iVillage logo
Search iVillage
Health
Diet & Fitness
Food & Drink
Pregnancy
Parenting
Beauty & Fashion
Home & Garden
Relationships
Work & Money
Entertainment
Horoscopes
Travel
Pink world landmarks
Lit for Breast Cancer Awareness
Police racism allegations
Do we need an inquiry?
Food fixer
Recipes for any occasion
Diet & Fitness 
  |  Eat Right  |  Vitamins and Supplements  |  What's the deal with St. John's Wort?
Advertisement
Topics
Body and Soul
Get Motivated
Get Fit
Eat Right
Healthy Eating
Vegetarian
Protein
Sugar
Food and Diet
Vitamins and Supplements
Fat
Daily Requirements
Carbohydrates
Lose Weight
Community
Diets A-Z
Picture Galleries
Health
partners
iVillage shopping

Hot stuff
Spooky Halloween ideas
Competitions
Fitness finder
Snack swapper
Diets A-Z
Newsletters
Sign up for FREE!




 
Promotions

What's the deal with St. John's Wort?

by Ms. Alyson Greenhalgh and Dr. Sara Kirk

question
What is St. John’s Wort and why is it such a hot topic?

answer
St. John’s Wort is a herbal supplement that has been found as effective as some conventional medicines in helping to relieve depression. However, side-effects include photosensitivity (the possibility of nerve damage or cataracts when exposed to sunlight), and possible interference with the effectiveness of some medications, including the oral contraceptive pill and medicine for asthma, epilepsy, depression, migraine and heart problems. If you are suffering from mild depression but don't want to take a conventional antidepressant, talk to your doctor about taking St. John's Wort.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about supplements on the Eating For Health message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

iVillage TV - Diet & Fitness

View video in larger player
Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon