Nature Defeats Science

Shaklee MoodLift Complex contains St. John’s wort, which research shows a more positive mental outlook after four to six weeks of use, and inositol, which complements the activity of St. John’s wort by playing a role in the proper transmission of nerve signals. St. John’s wort contains several chemicals, including seven isomers of hypericin along with pseudohypericins, hyperforin, and flavonoids.Researchers aren’t exactly sure how St. John’s wort works. Some have suggested that the herb acts similar to an SSRI, increasing the availability of the brain chemicals serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters help improve mood. Scientists thought that the highest concentration of one hypericin was responsible.  When they synthesized the LI 160 fraction of  hypericin in the lab and gave it to volunteers, it increased their seasonal depression.  So, the exact action of all the ingredients in Shaklee MoodLift and the various standardized concentrations is still a mystery to all but nature but now they believe that other chemicals in St. John’s wort may help.  Shaklee combines identity certified and high performance gas chromatography standardized fractions to give a product that works year in and year out.

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What About The Warnings

Do not use St. John’s Wort if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking anti-depressants. Consult your physician is you are taking oral contraceptives, or anticoagulants. When taking this product, you may be more sensitive to sun exposure.

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Lack Of Safety Research

What this means is that the FDA has not reviewed or accepted the current studies on the safety for pregnant or nursing mothers although historical use by both exists in the lay literature.  No mother would volunteer to be in a double blind placebo controlled study where here baby’s health was at risk!  Also, since the action

Researchers at the University of Adelaide tabulated the side effects from persons using St. John’s wort and the prescription drug Prozac.  They found the benefits were about equal but the prescription drug had almost 6 times the side effects of the herb.  It was noted that in the 81,000 of people reporting, the side effects of nausea, vomiting, headaches and drowsiness they were more pronounced with the drug.

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More Research To Consider

The main concerns about the herb is on the liver  metabolic pathway known as cytochrome 450. This pathway consists of the enzymes our body uses to clear drugs and ingested chemicals from the bloodstream.

These enzymes are responsible for detoxifying the glass of wine you may have had with dinner to modulating the nutritional supplements you take to keep your body healthy.

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Foods And Herbs Go Way Back Together

If you have ever heard that grapefruit juice can interfere with your medications, then you know of this process we call enzyme induction. St. John’s wort, like grapefruit juice, induces the body to produce more of these enzymes in order to clear the chemical from the bloodstream [faster].  In other words, it can compound the effect of some antidepressants.  For this reason, persons taking prescription antidepressants for SAD may want to speak with their prescribing health care worker about slowly depleting the drug while taking Shaklee MoodLift.  Remember, it takes about 1 month for the herbs and nutrient to work.  If you cannot get sunshine, take Vita D3, MoodLift and work with mother nature.  She really knows her stuff!

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