Popular press books and articles about St. John's Wort never seem to fail to
mention monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition with this herb, but this
information is simply out-of-date.

Clinical experience of MDs in Germany, giving this herb to thousands of (
adult ) patients, has shown that significant inhibition of MAO does not occur
clinically, despite in vitro inhibition by the isolated constituent,
hypericin.  In vitro studies of single phytoconstituents are limited in what
they can predict about the effects of the whole plant in vivo.

St. John's Wort contains other pharmacologically active chemicals besides
hypericin.  There is no one "active ingredient" - researchers now suggest that
quite a number of phytoconstituents interact with various classes of brain
receptors.

Dr. Hale's new edition has a nicely balanced  mini - monograph on St. John's
Wort that is worth reading.

Sheila Humphrey
BSc  RN  IBCLC
Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota ( hard frost all this week - the oaks are
gorgeous and so soon the aspen, birches and maples bare )
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