Healing properties of a medicinal plant such as St. John's wort have been discovered by people since ancient times. This herb has been used in the past to ward off evil spirits, treat minor ailments and serious illnesses. Modern science has studied the beneficial properties of the plant and significantly expanded the range of its application. The benefits of the herb are due to the chemical composition.
Most commonly used for therapy is a decoction of St. John's wort, infusion, as well as other means based on it. Before proceeding to consider the beneficial properties of this plant, you should understand its chemical composition.
General Description
For more than 2000 years St. John's wort has been used to treat various ailments. St. John's wort is used not only as a sedative, but also as a remedy for digestive disorders, metabolic diseases, back pain, skin problems and in the fight against menstrual irregularities.
Howgrowing?
St. The petals contain a red pigment that will color the skin when the flower is crushed.
St. John's wort mainly grows in Europe, North Asia and North Africa. It prefers sunny and dry places, calcareous soils, often found on roadsides, coasts and forest edges. Since St. John's wort is quite popular as a medicinal plant, it is also cultivated in agriculture in many places on the planet.
The flowers of this herb are beautiful. They open in sunlight. They have a golden yellow color, 5 sepals that can grow up to 5 mm. The petals are serrated on one side only, can be up to 13 mm long and have small black dots along the edge. The asymmetrical arrangement of the petals makes the open flower look like a mill wheel.
When the flowers are crushed, they leave red pollen on the fingers, which is explained by the hypericin content.
Few people know that this medicinal plant also bears fruit. The fruits develop from flowers and look like small round berries. Outwardly, they are somewhat reminiscent of wild rose.
Chemical composition of a medicinal plant
Before you start studying the decoction of St. John's wort, you should analyze its chemical composition.
St. John's wort is well studied, therefore it is widely used to combat various ailments. The active ingredients can be found in all parts of the plant, but not in therapy.root is used.
Medical production requires excellent quality St. John's wort, which on average contains 0.1-0.15% hypericin. This active ingredient is found exclusively in the flowers of the plant. In addition, 2-4% of the composition contains bioflavones and flavonoids, which are also necessary for the effectiveness of the treatment of a particular disease. Hyperforin and adhyperforin are contained up to 2% in flowers and up to 4% in fruits. They have an antibacterial effect.
Another ingredient is spathulenol. It is up to 7.2% found in the essential oils of a medicinal plant.
The benefits and harms of components
What is the benefit of St. John's wort? The plant contains many substances that give the herb its medicinal properties.
- Vitamin E (tocopherol). Serves to protect the entire body from the formation of free radicals.
- Vitamin A (carotene). It has a beneficial effect on vision, is responsible for active cell regeneration, protects the body from the penetration of bacteria and viruses into it.
- Vitamin PP is necessary for a person to maintain the normal functioning of the heart and central nervous system.
- Vitamin C in St. John's wort is responsible for strengthening the immune system, the strength of cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and serves as a barrier to the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells.
- Tannins cleanse wounds from infections, microbes, promote their early healing and relieve inflammation.
- Rutin and hyperoside strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
- Hyperforin and hypericin can relieve stressand have an antidepressant effect.
- Phytoncides are natural "antibiotics" that have antimicrobial properties.
This combination of components in the composition allows the use of St. John's wort as a medicine for various diseases.
Useful properties of grass
In nature, there are several varieties of St. John's wort, but one species is used for medicinal purposes. The plant has the following beneficial properties:
- astringent;
- anti-inflammatory;
- can stop bleeding;
- wound healing;
- diuretic;
- antiseptic;
- antidepressant;
- anthelmintic;
- antibacterial;
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkiller.
When to use?
We continue to consider the benefits and harms of St. John's wort, as well as other means based on it. The plant is suitable for the treatment of the following ailments:
- Cold and viral diseases, including influenza, SARS, tonsillitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media. Useful in this case, substances such as saponins, essential oils, vitamins.
- St. John's wort is drunk against inflammation of the female genital organs.
- Treatment and prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Elimination of inflammatory processes in the liver, treatment of viral hepatitis, gallbladder diseases such as cholecystitis or dyskinesia.
- Treatment of gum inflammation, stomatitis.
- Treatment and preventiondiseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcers, gastritis, colitis, heartburn, flatulence, decreased gastric acid.
- Combats disorders of the nervous system, eliminates depression, neurosis, chronic fatigue, stress and psychosis.
- St. John's wort can act as a component of antidepressants.
- Heals wounds, burns, cuts, acne, bruises, wounds, abscesses and other skin damage with a regenerating, anti-inflammatory action.
- St. John's wort is used in combination with other drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. Substances in the composition provoke sputum discharge, relieve inflammation and increase immunity.
- St. John's wort has a positive effect on the male body, improves spermatogenesis and eliminates inflammation of the prostate.
- Used to treat anemia due to the presence of iron in the composition.
- Cleansing the intestines from parasites.
- Treatment of bladder diseases: various inflammations, enuresis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis.
- Elimination of pathologies of the nervous, circulatory, digestive, urogenital systems.
