Do you need information on improving your health using only natural means? Ashwagandha and St. John's Wort are two herbs that have received considerable interest.
As you will see below, most of these remedies have been used in different traditional medical systems for centuries.
But which among them can solve your problem?
Understanding the characteristics and benefits of one or another herb, like St. John’s Wort or Ashwagandha, will allow you to choose the proper herbs for your wellness schedule.
Key takeaways
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that lowers anxiety, controls stress and enhances sleep quality.
It promotes overall health and is presumed to help reduce stress and anxiety and enhance brain function.
- St. John's Wort: Long used to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, this herb affects chemicals in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine. It may also help treat anxiety and particularly the symptoms of menopause.
- Effectiveness: All the herbs indicate the possibility of treating anxiety and depression. Ashwagandha focuses more on stress, whereas St. John’s Wort optimizes mood.
- Scientific indication: Research confirms the effectiveness of both herbs, but the extent of their impact and danger still needs to be researched.
- Consultation: Due to the interaction between the viruses and the medication, only administer either plant with clearance by a doctor if you are on medication.
Overview of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, scientifically known as Withania somnifera, is a perennial plant that grows in parts of India, Africa, and the Middle East.
This ancient plant has been used in the Ayurvedic treatment system for over five thousand years.
This plant is also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry because Ashwagandha translates from Sanskrit as the ‘smell of the horse,’ it is often used to treat stress-related issues.
Yellow flowers and shiny red berries represent the plant, but the roots and leaves are primarily used in herbal supplements to treat various conditions.
Some essential chemical constituents include the withanolides, which tonify nervous and glandular activities and are considered to produce most of the ashwagandha's therapeutic actions (1).
Benefits of Ashwagandha
Because of its purported health benefits, ashwagandha has become increasingly popular (2).
It is an adaptogen proven to help your body respond to stress more efficiently.
Research suggests that Ashwagandha may interact with other treatments for anxiety management:
- Reduce stress and anxiety with herbal products like Ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort.
- Improve sleep quality by incorporating organic Ashwagandha into your routine.
- Boost cognitive function
- Enhance physical performance
- Support male fertility
- It assists in maintaining the proper level of blood sugar while also considering the mood disorders that may arise from stress.
Various scientific articles suggest that the actions of Ashwagandha root contain cortisol, a stress hormone, which enhances the quality of life for those with health conditions.
It is also being researched for its effects, depending on whether it can benefit the brain and help maintain heart health.
Recommended Dosage
The intake of Ashwagandha depends on the particular problem in treating the disease and the form in which the supplement is taken.
In most cases, the dose has been between 250 and 600 mg/day, with some doses escalating to 1250 mg/day, as advised by the Food and Drug Administration (3). Pau d’arco is mostly in capsule form, a powder, and a liquid extract.
Doses of 300-500 mg, taken two to three times during the day, have produced some positive outcomes with stress and anxiety.
The researchers observed doses between 120 and 600 mg for sleep enhancement, and the enhanced impact was seen when the dosage was increased.
The intake duration was extended, similar to findings from the Mayo Clinic.
Overview of St. John's Wort
St. John’s wort is Hypericum perforatum, a flowering shrub that extends from Europe to Asia.
The plant with yellow flowers is one of the oldest medicine plants in ancient Greece's annals (4).
It is named John the Baptist because it usually blooms on Saint’s Day in late June, a time associated with various health conditions.
The name derives from the fact that the flowers and leaves of St. John’s Wort possess active ingredients such as hypericin, which mediates the plant's helpful impact on anxiety disorders.
Benefits of St. John's Wort
Many people currently use St. John’s Wort as an over-the-counter product for different purposes, including the management of mood disorders.
Some potential benefits include:
- Effects on Depression: Comparisons of St. John’s wort to regular antidepressants were made, and, according to some researchers, it can be as helpful as them for patients with mild to moderate depression.
- Menopausal symptom relief: There is some information that it can make less hot flashes and other manifestations of menopause.
- Anxiety management: can be effective for various health conditions. As with most herbs, there is not much information available on St. John’s wort, but it is said to have a calming effect on some people.
- Skin health: The active ingredients in herbal products can contribute to improved skin health. Due to their active ingredients, herbal products may also be used externally to cure ulcers and some skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis.
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): Some herbal products like St. John’s Wort may help alleviate symptoms related to mood disorders. Some women have noted that they get some relief from their PMS symptoms while taking St. John’s wort.
However, it must also be mentioned that further research is needed on the effects of St. John’s wort on these conditions and possible side effects.
Recommended Dosage
The most effective daily intake of St. John’s wort may vary depending on the medical issue being treated and the form of the supplement being taken.
However, here are some general guidelines:
- For depression: The majority of the research investigations have employed doses between 500 and 1,200 mg/ day, which have been given in three divided doses.
- Standard dosage: This is usually a 300mg tablet, taken thrice daily with meals.
- Standardization: St John’s Wort should ideally be bought as a supplemental extract standardized to 0.3 %Hypericin, used in most products.
Like most herbs, St. John’s wort has first to be prescribed by your doctor due to its interference with several medications.
This is especially true because only your doctor is best positioned to determine the dosage to be taken, together with the need to monitor for any side effects or interactions.
Comparing the Efficacy for Anxiety and Depression
Today, organic Ashwagandha has received some interest as an herb that can reduce anxiety and depression.
