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St. John's Wort for Winter Blues

As the colder, darker months approach, we all need a little extra boost to stay healthy and avoid the stresses that the holidays may bring. The introduction of herbal products into your diet may ease seasonal stress and winter blues.

St. John's Wort for Winter Blues

A sunlight deficiency, as is experienced at our latitude in winter, induces a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression in some people. Most humans are not seriously affected by the shorter days and longer nights of fall and winter; however about 4-10% of people in the northern hemisphere experience sufficiently severe changes in mood, energy, and appetite. This condition can include depression, excessive sleep requirements, fatigue, decreased libido, increased carbohydrate consumption, and weight gain in the fall and winter months.

St. John's Wort (SJW) has been used successfully in numerous studies in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. In the initial study, SJW was combined with light therapy in 20 SAD patients. There were significant improvements in fatigue, depression, anxiety, lethargy, appetite, libido, and sleep, indicating SJW is an effective antidepressant in SAD. These successful results were subsequently replicated in a larger trial involving 168 SAD patients.

 

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The Contraindications and Potential Drug Interactions information provided on this website is not intended to be all-inclusive. A health care professional should be consulted regarding the use of herbal products. Always keep your Doctor or other healthcare professional informed about the herbal and other dietary supplement products that you are taking.