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From The September 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News
At the Counter with Dan Lukaczer, N.D.
The Moderate Depression Treatment
Q: Is St. John's wort an effective treatment for depression?
A: A variety of studies show St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) to be as effective as many prescription drugs for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.1
A new and much-reported study, however, appears to contradict those conclusions. This study, published in the Journal of the American Medication Association, assessed the effects of a standardized extract of St. John's wort on major depression.
Unfortunately, the researchers disregarded the positive conclusions of 10 years' worth of placebo-controlled trials on St. John's wort's efficacy in treating mild to moderate depression. They stated in their conclusion: "Until well-designed positive studies are published, we conclude that there currently is no credible evidence to support the efficacy of St. John's wort for people with depression."2
Although this is an important study on the use of St. John's wort in treating major depression, significant evidence exists that St. John's wort is an effective and safe botanical treatment for mild to moderate depression.
Friendly Bacteria Unfriendly to Viruses
Q: Can lactobacillus prevent viral infections?
A: Evidence of the health benefits of lactobacillus and other probiotics—also known as "friendly bacteria"—is impressive. Many studies have investigated the role of various strains of bacteria in preventing and treating such illnesses as inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, and even colon cancer. Last year the American Journal of Gastroenterology published an entire supplemental issue dedicated to the use of probiotics in disease treatment.3
A recent study on the prevention of gastrointestinal infections suggests that probiotics may also be effective against viral infections. In this study, a group of 81 children was randomized to receive either a strain of lactobacillus (Lactobacillus GG) or placebo after hospital admission. Because many infections are acquired in the hospital (termed nosocomial infections), the researchers decided to test the protective effects of probiotics in this setting.
Of the 81 children in the study, 15 (18.5 percent) experienced diarrhea during their hospitalization. Stool analysis revealed that rotavirus was the most common cause. Probiotic supplement use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of diarrhea; only three children (6.7 percent) in the group given probiotics had diarrhea, yet 12 children (33.3 percent) in the placebo group experienced diarrhea during their hospital stay.4 The prevalence of rotavirus infection was similar in both groups, but the number of children with symptoms was dramatically lower in the probiotic group.
Probiotics appear to work through a variety of mechanisms, from decreasing pathogen adherence to the intestinal wall to stimulating the systemic immune response. And they seem to be a safe, effective way to prevent virally induced gastrointestinal infections.
Dan Lukaczer, N.D., is director of clinical research at the Functional Medicine Research Center, a division of Metagenics Inc., in Gig Harbor, Wash.
References
1. Woelk H. Comparison of St. John's wort and imipramine for treating depression: randomized controlled trial. BMJ 2000;321:536-9.
2. Shelton RC, et al. Effectiveness of St. John's wort in major depression: a randomized trial. JAMA 2001;285:1978-86.
3. Am J Gastroenterol 2000 Jan;95(1 Suppl):S1-25.
4. Szajewska H, et al. Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in prevention of nosocomial diarrhea in infants. J Pediatr 2001;138(3):361-5.
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