Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that St. John's wort reduced alcohol intake in laboratory animals. Low levels of serotonin in the body are associated with depression. St. John's wort may reduce levels of IL-6, and thus help treat depression. 17 More research is needed to determine precisely the active ingredients in St. John's wort and to learn how the herb works. However, no studies of its long-term use have been conducted.
More research is needed to explore the long-term effects and optimum safe dosage of the extract.
This study, which is in progress, is the first large-scale controlled clinical trial in the United States to assess whether the herb has a significant therapeutic effect in patients with clinical depression. The Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, is coordinating the 3-year study, which has 13 clinical sites around the country. There are three different treatment groups in the trial. Patients who respond positively to their randomly assigned treatment will be continued on it for another 4 months. References American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium.