St. John's wort, the medicinal properties and contraindications for the use of which we will consider today, according to legend, first appeared on earth from a feather or blood of a lightning bird that came down to earth from heaven and was wounded by an evil creature. In the Middle Ages, people attributed this property to driving away evil spirits, witches and ghosts. And of course, they used it to fight various diseases.
This is no coincidence. After all,
St. John's wort, the medicinal properties and contraindications for which are still being studied, has a very difficult chemical composition, which, among other things, includes flavonoids, tocopherols, glycerin essential oil, tannins, vitamins C, P and PP, a lot of micro- and macronutrients, nicotinic acid, carotene, provitamin A and many other important components.
Grass from a hundred diseases
In Russia, everyone who wished to preserve youth and health actively drank St. John's wort infusion . He was especially shown to those who were tired during hard physical labor. And in the army he was given to drink to soldiers who had to walk long distances on foot. Hypericum branches were thrown into the water from unknown sources, protecting themselves from various intestinal infections and dysentery.
Today, St. John's wort, the medicinal properties and contraindications to which we are discussing, is also an indispensable companion of all those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. After all, this plant contributes to the normalization of gastric microflora, accelerates the treatment of gastritis and ulcers, and improves digestion in general. In addition, it is often used as a general strengthening agent for diseases of the heart, blood vessels, liver, gums and other organs and systems of the human body.
And relatively recently, scientists studying St. John's wort, medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of this plant, have found that it has an extremely beneficial effect on the central nervous system. And so St. John's wort is indicated for use by people who are often stressed, suffering from insomnia.
For the treatment of bruises and wounds, a special remedy is prepared on its basis: 25 grams of fresh flowers are mixed with 50 milliliters of olive oil and put in a dark place for three weeks. After that, the resulting product can be used as the basis for compresses.
By digging a decoction of St. John's wort (a medicine will be especially effective if mixed with chamomile and marsh dried cough) in the nose, you can quickly get rid of sinusitis.
It plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer: a 1-liter jar is filled up to half with dry raw materials, then it is poured to the top with vodka and, shaking regularly, insisted for about a month. When the tool is ready, you should use it, making lotions several times a day. On average, the duration of one procedure should be about 15-20 minutes.
What else can be useful St. John's wort? The healing properties for men of this plant have also been known since ancient times, because the regular use of a decoction can help restore lost male power. In this case, the broth is prepared as follows: 10 g of raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water, after the remedy is infused, it must be drunk half an hour before meals (60 g at a time).
With stomatitis, catarrhal sore throat, otitis media, anemia, hemorrhoids, migraines, coughing hypericum can also be useful.
Contraindications
However, it is important to understand that by mistreating this gift of nature, you can harm your body. St. John's wort has its contraindications. So, it should not be used by patients with hypertension and pregnant women. It is also important to know that this plant is a weak toxin, and therefore, if you take it too long, you may encounter unpleasant side effects and only exacerbate the initial problems. It is especially important for men to remember this: in small quantities St. John's wort helps to improve potency, but prolonged use produces the opposite effect. In addition to all of the above, St. John's wort makes the skin of a person for some time sensitive to UV rays, so immediately after a course of treatment, you should avoid a long stay in the scorching sun. Otherwise, with proper use and dosage, the plant is completely safe.
Conclusion
So, now you know what St. John's wort has healing properties. The photos available in the article will help to recognize this plant in case you decide to collect and dry it yourself. However, these days it is not required - you can buy dried grass at any pharmacy, but it costs quite inexpensively!