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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
CBD vs St. John's Wort: they're closely matched on evidence (5.8 vs 7.8/10); they're alternatives for reduce anxiety & stress — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
CBD and St. John's Wort are closely matched across evidence, studies, and safety.
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Verdict
Likely helps
6 of 8 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both CBD and St. John's Wort have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
OTC wellness: 10-50mg/day (some anxiety studies used higher acute doses ~300mg); take with a fat-containing meal (increases absorption several-fold). Prescription Epidiolex for epilepsy is dosed by body weight under medical supervision. (the 10-50mg figure is a typical label dose, the cited trials used 150 mg nightly, or 10 to 20 mg per kg a day of prescription cannabidiol for epilepsy)
With meals, Evening
CBD oil/tincture (third-party tested for potency and purity)
300mg 3x daily (900mg total) (a typical label dose, not the dose used in the cited trial, which gave 600 mg once a day or 600 mg twice a day)
With meals, Divided into 2-3 doses
Standardized extract (0.3% hypericin)
and 2 more not shown
and 21 more not shown
Acute-4 weeks
1-8 weeks
Weeks
Acute
4-6 weeks
4-8 weeks
During use
First 1-2 weeks
Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome.
The New England journal of medicine (2017) · Rct · n=120
Convulsive seizures fell from 12.4 to 5.9/month with CBD vs 14.9 to 14.1 with placebo
Cannabidiol in patients with seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (GWPCARE4): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.
Lancet (London, England) (2018) · Rct · n=171
Significant reduction in drop-seizure frequency vs placebo
Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.
The New England journal of medicine (2018) · Rct · n=225
Fewer drop seizures vs placebo
St John's wort for major depression
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2008) · Meta analysis · n=5489
In nine larger placebo-controlled trials the combined response rate ratio was 1.28 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.49), and in nine smaller trials 1.87 (95% CI 1.22 to 2.87). Placebo-controlled results showed marked heterogeneity.
Efficacy of Pharmacological Interventions in Milder Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Neuropsychopharmacology reports (2025) · Meta analysis · n=1049
Eight RCTs, 1049 participants. St. John's Wort was analysed in two trials, both comparing it to fluoxetine.
Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Plant Extracts on Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in Stroke Patients
Phytotherapy research : PTR (2025) · Meta analysis · n=6599
48 RCTs covering 6599 stroke patients and nine plant extracts.
Both points come from one randomised, double-blind trial of the WS 5570 extract in 332 outpatients with mild or moderate major depression (PMID 16796730). Over 6 weeks, HAM-D scores fell 11.6 points on 600 mg once daily, 10.8 points on 600 mg twice daily and 6.0 points on placebo. Both doses beat placebo with comparable efficacy, so the curve is flat above 600 mg, although remission was more common at 1,200 mg. Adverse events were low in all groups. The Cochrane review (PMID 18843608, 29 trials) supports efficacy over placebo but did not compare doses, and no cited trial reports 300 mg, 900 mg or 1,800 mg a day, so no optimum is named.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Both CBD and St. John's Wort are closely matched — the best choice depends on your specific health goals.
For reduce anxiety & stress, St. John's Wort has a higher relevance score (65 vs 58).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
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The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.