The healing properties of a medicinal plant, such as St. John's wort, were discovered by people in ancient times. This herb was previously used to protect against the evil spirit, the treatment of minor ailments and serious illnesses. Modern science has studied the beneficial properties of plants and significantly expanded the range of its application. The benefits of grass are due to the chemical composition.
Most often, hypericum decoction, infusion, as well as other means based on it, are used for therapy. Before you begin 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 decoction 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 cramps.
How is it growing?
St. John's wort is a bush that branches in the upper part and has small oval leaves along the stem, which are covered with transparent oil veins. Petals contain red pigment, which stains the skin if the flower is crushed.
St. John's wort mainly grows in Europe, North Asia and North Africa. He 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, in many places on the planet it is also cultivated in agriculture.
The flowers of this grass are beautiful. They open in the sunlight. They have a golden yellow color, 5 sepals, which can grow up to 5 mm. The petals are serrated only on one side, can be up to 13 mm long and have small black dots along the edge. The asymmetric arrangement of the petals makes the open flower look like a mill wheel.
If you grind the flowers, they leave red pollen on the fingers, which is explained by the contained hypericin.
Few people know that this medicinal plant also bears fruit. Fruits develop from flowers and look like small round berries. Outwardly, they are somewhat reminiscent of wild rose.
The chemical composition of the medicinal plant
Before you begin to study the decoction of St. John's wort, you should disassemble its chemical composition.
St. John's wort is well studied, therefore it is widely used to combat various ailments. Active components can be found in all parts of the plant, but the root is not used in therapy.
The production of drugs requires St. John's wort of excellent quality, which on average contains 0.1-0.15% hypericin. This active component 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 adgerforin are contained in up to 2% in flowers and up to 4% in fruits. They have an antibacterial effect.
Another component is spathulenol. It is up to 7.2% contained in the essential oils of a medicinal plant.
The benefits and harms of the components
How useful is St. John's wort broth? The plant contains many substances that give the herb healing 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 the active regeneration of cells, protects the body from the penetration of bacteria, viruses.
- 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 immunity, the strength of cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and serves as a barrier to the transformation of normal cells into cancerous.
- Tannins cleanse wounds from infections, germs, promote their early healing and relieve inflammation.
- Rutin and hyperoside strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
- Hyperforin and hypericin can relieve stress and 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, however, one species is used for medicinal purposes. The plant has the following beneficial properties:
- astringent;
- anti-inflammatory;
- able to 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 decoction, as well as other means based on it. The plant is suitable for the treatment of the following ailments:
- Colds and viral diseases, including influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media. Substances such as saponins, essential oils, and vitamins are useful in this case.
- St. John's wort drink from 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, diseases of the gallbladder, such as cholecystitis or dyskinesia.
- Treatment of gum disease, stomatitis.
- Treatment and prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcers, gastritis, colitis, heartburn, flatulence, and a decrease in the rate of stomach acid.
- It fights against 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, blackheads, bruises, wounds, ulcers and other skin lesions thanks to a regenerative, anti-inflammatory effect.
- 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.
- It is used to treat anemia due to the presence of iron in the composition.
- Cleansing the intestines from parasites.
- Treatment of diseases of the bladder: various inflammation, enuresis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis.
- Elimination of pathologies of the nervous, circulatory, digestive, urogenital systems.
Application methods
What else can be said about the benefits and harms of St. John's wort broth? 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 remedy, as part of decoctions, ointments, tinctures and other drugs - inside. Let's consider 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 therapeutic agent, 200 ml of boiling water and 30 g of crushed fresh plant will be required. The raw material is 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 broth? It is used for the same diseases as the infusion of herbs. This medicinal drink during cooking should stand for 30 minutes in a water bath. The benefits of St. John's wort broth are invaluable. It is used for washing, rinsing hair, rubbing it into the skin. You can use a ready-made decoction for intestinal diseases or diarrhea. The use of St. John's wort broth in such cases is recommended to be combined with the use of other medicines.
