Question 1

True or false: St. John’s Wort is completely safe to take with prescription antidepressants for a stronger effect.

Accepted Answer

False. Combining them can cause serotonin syndrome, a dangerous condition with symptoms like agitation and rapid heart rate.

Question 2

True or false: The plant’s name comes from its traditional harvest date on St. John’s Day, June 24, when it blooms.

Accepted Answer

True. It was historically gathered around the feast of St. John the Baptist, and the red oil resembles his blood.

Question 3

True or false: St. John’s Wort can make birth control pills less effective by speeding up liver metabolism.

Accepted Answer

True. It induces liver enzymes, reducing hormone levels in contraceptives, which can lead to unintended pregnancy.

Question 4

True or false: The plant is native only to North America and was introduced to Europe by early settlers.

Accepted Answer

False. St. John’s Wort is native to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, and was brought to North America by colonists.

Question 5

True or false: All species of Hypericum, the genus of St. John’s Wort, have medicinal properties.

Accepted Answer

False. Only a few species, like Hypericum perforatum, are used medicinally; many others are toxic or ineffective.

Question 6

True or false: St. John’s Wort was used in ancient Greece by Hippocrates to treat snake bites.

Accepted Answer

False. Hippocrates used it for various ailments, but snake bite treatment is a medieval myth; ancient Greeks mainly used it for wounds.

Question 7

True or false: Its active compounds, hypericin and hyperforin, work like a weak MAO inhibitor affecting mood.

Accepted Answer

True. Hyperforin primarily inhibits serotonin reuptake, while hypericin has mild MAOI activity, contributing to antidepressant effects.

Question 8

True or false: St. John’s Wort can cause severe photosensitivity in livestock that eat too much of it.

Accepted Answer

True. Hypericin in the plant makes skin ultra-sensitive to sunlight, leading to sunburn and blisters in animals.

St. John's Wort Trivia Questions