Topic Title: Resolving the "One A Day" dosage confusion
| |  "Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma"
, Sun 17 Mar 13:38:
The recent confusion over the dosage in the Boots "One A Day" SJW product highlighted some interesting differences in the marketplace. I'm happy to report though that virtually everyone who weighed in on the debate was correct in their own context.
This excerpt from Hyla Cass' book SJW: Nature's Blues Buster knits it all together:
"Extracts from as low as 0.125% up to 0.3% hypericin content have yielded positive results. The original studies used the lower concentration, while most current studies employ the 0.3% concentration. Be sure to use a standardized product that gives you a total of 1.0 to 2.7mg hypericin per day ... the best dose is the lowest one that produces results for you."
I think it's correct to say that SJW with 0.125% hypericin is very hard to find. Of the English-speaking countries, it only seems to appear in the Kira brand and only then in the UK. Kira gets re-sold under a few different "own brands"; Boots is likely one of them.
I think it's also correct to say that Boots/Kira "One A Day" tablets are exactly the same tablets as get sold elsewhere in the world as Kira 300 i.e. 300mg of 0.3% hypericin. This represents a full daily dose if you are aiming for 1.0mg hypericin, but one-third of the daily dose if you are aiming for the 2.7mg hypericin.
The "One A Day" brand/dosage is still misleading in a way. It's good that people are encouraged to aim for a lower daily dosage, but the instructions should be flexible enough to allow for people to ramp up to 3 tablets if they get no effect with 1/day.
Epyx
[this message was edited by Epyx on Sun 17 Mar 13:40]
Posts: 64 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
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| |  "Re(1):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma"
, Mon 18 Mar 07:01
Thanks for doing the research :) So, you think it would be safe to take more than one of the Boots one a day? It does seem a relatively low dosage (ie 900micrograms), when some people are taking 2.7 mg. I think I will give it a week or two and see what results I get, and then maybe up the dose accordingly ...
Posts: 35 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(2):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Mon 18 Mar 12:38
Yes, I do think it's both safe and appropriate. Most studies after 1993 use 2.7mg hypericin daily. Your plan sounds good.
Epyx
Posts: 64 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
| | | "Re(3):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Mon 18 Mar 13:22
well, I am quite small (5'2:-), so I figure using 1.8 mg a day might be a good idea. I went to a health food shop and noticed that the stuff they were selling was 1000mg, and recommended 1-3 a day. So I don't think that taking two of the kira or boots one a day could really do any harm (anyone out there doing just this?:-)).
I might, in fact, start doing that sooner than a week, depending on how the next few days go. I have been feeling quite bad since i started on the boots stuff.
BTW, the St John's Wort helpine number you gave is no more :( sorry...
Posts: 36 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(4):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Mon 18 Mar 14:28
Cool. The recommended doses are based on the clinical studies that were done during the past 20 years. Strange as it is to say this, where SJW is concerned, the manufacturer's dosage instructions can generally be ignored -- they don't sponsor any dosage trials (unlike pharmaceutical manufacturers) and therefore have no special authority here.
Ramping up your dose is a good technique. You start by taking 1 tablet/day (900mcg hypericin) for a couple of weeks, then add a second if necessary, go a couple more weeks, then the third if necessary. This way you find your minimal effective dose.
I saw you mention "100mg x 3" in another thread. I'm not sure where that came from, as none of the effective studies ever used that kind of dosage? Perhaps they were referring to 3 x UK Kira tabs (300mg, 0.125% hypericin)?
Epyx
Posts: 66 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
| | | "Re(5):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Tue 19 Mar 00:47
sorry I meant 1000 mg times three :)
Posts: 37 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(6):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Tue 19 Mar 23:07
 Not to be pedantic, but do you mean 1000mcg hypericin?
I only ask because I just saw someone mention some other strange dosage in the other forum.
Epyx
Posts: 72 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
| | | "Re(7):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Wed 20 Mar 00:31
Yes that's what I meant :) That is the strength of tablet sold in my local healthfood store (at one third the 16 pounds Boots charge too!), and they recommend taking one to three tablets daily. Therefore, I am assuming it is safe to take more than one of the Boots 900 mg hypericin tablets a day ...
I would really love for this stuff to be available on prescription, for any number of reasons!! :)
Posts: 39 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(8):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Wed 20 Mar 00:37
I agree with you totally, Jos. The fact that this stuff (in fact other herbals too like Kava and SAMe) is not available on prescription makes our job as consumers so hard!! There is no quality control and little regulation of the market.
Let's face it, this stuff is a commodity. Once it leaves the botanical extractor, it's exactly the same stuff whether it's called "Kira", "Biotechnowort" or "MoodBlaster 5000". It's a joke, but the joke's at our expense.
Epyx
Posts: 74 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
| | | "Re(9):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Wed 20 Mar 00:41
Oh yeah!
You know, I did a lot of research into different brands. The cheapest I found was £1.59, from a 'Food Weighhouse,' and the most expensive was the - you guessed it! - Kira, which went up to a whopping £22, although it could be bought for cheaper. Both claimed exactly the same weight and hypericin content. But for some reason, I felt I HAD to go for the more expensive end of the market - just in case the cheap stuff was phony in some way.
Put it on prescription and, in the UK at least, we all pay £6.10 for a standard dose, one month supply. Of course, someone would lose out, but it wouldn't be the consumer! ;-)
Posts: 40 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(10):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage dilemma" , Wed 20 Mar 00:54
What an amazing range of prices :) When you finish with the Boots stuff, you still end up in the same dilemma about what to buy next. David's suggestion (Quest SJW) seemed excellent for price, quality control, and a downright sexy bottle! It would be nice if they standardised on hyperforin too, but I wouldn't hold that against them.
Epyx
Posts: 75 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
| | | "Re(2):Re(10):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage d" , Wed 20 Mar 01:47
I was planning on going for the Quest once I get done with the Boots. Possibly even before I get done with the Boots, in fact :) I feel obliged to take at least half the box though, since they were so damn pricy.
I'd give anything to know what the quality of the £1.59 stuff was. Sometimes these things aren't always as you would expect ...
Posts: 41 | | Registered: Tue 12 Mar 2002 5:43 |
| | | "Re(3):Re(10):Resolving the One-A-Day dosage d" , Wed 20 Mar 03:08
I'm like that too. I'm the kind of person who is quite prepared to try out all the generic stuff in the supermarket 
Epyx
Posts: 76 | | Registered: Mon 3 Dec 2001 22:11 |
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