Tincture
It is distinguished by the presence of vodka or alcohol in the preparation. The therapeutic agent is prepared in a ratio of 1:10. During administration, the drug must be mixed with water in a proportion of 1 teaspoon per 50 ml of water. Suitable tincture for rinsing, inhalation, compresses.
Ointment
It is suitable for treating skin lesions. An ointment is prepared by mixing vaseline, animal fat or baby cream with dry grass, crushed to a powder.
Tea
Above, we examined the use of St. John's wort broth. But it can also be drunk in the form of tea. The latter is used as a prophylactic, gives a tonic effect, improves immunity.
How to take a decoction of St. John's wort grass?
This ingredient should be brewed correctly. But how to take a decoction of St. John's wort? It is unacceptable to use 2 tablespoons instead of one to increase or decrease the time of infusion.
You should also know when to prepare a decoction of St. John's wort. The product must be fresh, so the grass is brewed immediately before use. When the infusion is too long, the plant begins to secrete a large amount of saponins, tannins that irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to dyspeptic disorders.
Also note that a small dose is taken for the first time. The development of allergies cannot be ruled out, so you should be very careful.
Is it possible to drink St. John's wort broth constantly? If you take this herb as an independent medicinal product or as part of herbal remedies for more than a month, then side effects may develop.
Negative effects when using St. John's wort
Now you know how to drink St. John's wort broth. It is also important to pay attention to side effects. The main ones are:
- St. John's wort increases the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet rays. It is extremely undesirable to be in the sun if you use an ointment based on this herb.
- It is not recommended to use the medicinal plant for people with high blood pressure.
- Treatment with St. John's wort decoction is not compatible with female birth control pills. Grass weakens their effect.
- With caution, you should combine St. John's wort with other antidepressants. This is especially important for older people and those who already have serious mental disorders.
St. John's wort is inherently a slightly toxic plant, and it should not be used for a long period of time.
The effect of depression
Numerous scientific studies have proven the beneficial effects of St. John's wort in treating depression. However, the results are quite different. While some studies show that a medicinal plant works efficiently, others have found a placebo effect.
Experts say that with mild to moderate depression, St. John's wort can help. If you want to take the drug on a plant-based basis, be patient. A noticeable effect will be observed only after two to three weeks of regular use. Steadily St. John's wort acts after four to six months of admission. Advantages over chemical products: a natural product is better tolerated by most people and less likely to cause side effects. Nevertheless, 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 important to pay attention to its interaction with other medicines. For example, a medicinal plant causes rapid decomposition of certain substances in the liver. When taking St. John's wort, the effectiveness of various drugs, for example, hormonal contraceptives, some antibiotics and antidepressants, may decrease. However, by and large, St. John's wort-based drugs are considered well tolerated by the human body.
High dosages can cause side effects such as fatigue, headache, or skin photosensitivity. Therefore, fair-skinned people should avoid intense sun exposure while taking St. John's wort. Also pay attention to possible interactions with other medicines. Hypericum-based drugs can affect hormonal contraceptives (such as pills) and weaken their effect. Therefore, it is recommended to consult with your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects before taking the drug with herbal medicine.
Self-assembly of Hypericum
Anyone who wants to collect a plant must understand in advance that only quality raw materials are used as a medicinal ingredient. Remember that there are many species of this plant, but in therapy only medicinal St. John's wort is used.
How to collect?
Collecting this medicinal plant is a whole art. First of all, you need to choose the right time for this event.
The best harvesting time is summer, when the plant is in bloom. In most regions, this period is in June. Collect grass should be in the morning, as soon as the last drops of dew came off the leaves. The whole 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.
Then you can dry the raw materials, or use them in raw form for the preparation of medicinal 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 suspended or laid out in a thin layer on the surface. Drying lasts for three weeks.