NOW Foods St. John's Wort 300mg 100 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods St. John's Wort 300 mg is a standardized herbal extract sold as a dietary supplement, packed 100 vegetarian capsules to the bottle. Each capsule supplies 300 mg of St. John's Wort extract (Hypericum perforatum, herb), assayed to a minimum of 0.3% hypericin. It belongs to NOW's Botanicals/Herbs line, and the bottle carries a Non-GMO Project Verified seal, a kosher mark and NOW's own GMP Quality Assured seal. Related items sit in Herbs & Botanicals.

What's inside

There is one active botanical here and three excipients, and the panel names all four. Hypericum perforatum is a yellow-flowered perennial that grows wild across Europe, western Asia and North America. Its species name comes from the foliage: hold a leaf up to the light and it looks punctured by hundreds of tiny translucent dots, which are in fact oil glands. The common name points at the traditional harvest window, since the plant tends to be in full flower around St. John's Day in late June. NOW's own side panel records that the herb "has a long history of traditional use by herbalists dating back more than 2000 years." The NCCIH's Herbs at a Glance index is a reasonable starting point for general background on botanicals of this kind.

The word doing the most work on the front of this bottle is standardized. Standardization is a manufacturing step rather than an ingredient. Raw botanical material varies from field to field and season to season, so a standardized extract is assayed against a chosen marker compound and blended to meet a stated floor. Here the marker is hypericin and the floor is 0.3% — the panel reads "min. 0.3% Hypericin", meaning each batch is measured to sit at or above that level rather than at some average. It is a consistency measure. It tells you what the extract was measured against, not what it will do for you. NIH ODS explains the general category in its overview of botanical dietary supplements.

The three other ingredients each have a job. Hypromellose forms the capsule shell itself and is a cellulose derivative, which is why this capsule is vegetarian rather than gelatin. Stearic acid, from a vegetable source, is a flow agent that keeps the powder moving evenly through the encapsulating machinery. Silicon dioxide is an anti-caking agent that stops that powder clumping. Nothing else is listed.

Supplement Facts

* Daily Value not established. Transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle. Label panels for products like this one are catalogued in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is one capsule three times daily, preferably with food. The caution printed alongside it sets the ceiling on the same panel: do not exceed 3 capsules daily unless directed by a healthcare professional. At that full three-a-day usage a 100-capsule bottle works out to about 33 days. Store in a cool, dry place after opening.

Who it's for

This is a product for adults 18 and over who want a standardized St. John's Wort extract from a named manufacturer rather than loose dried herb of unknown strength. The capsule shell is hypromellose and the front of the bottle reads Vegetarian/Vegan, so it suits people avoiding gelatin capsules. It also suits shoppers who read panels: the ingredient list is four items long and the marker assay is stated on the front of the bottle. You will find the rest of the range under Supplements and Health & Wellness.

It is explicitly not for everyone. The label rules out pregnant and nursing women, and rules out use alongside any medication without a physician's advice. On this particular herb that second exclusion is broad, so read the next section before you buy.

Good to know

St. John's Wort carries more printed cautions than most botanicals, and NOW puts them on the bottle rather than in the small print. Taken from the label:

• For adults only. Do not exceed 3 capsules daily unless directed by a healthcare professional.
• Sun sensitivity. Amounts above that ceiling may contribute to photosensitizing reactions — skin reddening — in the presence of strong sunlight or tanning beds.
• Medication interactions. The label states that St. John's wort is known to interact with antidepressants, oral contraceptives, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, anti-seizure and chemotherapeutic agents, and other prescription and over-the-counter medications. Do not use this product while taking any medication, or if you have a medical condition, without the advice of your physician.
• Not for use by pregnant or nursing women.
• Keep out of reach of children.

That interaction list is printed on the bottle, and it is the reason this page gives more space to safety than to salesmanship. If you take anything on prescription, raise it with your pharmacist or physician before you buy. NCCIH publishes general guidance on the safety of dietary and herbal supplements, including why herb–drug interactions are worth asking about.

Allergens. The panel reads: not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish or tree nut ingredients, and produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens. The same panel notes that natural color variation may occur in this product.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "standardized to 0.3% hypericin" actually mean?

It means each batch of extract is laboratory-assayed so that hypericin, the marker compound chosen for this herb, makes up at least 0.3% of it. The figure is a floor rather than an average, which is what the word "min." on the panel signals. Standardization is about batch-to-batch consistency of the raw material, and it says nothing about what the product does.

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how many days is that?

The bottle holds 100 vegetarian capsules. At the label's suggested usage of one capsule three times daily, that works out to roughly 33 days; taken less often it covers proportionally more. Each capsule is one serving and supplies 300 mg of extract.

Is this suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes — the front of the bottle reads Vegetarian/Vegan, and the capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose derivative, rather than gelatin. The stearic acid is specified on the panel as being from a vegetable source. The bottle also carries a kosher mark and the Non-GMO Project Verified seal.

Can I take this alongside prescription medication?

No — not without your physician's advice, and the label is unusually direct about it. It states that St. John's wort is known to interact with antidepressants, oral contraceptives, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, anti-seizure and chemotherapeutic agents, and other prescription and over-the-counter medications, and instructs you not to use the product while taking any medication or if you have a medical condition without that advice.

How is the order packaged?

Orders ship in plain, unmarked outer packaging that gives no indication of the contents. It will not show the Gear Isle name. Nothing on the outside of the parcel identifies the product inside it.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.