St. John’s Wort Aerial
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering plant in the Hypericaceae family named for its bright yellow flowers that were said to bloom for the first time around St. John the Baptist's birthday. The word "wort" means "plant" in Old English.
Commonly Known As
St. John's wort
Saint John's wort
Hypericum (from the scientific name)
Goatweed
Klamath weed
Tipton weed
People have been using St. John's wort for centuries. Today, the popular herb is often used to ease the symptoms of depression.
possible health benefits of St. John's wort
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Health Benefits
St. John's wort is widely believed to boost mood and provide some relief from depression, but it's not exactly clear how it works.
Researchers suspect that ingredients in the herb (hypericin and hyperforin) may increase levels of certain brain chemicals, like serotonin. People with depression often have low levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters.1
One reason people may wish to try the natural remedy for depression (as opposed to antidepressants that can increase serotonin) is that St. John's wort tends to have fewer side effects than medications.2
The herb is also being explored for the following health concerns:
Anxiety
Menopause-related symptoms
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Smoking cessation
Viral infections
An oil made from St. John’s wort has also been used topically for wound healing and a variety of other skin conditions such as eczema and hemorrhoids.
Depression
Although the benefit of St. John's wort is still being explored, research suggests the herb can be more effective than a placebo in alleviating mild-to-moderate depression.
A 2015 review published in the Annals of Family Medicine examined whether antidepressants were more effective than a placebo for patients being treated for depression by their primary care doctor.3 The researchers examined 66 previously published studies (with a total of 15,161 participants) and found that both antidepressant medications and St. John's wort extracts were more effective than a placebo for treating mild to moderate depression.
People taking St. John's wort were also more likely to continue treatment, as the herb was associated with fewer adverse effects compared to tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NRI), a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant agents (NaSSAs).
Major Depression
The most comprehensive research on St. John's wort and major depression includes a 2018 report published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.2
Researchers looked at 29 previously published clinical trials (with a total of 5,489 participants) that compared the effects of St. John's wort to a placebo or standard antidepressant medication for a period of four to 12 weeks.
The study's authors found that St. John's wort extracts may be more effective than a placebo and were as effective as standard antidepressants. Additionally, the herb appeared to have fewer side effects.