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Sj7.8
St. John's Wort Research
Mixed evidence
182 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Mixed evidence
Studies are split: St. John's Wort helped in 4 of 9 cases, with the rest inconclusive or showing no benefit.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1999–2026 with a typical study size of 332 participants.
Based on 182 studies · 29 meta-analyses · 111 RCTs · 730,410 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
What the studies found
4helped4unclear1didn't help· 173 more without graded effect data
By outcome
Depression & moodSignificant improvement in depressive symptoms · 4-6 weeks
Mixed evidence135 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Mixed evidence74 studies
Safety profile & drug interactions
Probably helps37 studies
Women's healthMay help manage menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood changes · 4-8 weeks · Supports healthy estrogen metabolism and hormonal equilibrium · 4-8 weeks
33 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2025
199920122026
1Depression response ratesMeta-Analysisn=1,049 · large study2025
This review demonstrates that certain supplements, such as eicosapentaenoic acids and Rhodiola rosea, are therapeutic options for mild depression.
Urata M et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology reports (2025)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
A meta-analysis found no significant difference in response rates between the two treatments (risk ratio [RR] = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.78-1.18) or dropout rates (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.62-1.88).
Eicosapentaenoic acid and Rhodiola rosea demonstrated significant improvements in depressive symptoms compared to placebo.
Conversely, S-adenosylmethionine did not produce significant improvements relative to placebo.
2Systematic ReviewCited 5×n=1,115 · large study2025
Herbal therapies present a diverse array of options for psoriasis management, but further research is essential to elucidate their safety profile and true effectiveness.
Anheyer M et al. · Complementary therapies in medicine (2025)
Herbal therapies present a diverse array of options for psoriasis management, but further research is essential to elucidate their safety profile and true effectiveness.
Healthcare providers should engage in shared decision-making with patients, considering individual preferences and treatment goals while remaining vigilant in guiding towards evidence-based treatments.
3Depression treatment responseMeta-AnalysisCited 15×n=2,270 · very large study2023
Our research supports the use of SJW as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their HAMD scores while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.
Zhao X et al. · Advances in clinical and experimental medicine : official organ Wroclaw Medical University (2023)
Huge harm
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Likely real
For patients treated with either SSRIs or SJW, a pooled OR of 2.44 with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 1.33-4.45 was obtained.
The data were heterogeneous, with a tau2 value of 0.54, χ2 value of 31.05, degrees of freedom (df) value of 7, I2 value of 77%, and an overall Z-value of 2.90 with p = 0.004.
Our research supports the use of SJW as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their HAMD scores while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.
5HAM-D depression scoresMeta-AnalysisCited 151×n=3,808 · very large study2017
For patients with mild-to-moderate depression, St John's wort has comparable efficacy and safety when compared to SSRIs.
Ng QX et al. · Journal of affective disorders (2017)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Likely real
The pooled SMD from baseline HAM-D scores (pooled SMD -0.068, 95% CI -0.127 to 0.021, p<0.001) also support its significant clinical efficacy in ameliorating depressive symptoms.
For patients with mild-to-moderate depression, St John's wort has comparable efficacy and safety when compared to SSRIs.
Follow-up studies carried out over a longer duration should be planned to ascertain its benefits.
6Major depression responseMeta-AnalysisCited 97×n=5,489 · very large study2016
St. John's wort was significantly superior to placebo and comparable to standard antidepressants for treating major depression with fewer side effects.
Apaydin EA et al. · Systematic Reviews (2016)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
St. John's wort was significantly more effective than placebo for major depression (SMD -0.49)
Efficacy was comparable to SSRIs with no significant difference in response rates
Adverse event rates were significantly lower than conventional antidepressants