Conditions St. John's Wort Helps Treat

Symptoms Of Menopause

When women's estrogen levels begin to decline during the long slope of menopause, it can cause a host of unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbance, and mood swings, or even depression. Hormone replacement therapy has been traditionally used to counter these symptoms, but they present an elevated risk for both estrogen-based cancers such as breast cancer, and cardiovascular events such as blood clots and stroke.

Some women use plant-based estrogens, called phytoestrogens, to mimic the effect of estrogen in their bodies to avoid these risks. St. John’s wort contains a phytoestrogen called beta-sitosterol, which has demonstrated itself to be very useful in reducing hot flashes and other unwanted symptoms of menopause. Phytoestrogens are mild and can provide relief without incurring a significant health risk. The best results in symptom reduction were found when St. John's wort was combined with black cohosh, another phytoestrogen herb long used to treat hot flashes.

Learn more about what conditions St. John's wort is said to treat now.