St John's Wort

St John's wort has a long, documented history in Western herbal medicine. It is traditionally used to help relieve the symptoms of mild anxiety, support healthy mood balance, and relieve nervous tension and restlessness. Our tablets and capsules are made for exactly these traditional uses.

St John's wort may suit you if:

• you are feeling anxious or on edge in a mild way, and want a traditional herbal option
• nervous tension and restlessness are getting in the way of your day
• you want support for a healthy mood balance
• you take no prescription medicines, or your doctor has checked them first

That last point matters most. St John's wort changes how the body clears many medicines, including the pill.^[2] If you take any medicine, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you start. And if your mood has been low for weeks, please see your GP.

The number on each pack, such as 1800 or 4000, is the dry herb equivalent. It tells you how much dried herb went into the extract in one tablet. Because some tablets are taken once a day and others three times, the daily totals are closer than the names suggest.

Prices change, so check the pack. Cost a day assumes the label dose. Hypericin, the red pigment in the flower, is used to keep each batch consistent. Hyperforin, printed on only two of our packs, is the part linked to medicine interactions.^[2]

1. Mild anxiety: St John's wort is traditionally used to help relieve the symptoms of mild anxiety.
2. Mood: it is traditionally used to support healthy mood balance.
3. Nervous tension: it is traditionally used to help relieve nervous tension and restlessness.
4. Tradition: St John's wort has a long history of use in Western herbal medicine.
5. One a day: the one-a-day tablets are the simplest to remember, and among the cheapest a day.
6. Combinations: one capsule adds passionflower, and one tablet adds vitamins B6, B9 and B12.
7. Tea option: the organic teabags make a pleasant evening drink from about $7.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.

The most important research for you as a shopper is on medicine interactions. St John's wort switches on liver enzymes that clear many medicines from the body, so those medicines can work less well.

Clear interactions. A review of studies and regulators' case reports found clear interactions with blood thinners, a transplant medicine, HIV medicines, a lung medicine, a heart medicine and the pill. In each case the medicine's level or effect fell. Swedish and UK regulators added warnings to labels as a result.^[2] A later review found the same for cancer and cholesterol medicines, and noted several life-threatening cases.^[8]

The pill. In 12 women on the pill, St John's wort halved how long the oestrogen stayed in the body, and breakthrough bleeding rose from 2 women to 7. US public bodies funded the study.^[3] A review funded by the US Centers for Disease Control found lower hormone levels and signs the pill may work less reliably.^[4]

It builds over time. One dose did nothing to levels of the heart medicine digoxin. After 10 days they had fallen by about a quarter.^[5] So a short trial run tells you little.

The most serious cases. St John's wort cut levels of the HIV medicine indinavir by 57 per cent on average.^[6] Two heart transplant patients had acute rejection linked to an interaction with their medicine.^[7]

Follow the label, and take it with food, as every label in our range directs. Herbal mood support is gradual. One label suggests taking it for at least four to twelve weeks, so give it a fair trial before you judge it. Pick a time you will remember.

• Prescription medicines. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start.^[1]
• The pill and other hormonal contraception. St John's wort can make it less reliable.^[1]
• Medicines that act on serotonin, and migraine medicines. Do not combine without medical advice.^[2]
• Surgery. Tell your surgeon and anaesthetist, and ask when to stop.
• Sunlight. It can make some people more sensitive to the sun.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Not recommended without medical advice.
• Under 18. Labels differ, and one says only as prescribed by a health professional. Speak to your doctor first.

1. Check your medicines first. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.
2. Decide how often you will take it. Once a day is easiest to stick with.
3. Compare the daily total. Multiply the pack number by the daily dose, using the table.
4. Look for a hypericin figure. It means each tablet is standardised to the same amount.
5. Tea or tablet. A tea is a pleasant drink, but it is sold as a food and gives no measured dose.
6. Ask first. Book a Free 10-minute consultation and we will help you choose.

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Explore more: read our guide to the best supplements for stress and anxiety. You can also browse Stress & Mood Supplements and Stress Relief Vitamins. For a daytime herb for stress and tiredness, see Rhodiola Supplements.

1. Therapeutic Goods (Permissible Ingredients) Determination (No. 3) 2026 (F2026L01382), item 2674, Hypericum perforatum. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01382 (Accessed: 4 November 2026).
2. Henderson, L., Yue, Q.Y., Bergquist, C., Gerden, B. and Arlett, P. (2002) 'St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum): drug interactions and clinical outcomes', British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 54(4), pp. 349 to 356. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2002.01683.x. No funding or competing interests stated.
3. Hall, S.D., Wang, Z., Huang, S.M., Hamman, M.A., Vasavada, N., Adigun, A.Q., Hilligoss, J.K., Miller, M. and Gorski, J.C. (2003) 'The interaction between St John's wort and an oral contraceptive', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 74(6), pp. 525 to 535. doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.08.009. Funded by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US National Institutes of Health; no competing interests stated.
4. Berry-Bibee, E.N., Kim, M.J., Tepper, N.K., Riley, H.E. and Curtis, K.M. (2016) 'Co-administration of St. John's wort and hormonal contraceptives: a systematic review', Contraception, 94(6), pp. 668 to 677. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2016.07.010. Funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; competing interests: none.
5. Johne, A., Brockmöller, J., Bauer, S., Maurer, A., Langheinrich, M. and Roots, I. (1999) 'Pharmacokinetic interaction of digoxin with an herbal extract from St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 66(4), pp. 338 to 345. doi: 10.1053/cp.1999.v66.a101944. No funding or competing interests stated.
6. Piscitelli, S.C., Burstein, A.H., Chaitt, D., Alfaro, R.M. and Falloon, J. (2000) 'Indinavir concentrations and St John's wort', The Lancet, 355(9203), pp. 547 to 548. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)05712-8. No funding statement given.
7. Ruschitzka, F., Meier, P.J., Turina, M., Lüscher, T.F. and Noll, G. (2000) 'Acute heart transplant rejection due to Saint John's wort', The Lancet, 355(9203), pp. 548 to 549. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)05467-7. Case report; no funding statement given.
8. Soleymani, S., Bahramsoltani, R., Rahimi, R. and Abdollahi, M. (2017) 'Clinical risks of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) co-administration', Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology, 13(10), pp. 1047 to 1062. doi: 10.1080/17425255.2017.1378342. No funding or competing interests stated.