St. John's wort is one of the most popular herbs in folk medicine. It is he who is known as a plant for 99 ailments. It has been used as a remedy since ancient times. Ancient healers mention it in their works: Avicenna, Hippocrates, Galen. It is used in the treatment of diseases of the liver and biliary tract, gastrointestinal tract, colds, headaches, and to eliminate bad breath.
St. John's wort plant extract is used for purulent wounds, severe burns, acute catarrh of the respiratory tract, phlegmon, abscess, mastitis. It is also used as a component for herbal preparations. In addition, it is also known as an effective remedy for relieving depressive disorders. Note that it can only be used in cases of mild to moderate depressive conditions.
Thanks to its properties, it has received several names among the people, each of which characterizes its miraculous power. They call it the “royal scepter”, twigweed, red herb, valiant blood, magic herb, sevenfold blood. It is also known by the name “Ivanovskaya grass”, which is associated with the day its flowering begins on Midsummer’s Day.
St. John's wort in nature
You can find it in wastelands, meadows, in ravines, along fields, on the edges of forests, etc. It can be identified by its specific bright yellow small flowers, collected in paniculate inflorescences, and a slightly tart, but pleasant smell. It blooms all summer - from June to August. During this period, its collection is recommended. The upper flowering parts along with the stem, approximately 25-30 centimeters long, are collected as medicinal raw materials.
It can cause serious poisoning in animals. That is why the plant received the name St. John's wort. Horses, sheep, and cattle are particularly sensitive to the plant. Most of all, it acts as a poisonous agent on white young animals.
Folk remedies for vegetative-vascular dystonia
Folk remedies for VSD are used depending on the clinical syndrome, but do not replace medications prescribed by a doctor. The doctor selects drugs based on the symptoms of the disease, the severity of the disease and the individual sensitivity of the patient’s body to the drugs. The following herbs or infusions from them are used as folk remedies for treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia:
- motherwort;
- hawthorn;
- valerian;
- peppermint;
- rose hip;
- nettle;
- St. John's wort;
- hops and other herbs.
Folk remedies are used at home to prevent the development of panic attacks and anxiety. The doctor may also prescribe herbal preparations to eliminate symptoms of depression and neuroses.
The use of St. John's wort for depressive disorders
For more than 4 thousand years, St. John's wort has been used by doctors to reduce anxiety and correct sleep disorders. It was used for neuralgia and insanity by Galen, Hippocrates, and Paracelsus. It was first used as an antidepressant by Nichols Culpeper, a herbalist and astrologer, in 1652. With the advent of pharmaceutical antidepressants, St. John's wort began to be prescribed as an adjuvant for depression. It gained the greatest popularity as a psychotropic drug among European doctors.
According to medical research, St. John's wort contains many chemical elements that can alleviate the general condition during a depressive disorder. Pharmacists explain this effect by saying that the compounds contained in the herbaceous plant prevent the reabsorption of a neurotransmitter such as serotonin, which is also called the good mood hormone, by brain cells.
Studies of the properties of St. John's wort have shown that the components hypericin and hyperforin included in the plant have a positive effect on the normalization of the central nervous system. Scientists, in the course of studying the qualities of the plant, found that it is not inferior in effectiveness to standard antidepressants used in the treatment of mild and moderate depression. However, they note that the plant as an antidepressant will be of little use in the treatment of clinical depression.
However, in the practice of treating depressive disorders, according to reviews from Russian doctors, St. John's wort can be recommended as an alternative remedy replacing prescription antidepressants in the treatment of mild forms of depressive disorder, which can be purchased without a prescription and, importantly, at a lower price.
However, there are a number of opinions of specialists in the field of psychiatry who believe that the properties of St. John's wort as an antidepressant are unnecessarily exaggerated.
Contraindications for the use of St. John's wort, side effects
The herb, despite its numerous healing qualities, has contraindications that should be carefully studied in advance - this will avoid deterioration in health and general well-being.
The main prohibition is the period of bearing a baby. During pregnancy, to relieve disorders and depression, it is recommended to use more gentle compositions of alternative medicine, after consulting a specialist. Breastfeeding is another no-no for using herbal medicines.
While taking contraceptive medications and antibacterial drugs, you should also avoid using St. John's wort. The active elements contained in the herb can react with some components of medications.
Side effects due to overdose, individual intolerance, improper use of St. John's wort, and the presence of contraindications occur quite often.
Typically, disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract, increased excitability, headaches, and attacks of nausea are alarming. The skin may become covered with a profuse rash and spots.
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Recommendations for use
Despite the fact that St. John's wort is a safe medicinal plant, it is recommended to take it in limited quantities. At the moment, doctors cannot name the most effective and safe dose of a medicinal plant in the treatment of depression for various categories of patients, however, based on the results of scientific research, experts have formulated basic recommendations for taking this plant for patients with depression.
According to their data, for depressive conditions it is recommended to take 300 mg of plant extract three times a day. When calculating this dose, doctors were guided by knowledge of the content of such a component as hypericin in the standardized extract. At the indicated dose, its presence was noted to be 0.3%.
Treatment of nervous instability and depression with St. John's wort infusion
For depression, nervous breakdowns, and unstable system functioning, it is recommended to undergo several courses of traditional treatment with St. John's wort infusion.
