St. John’s wort is a very common and popular medicinal plant. Its healing properties were familiar to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it for fevers, burns, and even venomous snake bites. Since ancient times, it has been a tradition to keep a bunch of St. John’s wort in the house, which, according to legend, drives away evil forces.
Many active substances have been found in the composition of St. John’s wort, which is due to the wide range of useful properties of the plant. No wonder it is called “grass for 99 diseases”.”
Beneficial properties of St. John’s wort
St. John’s wort has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, wound healing, diuretic, choleretic, sedative, antidepressant, tonic effect. However, those who wish to use the herb St. John’s wort for the treatment of ailments should know that the effectiveness of this natural medicine is very dependent on the method of tuj preparation.
For example, the use of decoctions and water infusions of St. John’s wort is indicated for acute and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, enteritis, colitis), kidney and gallbladder diseases; they are used for rinsing with stomatitis. Tannins (which in the herb of St. John’s wort contains from 3 to 12%) are well soluble in water and almost completely pass into the infusion or decoction.
But, for example, hypericin is one of the main active ingredients, to which St. John’s wort owes its antimicrobial and antidepressant effect, it almost does not dissolve in water, remaining in the raw material, but it is perfectly soluble in alcohol. St. John’s wort tincture (40% alcohol – from dry raw materials, 90% – from fresh grass) is used for dysbiosis, colds, seasonal depressive disorders; tincture diluted in water is used for rinsing for periodontal diseases, tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis.
The maximum antimicrobial and wound-healing effect is provided by St. John’s wort oil extract. The oil extract is prepared exclusively from fresh raw materials, it must be infused in the sun. These two conditions are fundamental: it is experimentally established that no effective drug is prepared from dry raw materials, and bright sunlight is an indispensable condition for the formation of hyperforin, which is practically absent in other preparations of St. John’s wort.
St. John’s wort oil is used to treat wounds and burns (activates skin regeneration and prevents scarring); instilled in the nose with a strong runny nose and sinusitis; used inside for gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. It is also believed that instilling St. John’s wort oil in the nose (2-3 drops in each nostril) can serve as a prevention of influenza during an epidemic.
Contraindications to the use of St. John’s wort
Our ancestors noticed that cattle that eat a lot of St. John’s wort on the pasture can experience redness on the skin and even burns. This is how the phototoxic properties of the plant manifest themselves. With prolonged use of St. John’s wort preparations, it is recommended to refrain from staying in the sun (especially for owners of light, delicate skin), since sensitivity to sunlight increases significantly. Possible appearance of dermatitis, itching, irritation.
Lovers of herbal teas should also keep in mind that strongly brewed St. John’s wort tea with its frequent use can provoke acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa.