Could St. John's Wort be making it harder to lose weight?

NannersBalletLegs

Hi, everyone.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience trying to lose weight while taking St. John's Wort.

I tend to gain a lot of weight over the winter from the holidays and just generally being more sedentary. I also take St. John's Wort for seasonal affective disorder during that time. In the summer, I tend to take it less frequently, usually just around my TOM. When I'm taking it daily, it seems like I struggle with shedding pounds, even if I'm exercising regularly and eating fewer calories. In the summer, though, the pounds melt off really easily. I've always chalked this up to just being more active in the garden, etc., but I'm also starting to suspect that St. John's Wort might be a culprit in my difficulties shedding weight at the end of winter/ early spring when I'm actively trying to do so but still taking supplements for my SAD.

Any knowledge or experience with this herb as it relates to weight gain or loss would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

ronjsteele1

I have a background in herbs and nutrition and that's not a connection I've ever been aware of. That doesn't mean it couldn't be for your body, but in general, it's not a known side effect of SJW. Have you tried things like upping your vit. C and B's during the winter for your SAD? That may be enough to help and allow you to stop the SJW. But the only real way to know if it's affecting your weight loss is to not take it for 4-6 weeks during the winter and see if you are able to lose. Everyone's body is very different so it's possible your body just doesn't handle the SJW well. That said, most people are more active during the spring/summer and it could just be a function of you being more active and not realizing it.

NannersBalletLegs

Thanks for the tip. I've never heard of Vitamins C and B being used for SAD. I've definitely heard of using Vitamin D3, though. Perhaps other non-SSRI supplements would be worth a try.