Rhodiola vs St. John's Wort for mood
Short answer: For mood, users rate them about the same: 87% report improvement with Rhodiola (219 reports) and 87% with St. John's Wort (127 reports).
Rhodiola has 18 meta-analyses and 45 randomized trials on PubMed; St. John's Wort has 98 and 111.
Based on 1,376 reports about Rhodiola and 314 about St. John's Wort. Not medical advice.
| Rhodiola Supplement | St. John's Wort Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 62%helped578 reports · high confidence | 50%helped151 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 18 / 45 | 98 / 111 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Energy % reporting improvement | 90% (363) | 60% (10) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 87% (219) | 87% (127) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 78% (200) | 82% (44) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 85% (102) | 71% (7) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 41% (17) | 89% (9) |
| Common side effects | jitteriness, insomnia, drowsiness, irritability | photosensitivity, serotonin syndrome, eye problems, dissociation |
| Typical dose reported | 200 mg / daily | 100 mg |
The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.
Nutrients, 2021 ↗“This one not only reduces my social anxiety but actually puts me in a good mood and makes me feel more social.”
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