From ancient times in Russia they praised St. John's wort. “It is impossible to bake bread without flour, so it is impossible to cure a person without St. John's wort,” says popular wisdom. To this day, this healing plant is widely used in traditional and traditional medicine.
What is St. John's wort?
St. John's wort is a perennial herb with bright yellow flowers, reaching a height of one meter. In the world there are about 200 species of this grass, 50 of them grow in Russia. In Western Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, St. John's wort, or perforated, is most common. You can meet this plant in the forest or in the field. As a weed grows St. John's wort along roadsides, in wastelands, clearings. In such places, collecting grass for further use is not recommended.
There are several versions, where the name "St. John's wort" came from. According to one of them, it came from the Kazakh language. Translated, "Jerabai" means "healer of wounds." According to another version, the name of the grass speaks for itself. St. John's wort can cause severe burns on the skin of livestock with white hair. This is explained by the content in the grass of a special pigment, which several times enhances the sensitivity of albinos to sunlight. Only for such animals is St. John's wort dangerous.
The benefits and useful properties of St. John's wort are widely used in the manufacture of medicines. In addition, alternative medicine is not complete without it.
Chemical composition
Hypericum flowers and leaves contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals. The chemical composition determines the healing properties of the plant for its use as a medicine. Vitamins E, C, PP, essential oils, tannins, carotene, choline and other micro and macro elements provide effective prevention and treatment of many diseases.
Useful properties of St. John's wort. Its harm to the body
With proper preparation and in the right dosage, the flowers and leaves of the plant have a therapeutic effect on the body. In alternative and conventional medicine, infusions, decoctions and tea from St. John's wort are prepared, the benefits and harm of which have been known for a very long time. St. John's wort is used as an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, wound healing, antidepressant, diuretic and choleretic agent. It has a grass and general strengthening effect on the body, thereby increasing its resistance to various diseases.
The benefits and harms of St. John's wort grass are as follows:
- Successful treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (colitis, gastritis).
- Removal of nervous excitement - acts on the nervous system as a sedative.
- Effective prevention of cardiovascular disease (strengthens the heart muscle).
- Treatment of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers.
- Normalization of the intestines (prevention of constipation, treatment of diarrhea).
- Treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system in women and men.
- Regulates the menstrual cycle, stops uterine bleeding.
- It is used for bronchitis and asthma.
- It treats bedwetting in adults and children.
The useful qualities of St. John's wort can continue to be listed endlessly, because it has long been considered a remedy for a hundred diseases. However, the grass is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance.
Indiscriminate use of folk remedies based on St. John's wort can cause significant harm to the body.
Firstly, St. John's wort, the harm and benefits of which depend on certain factors, constricts blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure.
Secondly, it is important to prevent an overdose of folk remedies and drugs based on St. John's wort. It can provoke abdominal cramps, cause headache, nausea and vomiting, and an increase in blood testosterone in women.
Thirdly, with prolonged treatment, a mild toxic effect on the body may occur. You can not use it simultaneously with other drugs, since the plant reduces their drug effect.
Fourthly, it is strictly forbidden to combine medicines and decoctions based on St. John's wort with alcohol.
Contraindications
St. John's wort in any form can not be taken:
- pregnant and lactating women;
- with an increase in body temperature;
- people with a high sensitivity to solar radiation;
- with individual intolerance.
All funds prepared using St. John's wort should be taken only after consultation and as directed by a doctor.
Hypericum tea: benefits and harms
From St. John's wort you can prepare a healing drink with a pleasant tart taste. Tea with St. John's wort, the benefits and harms of which have long been known, will help get rid of many ailments.
- Stop diarrhea. It is enough to take a tablespoon of dried hypericum and yarrow and brew boiling water in a glass. Strong tea is recommended to be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Stop bedwetting in children. To do this, it is enough for a while before bedtime to drink a glass of tea from St. John's wort.
- Tea from St. John's wort and peppermint will help calm the nervous system.
- It is possible to strengthen the immune system if you drink weak tea from St. John's wort and rosehip daily.
How to make tea from hypericum
To make a really healthy drink, you should learn how to brew tea correctly. To do this, you need a porcelain teapot, which before adding herbs must be doused with boiling water.
A dry mixture at the rate of one teaspoon per glass of water is poured into the kettle. Then boiling water and tea from St. John's wort are poured, the benefits and harms of which allow it to be used as a tonic and baking medicine, is ready. Before pouring it into cups, it must be infused for at least 15 minutes.
Mixing St. John's wort with other herbs, leaves and berries, you can enrich the taste and healing composition of tea. For example, if you add oregano and rose hips and let the raw material brew in boiling water for at least half an hour, you can get a delicious
tonic drink as a result
.St. John's wort refreshing tea, the benefits and harms of which have been tested for a long time, can be prepared by adding blackcurrant, raspberry or cherry leaves to the dry mix. Such a drink will be not only useful, but also especially aromatic.
How to prepare St. John's wort for the winter
St. John's wort is harvested, as a rule, in July - on the feast of Ivan Kupala (7th day). At this time, its bloom just falls. For blanks, not only the flowers of the plant are used, but also the upper part of the stem. Dry St. John's wort outdoors in a place protected from the sun's rays or in a well-ventilated area (for example, in the attic). Suitable for this is a special dryer for vegetables and fruits. The temperature regime should be set at 35-40 degrees.
St. John's wort, the harm and benefits of which have long been evaluated both in modern and alternative medicine, can be stored in bags made of natural fabric, in cardboard boxes or paper bags for no more than two years.