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St John's wort

Botanical name: Ηypericum perforatum

Family: Clusiaceae

St John' wort, Tipton's weed, rosin rose, goatweed, chase-devil, Klamath, John's wort , amber touch-and-heal and millepertuis

Its name is of Greek origins, as a component of the words "hyper"(above) and "eikon" (picture), in reference to the plant's traditional use in warding off evil by hanging plants over a religious icon in the house during St John's day. It is also named sedge, because in ancient times it was used to heal wounds from the fighting. The herb's common name comes from its traditional flowering and harvesting on St John's day, 24 June. There are various explanations for the associations of the name to John the Baptist. According one version, it is called St.John's wort because of the ends of the plants which fed the Baptist while he was in desert. According to another aspect of the myth, it owes its name to the translucent and red - black spots on its petals, which was interpreted as a symbol of the blood of St.John, while the transparent dots petals were a symbol of the tears spilled when he was beheaded.

Plant Description

Hypericum perforatum is a yellow-flowering, stoloniferous or sarmentose, perennial herb indigenous to Europe. It has been introduced to many temperate areas of the world and grows wild in many meadows. Its flowers have five petals, and are colored bright yellow with conspicuous black dots. The flowers appear in broad cymes at the ends of the upper branches, between late spring and early to mid summer. The sepals are pointed, with glandular dots in the tissue. When flower buds or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid is produced.

Constituents

The constituents of St.John's wort are the naphthodianthrones(hypericin and pseuodohypericin), acylphloroglucinols(hyperforin and adhyperforin), flavonol glycosides, biflavones, proanthocyanidins, and phenylpropanes (chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid). Among these constituents, hypericin and hyperfornin have received the most scientific interest.

THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS & USES IN OUR DAYS

This herb is literally the balm of body and soul and has many - many applications with properties that classify it as one of the very important human therapeutic herbs.

The use of this herb as a natural antidepressant has popularized a lot in recent years because it is undoubtedly the best solution with respect MEAP synthetic drugs. It is one of the herbs that have been researched more and with very encouraging results in the treatment of mild and moderate depression and other mental and neurological disorders.

St John's wort is considered to be anti-depressant, antispasmodic and an improver of the quality of sleep in cases of insomnia.

It is also recommented in cases of sunburns, burns and wounds as a healer and works perfectly for stomach and intestinal disorders. It is an excellent stimulant for your immune system. It is confronting in bronchitis, cough, asthma and it also works as a very good regulator of menstruation. It is considered to accelerate the disappearance of speckles of white discharge and hard skin tumors.It is used as a utility treatmnet for smoking, drug or alcohol cessation as well as a painkiller.

MODERN STUDIES and PUBLICATIONS

St John's wort and depression

According to many international scientific studies, the effect of the herb to treat depression is positive. Based on a recent study conducted by a major German pharmaceutical company and published in «British Medical Journal», St John's wort was at least as effective as paroxetine, a commonly prescribed medication for depression. Half of the patients who received it, relieved from depression without experiencing significant side effects (as frequent gastrointestinal discomfort), while in the paroxetine group only one third of them did it.

Hope for treating the symptoms of AIDS

Based on the results of recent studies, St John's wort can help treating herpes, chronic fatigue syndrome and AIDS. Patients with AIDS who agreed to follow a treatment which was based on St John' wort, said they felt more optimistic, with more energy and less fatigue.