Y O R K, April 17 -- The popular herbal supplement St. John's wort is no better than a sugar pill in treating depression, a new study says.

In a study of 200 depressed patients performed at 11 academic medical centers throughout the country, researchers found St. John's wort provided no advantage over a placebo, or sugar pill, in alleviating symptoms.

Patients recruited for the study were diagnosed with major depression but "moderate" symptoms. Such people experience a mixture of a down mood, a loss of interest in life, sleeping problems, appetite loss, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts, but their ability to function is only beginning to become impaired.

Patients with "mild" symptoms are deemed depressed but can function normally. Patients with "severe" symptoms are impaired in a major way.

St. John's Wort Is Widely Used

A plant with yellow flowers that commonly grows wild, St. John's wort, or Hypericum perforatum is sold in health food stores, pharmacies and groceries as a natural way to improve mood.

Although American consumers in 2000 bought fewer herbal supplements than they did in the 1999 boom year, sales for do-it-yourself pick-me-ups — such as St. John's wort, s-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e) and kava kava — still approach $400 million a year, according to Consumer Reports.

Since St. John's wort is marketed as a nutritional supplement and not a drug, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate its production. As a result, consumers cannot be sure they are getting a defined dosage. Any side effects also are not listed on the packaging.

First Published Study to Show No Antidepressant Effects

In the study of 200 adult outpatients diagnosed as having major depression, 98 were randomly assigned to take a dosage of 900 milligrams of St. John's wort for four weeks, increased to 1,200 milligrams in the absence of an adequate response. The other 102 people received a placebo for 8 weeks.

Using psychological rating scales to measure symptoms of the depression, the researchers found no significant difference between the two groups during the study period. Pfizer, Inc., which manufactures the antidepressant Zoloft, provided support for the study.