The herb St. John's wort does not improve children's symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to researchers who tested it as a possible alternative to stimulant drugs used to treat this common condition.
A study published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association involving 54 children with ADHD ages 6 to 17 found that those given St. John's wort three times a day for eight weeks did no better than those getting a placebo.
Wendy Weber of Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, who led the study, said she is interested in evaluating natural treatments for ADHD as alternatives to the common drugs. Bastyr University focuses on natural medicine.
"I think parents are still quite concerned about the fact that the most commonly used treatment is a stimulant medicati | 
