St. John's wort

One of the strongest herbs for mood support, but its interaction profile is serious enough that it cannot be treated casually.

A rough internal score reflecting quantity, quality, and consistency of human evidence. Not a clinical recommendation.

Large evidence reviews support St. John's wort for mild-to-moderate depression, often with efficacy comparable to standard antidepressants in those settings. Hyperforin and hypericin are commonly tracked constituents.

• Can improve mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms
• Often has fewer sexual side effects than SSRIs
• Has a substantial clinical literature for an herb

Most trials use 300 mg standardized extract taken three times daily or equivalent once-daily products.

• Drug interactions
• GI upset
• Photosensitivity

It strongly induces drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters, reducing efficacy of many medications including birth control, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, and others.

Its efficacy is credible, but medication interactions make it inappropriate for unsupervised stacking with many prescriptions.

• Mood70
• Anxiety25
• Sleep15