The plant hypericum perforatrum, popularly known as St John’s Wort, has long been considered a natural alternative to Prozac but now new research from St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, has confirmed its mood boosting properties. Scientists have found that it is just as effective at treating depression as Prozac. It also has fewer side effects than standard drugs given to those battling depression.

The study compared the effects of St John’s Wort with placebos and a range of old and new antidepressants, including Prozac and Seroxat and a new generation of SSRI drugs on over 5,000 patients with mild to severe depression. Overall, St John’s Wort was superior to placebo and similarly effective as standard antidepressants with fewer side effects. 

 

St John’s Wort is contraindicated with a number of medications so do check before taking it.

If you are finding it hard to lose weight; your weekends may be to blame, according to recent research from Washington University School of Medicine. In a year long study they found that people on strict diet and exercise programmes were more likely to let things go on a Saturday and Sunday – with Saturday being the most calorie high day. So if you are struggling to lose weight take a good look at your calorie intake over the weekend.

Babies born to mothers who were anxious or stressed during their pregnancy are more at risk of developing asthma research from Bristol University has shown. Close to 6000 families were monitored for eight years and anxiety levels assessed with questionnaires completed at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. The children were assessed for asthma at around age seven. Overall the risk of developing asthma was a staggering 65 per cent higher in women who were stressed compared to those who were not. It is thought that the immune system of developing babies could be influenced by maternal stress, probably through the stress hormone, cortisol.

And according to a study released from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan perhaps the best way for mothers to distress and relax is to listen to classical music and the sounds of nature. The study showed that listening to music provided a simple, cost effective and non invasive way of reducing stress, anxiety and depression in pregnancy.