St. John’s Wort

Western Bulk Herbs – St John’s Wort

Famously known as an anti-depressant, St John’s wort has a sedative effect on the body. It is one of the healing herbs that is used to treat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). St John’s wort also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Latin Name:
Hypericum perforatum

Common Names:
Perforated bush and Klamath weed.

Parts Used:
Flowering tops

Properties:
Astringent, sedative, antidepressant, antispasmodic, pain reliever, antiviral, and bile stimulant.

Traditional Uses:
Traditionally used as a tea, however, it can be made into liniments and lotions from fresh material. You can also take it in capsule or extract form.

Topical Uses / Applications:

Culinary Uses:
Not used in cooking.

Chemical Properties:
Hypericin, volatile oil, flavonoids, pseudoypericin

Folk Lore:
St John’s wort rose from virtual obscurity in the U.S. to become the fifth bestselling dietary supplement in mainstream retail stores. Its rise to fame came after the national media reported clinical research showing that it was safe and effective for treating mild to moderate depression, and the Greek physician Hippocrates (ca. 460-377 B.C.E.) was one of the first to speak of the health benefits of St John’s Wort, and it as been used to treat anxiety, neurosis, and depression since the time of Paracelsus (ca. 1493-1541 C.E.), when it was declared to be “arnica for the nerves.” A Modern Herbal Mountain Rose Herbs

History also shows some original folklore use of St. John’s wort in treating bedwetting, rheumatism, and gout.

Cautions:
Do not use St. John’s Wort if you are pregnant. Do not use in combination with excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, due to photosensitivity issues. Do not use St. John’s Wort in combination with MAO-inhibiting drugs, or any other pharmaceutical medication that interacts with brain chemistry. Do not use in combination with painkillers.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.

The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.

A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)

Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.