Low-Hyperforin Extracts of St John’s Wort are Safe to Combine with Prescription Medications of All Classes and are Effective in Treating Common Mental Health Concerns
Abstract St John’s wort (hypericum perforatum) (SJW) has both a rich history of use as well as a well-established body of modern human intervention trials showcasing its ability to benefit a wide array of common mental health concerns. However, academic curriculums training healthcare providers of all disciplines highlight the potential for horrifying herb-drug interactions with SJW. It may be the most well-known contraindication across all disciplines of medicine; do not combine SJW with prescriptions of any type! The objective of this review is to showcase evidence forcing a re-evaluation of the long-held notion that SJW cannot be combined with prescriptions. Specific molecules within SJW (hyperforin and hypericin – most relevant being hyperforin) are known inducers of several cytochrome P450 enzyme systems, and thus the interactions so...