The Institute found the amount of hypericin in St. John's wort products varied greatly, with the largest concentration 17 times the smallest amount. You've seen the positive reports on national TV news. The Center has requested that the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission stop these claims from appearing on labels and in advertisements unless the claims are substantiated through proven scientific methods. He cautioned consumers about products that claim to have no side effects. Any product strong enough to do some good is strong enough to have side effects.
Many people believe they can trust well-known companies to make quality products.
Another problem is the lack of standards for herbal products. This causes confusion because of the lack of uniformity of common names. Other problems with potency or mislabeling of raw herbs can have serious consequences. Tyler said several national organizations are in the process of developing botanical encyclopedias, also known as compendiums, that will present well-referenced information on the major botanicals in use today and hopefully prevent current problems such as the mislabeling of bulk herbs. Do not give to young children.