St. John's Wort

St. John’s Wort, nature’s mood-balancing herb, has been around for centuries, lending its golden blossoms to everything from medieval rituals to modern mental health hacks.

This adaptogenic superstar is packed with hypericin and hyperforin, compounds thought to give it that antidepressant mojo by boosting serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels. Feeling a little frazzled or low? This herb might help ease mild to moderate depression and anxiety—think of it as sunshine in a supplement. But biohackers, take note: St. John’s Wort is a known metabolism magician, meaning it can interfere with medications (hello, cytochrome P450 pathways!), so timing and compatibility are everything. Always check with your doctor before going full herbal Jedi with this one!

Serotonin Syndrome

This is a very dangerous condition caused by combining two or more serotonergic supplements or drugs, such as...

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor(SSRI)
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor(SNRI)
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI)
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
• Amphetamines
• Pethidine(meperidine)
• Tramadol
• Dextromethorphan
• Buspirone
• L-tryptophan
• St. John's Wort
• Triptans
• Ecstasy
• Metoclopramide
• Ondansetron
• Or cocaine

You would not want to take these drugs within 24 hours of each other. Particularly combining the SSRIs or the SNRIs with 5-HTP. It causes a number of very undesirable symptoms up to and including death.

Cofactors

For some, it has a marvelous effect in combination with Rhodiola, to quote Sasha in the UK:

I started taking 1 capsule of Rhodiola and 1 of St John’s wort together twice daily. I can’t fathom how these two plants work synergetically (perhaps someone here can enlighten me) but they sure do for me, I got better mood, more energy/stamina, and felt stimulated without feeling stressed or jittery. My concentration got better, and although I think I was intellectually stimulated I can’t tell wether this kind of stimulation might be beneficial for someone who deals with important mental tasks.

Rhodiola

Category: Nootropic Ingredients