IDepression can be a very debilitating condition and, for many, taking prescription drugs may not be desirable for a variety of reasons. Most, if not all, prescription drugs on the market have many negative side effects including a reduced sex drive, dizziness, nausea, headaches, weight gain and more...there is also a risk that the drugs will adversely affect the body and make depression even worse. In addition, these drugs can get very expensive depending on your insurance coverage. Because of all of these factors, many have turned to the possibility of natural supplements to help manage their depression symptoms.
Of all the natural supplements for depression on the market, St. John's Wort is probably the most popular and well-known, but not all St. John's Wort supplements are created equal. Studies indicate fairly conclusively that the main active ingredient in the herbaceous St. John's Wort is the natural chemical hyperforin. In a popular study where all factors were equal except the hyperforin content in each test sample, patients who received St. John's Wort extract with 5% hyperforin showed improvement in their depression symptoms while those receiving an extract with only .5% hyperforin did not see improvement.
If you're looking for a St. John's Wort supplement to help treat depression symptoms you can't really just pick the first supplement you see off the shelves as most supplements sold in the US contain only .5% hyperforin which has shown to be ineffective in trials. Be sure to purchase a high-quality supplement, preferable one that specifically states 5% hyperforin. St. John's Wort has a lot of beneficial properties so these lower-grade supplements still have some benefits in other areas, but are unlikely to provide any kind of benefit for alleviating depression symptoms.
A quality hyperforin supplement may be just the addition you need for your supplement regime to help fight your depression without the expense or unpleasant side effects of prescription drugs, but always be sure to consult your doctor first to help determine if it's a good choice for you. Hyperforin has been described as a potent uptake inhibitor for neurotransmitters (natural chemicals in the brain that transmit nerve impulses) such as norepinephrine and dopamine, preventing them from being reabsorbed into the nerve cells that produced them. Why is this important for depression sufferers? Depression almost always occurs because of an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain; uptake inhibitors keep produced neurotransmitters in circulation where they can do their job.
Having problems with depression doesn't mean that you'll automatically have to deal with it or that you'll have to go onto medications that are hard on your body and can cause many physical ailments that may rival the debilitating effects of the mental condition they're meant to correct. Ignoring depression is probably the worst thing you can do and treating it doesn't have to be costly and dangerous; often the best way to ensure you receive the best care for your condition is to approach the situation as informed as possible, including considering natural supplements to help alleviate symptoms.
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