St John's Wort: This herb can make you sick

St. John's Wort is commonly used as an herbal alternative to pharmaceutical antidepressants, however, to avoid side effects, a new study suggests using it with care. Photo: Shutterstock

The yellow-flowering plant is commonly used as a herbal alternative to treat depression, however, new research suggests it could produce the same adverse side effects as pharmaceutical antidepressants.

A research team from the University of Adelaide in Australia compared the effects of St. John's Wort against those of fluoxetine – better known by the trade names of Prozac and Sarafem – a commonly prescribed antidepressant.