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In 1994 alone, St. John's Wort was prescribed for 20 million people in Germany. It accounted for over 50% of the prescriptions given to treat mild to moderate depression. It makes me wonder if there is a connection to the pharmaceutical industry's current interest in controlling herbs. The herb can only be bought with prescription in Ireland. Could it be greed or maybe fear? St. John's Wort has no major side effects and costs much less than comparable antidepressant drugs. The herb has also been used to treat insomnia, SAD and PMS.

Hypericum enjoys a long colorful history. Dioscorides, Pliny and Hippocrates all used it during ancient Greek times.

St. John's wort has been shown to have dramatic antiviral activity, although in dosages much higher than those required to treat depression. Experiments have indicated that two of the active chemicals in the plant, hypericin and pseudohypericin, are clearly effective against a number of retroviruses, including the herpes and hepatitis C viruses. The herbs show significant activity against influenza types A and B; the vesicular stomatitis virus, which causes inflammation of the mouth; and even the Epstein-Barr virus, which is associated with infectious mononucleosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. So stock up for winter.

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