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The
natural ingredients in St. Johns Wort support the natural
brain function by helping the brain maintain healthy
levels of certain aminos that act as neurotransmitters
within the brain and cause you to have better feeling of
well-being. St. Johns Wort also helps support levels of seratonin, a
brain chemical involved in brain function which helps
maintain a "happy feeling". St. Johns Wort is one of the most frequently recommended
substances in all of Europe to help people cope with
daily life and depression.
While St. John's Wort may
not be well known in the United States, a recent article
in the HotWired Internet magazine by Harvard-educated Dr.
Andrew Weil, MD, said that it is very popular in Europe.
"Doctors write millions of prescriptions for the
pills every year, and as many bottles of over-the-counter
products are sold." -Dr. Weil
St. John's Wort is a bushy perennial with numerous yellow
flowers speckled with tiny black dots that, when rubbed,
release a red pigment containing the active ingredient hypericum.
It grows in dry gravely soil and is native to many parts
of the world, including Europe and the United States. It
is especially abundant in northern California, southern
Oregon and Colorado. St. John's Wort has already been called the most well-researched herb in the world and has
a 2,400 year history of safe and effective use in many
folk and herbal recipes
Currently St. John's Wort
is the most extensively researched and used
antidepressant known. In Germany, more than 50% of depression, anxiety, and
sleep disorders
are treated with this herb, compared to only 2% with Prozac.
Because it is classified as a food product (dietary
supplement) St. John's Wort is available without a
prescription at a much lower price than prescription
drugs. In a recent study involving 3,250 depressed
patients, only 2.4% experienced side effects. Those
included restlessness, gastrointestinal irritations and
mild allergic reactions; compare that to "prescription
antidepressants" which have produced the following side effects: insomnia, weight loss
and sexual dysfunction.
More and more therapists are recommending the st. john's
wort herb to treat mild depression. The recommended dose
for mild to moderate depression is 200-300mg of St.
John's Wort (Hypercin), taken 3 times a day.
Do
not mix with other anti-depressants without consulting
your doctor.
Do not use if you are pregnant or lactating.
St. John's Wort is also known as:
Goatweed , Klamath weed, Hypericum perforatum
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