Uses
What else can be said about the benefits and dangers of St. John's wort decoction? This plant with pronounced medicinal properties can have both positive and negative effects on the body. Therefore, it should be used very carefully in home treatment, using only proven recipes for the preparation of formulations. The plant can be used fresh as an external agent, as part of decoctions, ointments, tinctures and otherdrugs - inside. Let's take a look at some of them.
Infusion
It is used to treat diseases of the stomach, including gastritis, colitis, cholelithiasis, to eliminate headaches, normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system and blood pressure. To prepare a remedy, you need 200 ml of boiling water and 30 g of a crushed fresh plant. Raw materials are poured, infused for a couple of hours. It should be taken three times a day before meals, 15 ml. Suitable infusion for rinsing the mouth in order to prevent inflammation of the gums and stomatitis.
Decoction
What is the benefit of St. John's wort? It is used for the same diseases as the herbal infusion. This medicinal drink during preparation should stand for 30 minutes in a water bath. The benefits of a decoction of St. John's wort are invaluable. It is used for washing, rinsing hair, rubbing into the skin. You can use a ready-made decoction for intestinal diseases or diarrhea. The use of St. John's wort in such cases is recommended to be combined with other medicines.
Tincture
It is distinguished by the presence of vodka or alcohol in the preparation. The drug is prepared in a ratio of 1:10. During administration, the drug must be mixed with water in the proportion of 1 teaspoon per 50 ml of water. Suitable tincture for rinsing, inhalation, compresses.
Ointment
It is suitable for treating skin lesions. The ointment is prepared by mixing petroleum jelly, animal fat or baby cream with dry grass, crushed to a statepowder.
Tea
Above, we examined the use of St. John's wort. But it can also be drunk as a tea. The latter is used as a prophylactic, gives a tonic effect, improves immunity.
How to take a decoction of St. John's wort?
This ingredient should be properly brewed. But how to take a decoction of St. John's wort? It is unacceptable to use 2 spoons instead of one to increase or decrease the infusion time.
You should also know when to prepare a decoction of St. John's wort. The product must be fresh, so the herb is brewed immediately before use. When the infusion is left for too long, the plant begins to release a large amount of saponins, tannins, which irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to dyspeptic disorders.
Also note that a small dose is taken the first time. It is impossible to exclude the development of allergies, so you should be very careful.
Is it possible to drink a decoction of St. John's wort constantly? If you take this herb as an independent remedy or as part of herbal teas for more than a month, then side effects may develop.
Negative phenomena when using St. John's wort
Now you know how to drink St. John's wort. It is also important to pay attention to side effects. The main ones are:
- St. John's wort increases skin sensitivity to UV rays. It is highly undesirable to be in the sun if you are using an ointment based on this herb.
- Not Recommendedapply medicinal plant to people with high blood pressure.
- Treatment with St. John's wort is not compatible with female birth control pills. The herb weakens them.
- Be careful when taking St. John's wort with other antidepressants. This is especially important for the elderly and those with pre-existing severe mental he alth conditions.
St.
Depression effect
Multiple scientific studies have proven the positive effects of St. John's wort in the treatment of depression. However, the results are quite different. While some studies show that the medicinal plant works effectively, others have found a placebo effect.
Experts say St. John's wort can help with mild to moderate depression. If you want to take a herbal remedy, please be patient. A noticeable effect will be observed only after two to three weeks of regular use. St. John's wort is stable after four to six months of use. Advantages over chemical products: A natural product is better tolerated by most people and less likely to cause side effects. However, some of them can still be observed: headache, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, fatigue, sensitivity to light.
Interaction with other drugs and overdose
When taking St. John's wort, it is importantpay attention to its interaction with other drugs. For example, a medicinal plant causes the rapid decomposition of certain substances in the liver. When taking St. John's wort, the effectiveness of various drugs, such as hormonal contraceptives, some antibiotics, and antidepressants, may decrease. However, by and large, St. John's wort preparations are considered well tolerated by the human body.
High dosage may cause side effects such as fatigue, headache or skin sensitivity. Therefore, fair-skinned people should avoid intense sun exposure while taking St. John's wort. Also pay attention to possible interactions with other medications. St. John's wort preparations can affect hormonal contraceptives (such as pills) and weaken their effect. Therefore, it is recommended that you consult your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects before taking an herbal medicine.
Self-collection of St. John's wort
Those who want to collect a plant must understand in advance that only high-quality raw materials are used as a medicinal ingredient. Remember that there are many species of this plant, but only St. John's wort is used in therapy.
How to collect?
Collecting this medicinal plant is an art. First of all, you need to choose the right time for this event.
The best harvest time is summer, when the plant is in its flowering period. ATIn most regions, this period falls on June. Grass should be collected in the morning, as soon as the last drops of dew have left the leaves. The entire aerial part of the plant is used. Anyone who wants to collect only flowers in order to use the valuable hypericin contained in them for treatment may not touch the leaves of the plant.
Next, you can dry the raw material, or use it raw to prepare healing decoctions, infusions and ointments. Dry the medicinal plant in the shade under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area (for example, in the attic). Raw materials are collected in bundles and hung or laid out in a thin layer on the surface. Drying lasts for three weeks.
