Vitamins and Herbs at VitaNetonline.com

Studies have shown that St. John's wort may help in treatingdepression, but could this herbal remedy also work against premenstrual syndrome? Researchers at the University of Exeter in England studied 19 women diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome. They showed symptoms of nervous tension, anxiety, insomnia and mood swings. All of the studyparticipants were given 300 milligrams of hypericin, the active ingredient in St. John's wort, to take daily for two months. They were asked to record their symptoms each day in a journal. The women's PMS symptoms then were tracked another two months when they did not take the herb. Researchers found during the two months they took St. John's wort, the women reported significant reductions in insomnia, mood swings and even feelings of depression, conditions often linked with a woman’s menstrual cycle. The next step is to expand the study and compare St. John's wort to a placebo, researchers say. St. John's wort is available in over-the-counter products. However, researchers caution that the herb can adversely interact with some prescription drugs and women should talk to their health-care providers before taking it.