St Johns Wort – Herb Stops Smoking

Natural Alternative with Fewer Side Effects

A new study has found that St John’s Wort, a herb that has been used for treating depression, is successful in helping people quit the smoking habit.

St John’s Wort (hyperium perforatum) has been developed into a product that is having similar effects as nicotine replacement therapy and chemical antidepressants.  It works by directly affecting the brains reward pathway and has been found to reduce mood withdrawal symptoms.

Swinburne University of Technology Brain Sciences Institute’s Professor Con Stough conducted the research and is pushing for natural quit-smoking alternatives to taken seriously on World No Tobacco Day.  ”We have exciting preliminary data on a particular St John’s Wort (hyperium perforatum) product “Remotiv” that shows promise as a natural alternative for quitting smoking.” Professer Stough said. 

“This product acts to alleviate some of the symptoms people have when they try to quit, such as heightened anxiety and changes in mood.”

The first two pilot studies demonstrated St John’s Wort and nicotine replacement therapy had similar efficacy with the natural “Remotiv” being cheaper and having fewer side effects.  A 12 week course of St John’s Wort “Remotiv” costs $100 compared to $350 for nicotine replacement therapy and $600 for Bupropion antidepressant.

It has been estimated that 70% of Australian smokers have tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking at least once in their lifetime of smoking.  Statistics reveal that about about 21% of Australian Adults are classed as regular smokers and that cigarette smoking is responsible for about 19,000 deaths in Australia each year.

Although the Swinburne studies by Professor Stough have shown “Remotiv” to be effective in helping to quit smoking, some controversy surrounds the herb St John’s Wort with it’s safety being constantly reviewed.

While St. John’s Wort can be obtained without prescription at health shops in most parts of the world, the Australian Therapeutic Drugs Administration has warned that the concentration of the active ingredients may vary from one preparation to the next.

Although St John’s Wort is a herb, we always recommend discussing your individual health concerns with your Doctor before taking any medication to ensure that there will not be any side effects due to interaction with your existing medications and seek their advice to help you use a herbal alternative to quit smoking.