Ashwagandha vs St. John's Wort for mood
Short answer: For mood, more users report improvement with St. John's Wort — 87% of 127 reports, versus 53% of 446 for Ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha has 48 meta-analyses and 59 randomized trials on PubMed; St. John's Wort has 98 and 111.
Based on 2,447 reports about Ashwagandha and 314 about St. John's Wort. Not medical advice.
| Ashwagandha Supplement | St. John's Wort Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 44%helped1,321 reports · high confidence | 50%helped151 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 48 / 59 | 98 / 111 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 88% (881) | 82% (44) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 53% (446) | 87% (127) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 77% (233) | 89% (9) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 53% (125) | 60% (10) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 62% (127) | 33% (3) |
| Common side effects | anhedonia, drowsiness, fatigue, depression | photosensitivity, serotonin syndrome, eye problems, dissociation |
| Typical dose reported | 800-1600 mg / after dinner | 100 mg |
The current systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs revealed a beneficial effect in both stress and anxiety following Ashwagandha supplementation. However, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plant.
Phytother Res, 2022 ↗“I paired it with maca and ashwaganda and it legit felt like a steroid cycle.”
Our research supports the use of SJW as it reduced the number of depressive patients and their HAMD scores while having fewer risks and side effects than conventional medications.
Adv Clin Exp Med, 2023 ↗“St. John's Wort, Passion Flower, Hops, and Skullcap. My sleep improved with those.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate