Research declares St. John’s wort ineffective for irritable bowel syndrome

According to a recent research, it has been found that the popular herbal supplement St. John's wort is not effective in relieving the symptoms of pain and discomfort caused due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The herbal supplement has long enjoyed the reputation of being an effective anti-depressant, but surprisingly it did not qualify as being better than the placebo when tested as a cure for IBS. This is the first research of its kind indicating towards its ineffectiveness.

Since depression is one of the early symptoms linked with the onset of IBS, the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort was expected as a cure. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed to IBS patients.

Study author Dr. Yuri A. Saito, an assistant professor of medicine at the Miles and Shirley Fiterman Center for Digestive Diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn said:

"We decided to see whether St. John's wort, which is a bona fide, effective treatment for mild-to-moderate depression, is effective as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, which no one had done before and unfortunately, we found that at conventional doses of 900 milligrams a day, we did not see any clear benefit over placebo."

The research team conducted their study between 2006 and 2008. They studied 70 patients between the age group of 18 to 70 years, all suffering from IBS. While half the patients were given two tablets of St. John’s Wort, 450 mgs each, the other half was only given placebos.

The researchers monitored the patients bi-weekly, taking an account of any changes in their symptoms, and signs of improvement. Quite surprisingly they found that the placebo group was shown much more improvement as compared to the group taking the actual supplement. They also reported an improvement in symptoms like – bloating, dissipation, constipation, diarrhoea, pain and discomfort.

Speaking about the findings Saito said:

"Unfortunately, a lot of people out there are purchasing supplement products based on trial-and-error, but even though I wouldn't have any hesitation about recommending St. John's wort for depression, based on this I think I'd feel reasonably comfortable telling my IBS patients to save their money because I don't think St. John's wort is going to help."

However, Douglas MacKay, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, feels that this study is too small to be actually relied upon for all ISB patients in general.

MacKay, said:

“This study does not answer the question of whether or not St. Johns wort may have benefit for depressed individuals who also suffer from IBS, which is a common subtype of individuals with IBS. We would like to see more research conducted with depressed individuals with IBS, where St. John's wort may be most effective."

MacKay has vouched for the continuation of the supplement as an effective cure for patients with mild depression despite the research.

IBS affects almost 10-22 percent people in America. The research findings have been reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.