How do you counsel patients with mild to moderate depression interested in using St. John's Wort?   

Although this is used in parts of Europe, there it is considered a pharmaceutical and has higher standards for dose and potency. Here, as it is a health food product, different batches may require different doses of the pill due to differences in potency. There is some data to suggest that the combi...

If you are recommending St. John’s Wort, the usual recommendations are three times a day dosing of a standardized extract of 300 mg (0.3% hypericin). I have seen this help with or without the SAMe, though there is data on SAMe augmentation of multiple antidepressants (it’s been 25 years ...

I remind patients that "natural" substances are organic molecules and not necessarily any more natural than prescribed medications. For example, digitalis comes from the Fox Glove plant. And, if we are at the point in treatment where a patient is considering an active compound to treat a disorder, w...

If possible, have a medical work-up to rule out folate, B6, and B12 levels.