Posted by Cam W. on January 29, 2000, at 9:45:21
In reply to St Johns wort, posted by Maggie on January 29, 2000, at 0:49:22
> anyone know where the cheapest place to buy st johns wort is on the web?
Maggie - Just a note on St. John's wort. It has been proven to work in "mild to moderate" cases of depression. For a major or serious depression you may need medical help (therapy and pharmaceutical medications).
Buying the "cheapest" St. John's wort may not always be the best way to go. Buy from a reputable manufacturer. Quality control is lacking in many of the cheaper brands of herbs, as the manufacturing process of herbals is not regulated by the FDA or by Health Canada. At least with reputable dealers (eg major labels - GNC or Centrum) you can be reasonably sure you are getting a standardized dosage from dose to dose and bottle to bottle.
Also, the time of day the St. John's wort is harvested makes a difference in it's potency and shelf life, a fact many of the cost-cutting manufacturers do not realize. There are at least 700 manufacturers of herbals in North America. Not all of them have YOUR best interests in mind and are just out to make themsleves rich.
So, stick with the major brands (Kira probably is the best, most reliable I know of, but probably the most expensive as well) and follow the package directions for use. You may also want to talk to an herbalist or consult a book on herbs for proper directions for use of St. John's wort. Herbs, if they do "do something" for a disorder can be considered drugs as they are acting in a pharmaceutical manner and have side effects and drug interactions, just like pharmaceutical medications. Sorry for the rambling, but the cheapest product may not work properly. Good luck,
Cam W.
poster:Cam W.
thread:19956
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000128/msgs/19975.html