The first placebo-controlled trial of St. John’s wort in children and adolescents suggests that the herb has no additional benefit beyond that of a placebo in treating the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Up to 30% of children with ADHD either do not respond to medication, or suffer from side effects of ADHD medication. This is why many parents turn to alternative treatments like St. John’s Wort. The study was published in the most recent Journal of the American Medical Association. Full story.
June 11, 2008
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.