---
title: "St John's Wort and Centaury | Herbadex"
description: "Two plants sharing one Turkish name: St John's wort interacts seriously with many medicines, centaury is used for indigestion."
language: en
url: https://herbadex.com/en/compare/st-johns-wort-vs-centaury/
source: Herbadex (https://herbadex.com)
---

Comparisons

# St John's Wort and Centaury

In Turkish, "kantaron" names two different plants. Confusing them matters, because St John's wort changes the effect of many medicines, including the pill and blood thinners. The table is built from the sourced cards of both herbs.

| Aspect | St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum | Centaury Centaurium erythraea |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Strongest evidence | A Strong clinical evidence | T Traditional use |
| Needs | Sleep, Stress & Mood, Digestion | Digestion |
| Form | Dried Herb & Tea | Dried Herb & Tea |
| How to use | Pour 150 ml of boiling water over 1.5–2 g of chopped herb. | Pour 200 ml of boiling water over 1–4 g of chopped dried herb. |
| Pregnancy | Avoid | Avoid |
| Breastfeeding | Avoid | Avoid |
| Recommended minimum age | From age 18 | From age 18 |
| Drug interactions | 4 serious interaction(s) | No recorded interactions |
| Duration limit | See a doctor if no better after 2 weeks | See a doctor if no better after 2 weeks |

## Which one, when?

### St. John's Wort

Its standardised extract may help mild to moderate depressive episodes under a doctor's care; its tea is traditionally used for mental exhaustion and sleep problems. People on prescription medicines should ask a doctor first.

[Full card →](https://herbadex.com/en/herb/st-johns-wort/)

### Centaury

A bitter herb traditionally used for mild indigestion and temporary loss of appetite. People with a stomach ulcer should not use it.

[Full card →](https://herbadex.com/en/herb/centaury/)

## Good to know

-   Check the Latin name on the label: Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) and Centaurium erythraea (centaury).
-   Avoid intense sun while using St John's wort.

## Sources

1.  [European Union herbal monograph on Hypericum perforatum L., herba – Revision 1](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-hypericum-perforatum-l-herba-revision-1_en.pdf) EMA HMPC · 2022
2.  [European Union herbal monograph on Centaurium erythraea Rafn s.l., herba](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/european-union-herbal-monograph-centaurium-erythraea-rafn-sl-herba_en.pdf) EMA HMPC · 2015

This page is for information only and is not medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant, or have a health condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before use.