The herb is an adaptogen—it helps your body deal with stress more effectively.
Some research has suggested that supplementation with Ashwagandha may help lower cortisol, a stress hormone, thus improving health.
A study with people diagnosed with GAD showed that those who took 250 to 1000 mg of Ashwagandha extract daily for six weeks, along with antidepressant medication, had better scores regarding their quality of life, depression, and anxiety levels (5).
This means that Ashwagandha might improve the efficacy of standard therapies.
However, the substance also has some limitations. Ashwagandha's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions may enhance mood in individuals with melancholy.
A 90-day study using St. John’s Wort found it to be effective in reducing anxiety compared to a placebo.
Ashwagandha has revealed enhanced memory, concentration, sleep, and lesser stress levels in a group of people.
St. John's Wort's Impact
St. John’s Wort has proven effective in treating depression and received favorable outcomes with the management of anxiety.
St. John’s Wort is believed to impact serotonin, dopamine,e, and norepinephrine,n,e, which enhance mood.
Scientists discovered that St. John’s Wort performed as well as most prescribed antidepressant drugs in treating mild to moderate depression.
Moreover, they revealed that synthetic extracts of St. John’s Wort can influence the nervous system, relieve anxiety, and improve sleep, demonstrating their safety and efficacy.
Daily oral administration of St. John’s Wort at 450 mg twice daily for 12 weeks was found to reduce the symptoms of participants diagnosed with OCD.
Scientific Studies
Many scholarly articles have been devoted to the use of these two herbs in the treatment of anxiety and depression.
A study conducted in 2014 based on several human trials found that Ashwagandha reduced anxiety in four out of the five, suggesting it could be an effective herbal product used to treat anxiety.
About St. John’s Wort (SJW), a 2018 study on rats examined the impact of the plant on anxiety disorders, highlighting its potential as a support supplement used to treat anxiety. The animals received different St John’s Wort extract concentrations over 21 days.
Compassionate with creeping over this inhibitant, they specified that increasing with St. John’s Wort lowered stress hormones and other inflammatory markers.
However, both herbs have been found beneficial, though further research is needed to confirm and explore their benefits and detriments.
Suppose a person is already taking other prescription medications; they should consult their doctor before adding St. John’s Wort or ashwagandha. In that case, the first advice to consider is to speak with their doctor before beginning any new supplement regimen, especially if they are on prescription medications.
Conclusion
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps the body manage stress, while St John’s Wort affects mood-related neurotransmitters.
However, there is evidence of the substance's usefulness; it is also necessary to recall that people’s reactions can differ, so it is advisable to consult a doctor before including a new product in the diet.
For instance, for symptoms of depression, St. John’s Wort will be more appropriate, as opposed to taking Ashwagandha if you want an endurance booster for a competition or marathon.
AAshwagandha would be better if it were used to relieve stress and improve overall well-being, particularly in individuals with mood disorders.
Accordingly, those with mild to moderate depression can benefit from St. John's Wort consumption.
Realize that these herbs can affect how your medications work, so consult your doctor when using them.
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FAQs
Is it possible for me to take Ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort simultaneously?
Some potential associated interactions are the use of ashwagandha when taken with St. John’s Wort, kava, and valerian—all of which act as sleep-inducing substances and may affect mood disorders.
The author wants to find out whether lemon balm or ashwagandha is more beneficial in terms of anxiety reduction, particularly as an herbal product used to treat anxiety.
Lemon balm is reported to be used as a natural remedy for improving mood and mental performance, and ashwagandha is known to boost the body’s stress response. Both help to alleviate the symptoms immediately and, if taken regularly, have other beneficial effects on the body.
Why might doctors not prescribe St John’s Wort?
However, some doctors may be reluctant to prescribe St. John’s Wort (SJW) because it can aggravate psychotic features in patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and cause other severe side effects.
How does St. John’s Wort work?
Traditional, it is used for various reasons, such as kidney and lung diseases, insomnia, and, potentially more importantly, depression. It has also been used in the management of wound healing. It is called St. John's plant because it blooms in late June when St. John’s Day is celebrated. These are popular herbs that have garnered attention for their potential health benefits.
Related studies:
1. Title: A Standardized Ashwagandha Root Extract Alleviates Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
This randomized controlled trial found that a 500 mg standardized Ashwagandha root extract significantly reduced anxiety levels and improved stress-related symptoms in participants over 60 days.
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000025399
2. Title: Efficacy and Safety of St. John's Wort for Mild to Moderate Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This meta-analysis concluded that St. John's Wort is more effective than placebo and comparable to standard antidepressants for treating mild to moderate depression.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.02.044
3. Title: Comparative Study Between Ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort for Anxiety
This study compared the effects of Ashwagandha and St. John's Wort on anxiety symptoms, finding both to be effective, with Ashwagandha showing a slightly superior profile in reducing anxiety levels.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102590
4. Title: St. John’s Wort’s Influence on Serotonin and Dopamine
This review discusses how St. John's Wort modulates serotonin and dopamine pathways, contributing to its antidepressant effects through various biochemical mechanisms.
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6198
5. Title: Interaction Between Ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort with Other Medications
This review highlights potential interactions between Ashwagandha, St. John's Wort, and various prescription medications, emphasizing their combined effects on serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters.
DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2022.100423
