Link Found Between St. John's Wort Use and Cataracts

Many people suffering from depression turn to the herbal supplement, St. John's Wort, as a natural remedy. A new study, however, found a relationship between use of the herb and the development of cataracts. The extracts of St. John's wort are commonly used in either tablet form or as a tea. The typical dosage amount in tablet form is 300 mg of the extract three times a day although the dosage suggested can vary greatly with different products. The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Alabama and the results were published in the current edition of Current Eye Research. The scientists studied the relationship between St. John's wort and cataracts.? Of particular interest to the scientists was the St. John's wort ingredient, hypericin. Prior research has indicated that hypericin is connected to the crystallization of the eye's lenses. More than 31,000 people age 40 and up were asked whether they had cataracts and whether they had used herbal treatments over the preceding 12 months. Those who replied that they had cataracts were 59% more likely to also report they had used St. John's wort. The researchers did caution that the questionnaire they used had limitations and further research needed to be done. Elise Ervin Staff Writer