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In addition to eliminating the problem, the home remedy actively affects the condition of the heart and vascular system (strengthens, increases the elasticity of the walls), and normalizes blood pressure.
Step by step recipe:
- Place crushed herbal raw materials (it is recommended to use only dry herbs) in a brewing container; you will need a teaspoon of herbal powder.
- Pour boiling water (250 ml) and stir.
- Leave covered for half an hour, strain, and carefully squeeze out the pulp using a thin cloth folded in several layers (usually gauze).
Alternative medicine recommends taking herbal medicine every two hours (at least six doses per day). Dosage – 25 ml.
Treatment should be carried out in courses - a month of admission, a week off. The results are noticeable after the first use of the home remedy. Alternative medicine recommends not to stop - you should consolidate the results and take the remedy for 2-3 courses.
Folk recipes for depression with St. John's wort
In the treatment of depressive conditions, decoctions and tinctures prepared on the basis of St. John's wort are used, from the dried inflorescences and leaves of the plant.
Recipe 1. St. John's wort tea for depression
To prepare the drink, you will need two teaspoons of dry St. John's wort mixture, which are poured into 200 ml. boiling water Tea is drunk freshly brewed twice a day, in the morning and evening. Before use, steep the tea for 10 minutes. To achieve therapeutic results, tea should be drunk for 2-3 months. The onset of the antidepressant effect of tea is possible no earlier than after 3-4 weeks.
Recipe 2. Infusion for depression
To prepare an infusion based on St. John's wort, you will need 10 g of dried plant and 250 ml. boiling water St. John's wort is poured with the specified amount of boiling water and infused for half an hour. You can drink this infusion up to 6 times a day, one tablespoon. Take it strictly after meals.
The drug prepared according to this recipe helps not only in the treatment of depressive disorders, but also with cystitis, pain in the stomach and intestines, inflammation of the appendages, leucorrhoea, liver and bladder diseases, diarrhea, kidney stones, rheumatism, headaches, colitis and involuntary urination in children. In addition, this infusion is effective as an anthelmintic and hemostatic agent.
Recipe 3. St. John's wort tincture to improve mood
To prepare the tincture you will need: 0.5 liters of vodka and 15 g of dried St. John's wort. The plant mixture is poured with vodka and left for two weeks in a dark place. After this period, the tincture is filtered and taken three times a day in the amount of 30 drops, washed down with water.
The same product can be used to rinse the mouth to get rid of unpleasant odor. In this case, the same 30 drops of the drug are poured into 100 ml. water.
Recipe 4. St. John's wort decoction to relieve anxiety
The decoction is prepared from 300 ml. water and two tbsp. spoons of dry St. John's wort. Dry raw materials are poured with water and heated in a water bath, boiled for 25 minutes. Then bring it to the original volume by adding boiled water. You need to drink this remedy three times a day, a third of a glass after meals. After 3 months of treatment with this decoction, there will be no trace of anxiety left.
Recipe 5. St. John's wort powder for insomnia
Quite often, depressive states are accompanied by sleep disturbances. St. John's wort powder, which is sold in pharmacy chains, will help get rid of them.
In such cases, it is recommended to take 2-4 grams of powder per day, divided into three doses. The effect of treatment with herbal powder will appear after a month of daily use.
Full list of drugs
St. John's wort, as an antidepressant, is used in the production of the following products:
- Gelarium Hypericum;
- Negrustin;
- Deprim;
- Neuroplant.
They differ in release form and may contain auxiliary components that enhance the effect of St. John's wort. Gelarium Hypericum is a herbal antidepressant. The active ingredient is dry extract of St. John's wort. This drug is used as an anxiolytic and antidepressant. Properties: eliminates anxiety, relieves tension, improves mood. The drug is prescribed for mood swings, apathy, the development of neurotic reactions, mild and moderate depression. You can buy it in the form of pills.
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Negrustin is available in capsule form. According to indications for use and contraindications, this remedy is similar to Gelarium Hypericum. Another analogue (Deprim) contains dry extract of St. John's wort in a dosage of 60 mg, hypericin - 0.3 mg. This drug affects the central nervous system. Available in tablet form.
Neuroplant can also be purchased in tablet form. The active ingredient is dry extract of St. John's wort. Its content in 1 tablet is 300 mg.
Directions for use and dosage
If you are wondering how to take St. John's wort tablets, you need to take into account that the course of treatment is long - at least 4 weeks. The funds in this group provide a cumulative effect. Frequency of administration: 1-3 times a day. You need to take the pills regularly, because even short breaks can delay the onset of positive changes in the patient’s condition.
If, after taking a drug based on St. John's wort, the required result was not achieved during the first 4 weeks, you can extend the course of therapy to 6 weeks. Then you need to stop treatment and consider replacing it with another antidepressant.
Comparative analysis
Gelarium Hypericum is not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation, since there is not enough information about the effect of the components on the fetus. Other contraindications:
- age up to 12 years;
- intolerance to fructose, lactose, malabsorption, deficiency of sucrose, isomaltose, lactase deficiency;
- hypersensitivity;
- increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation;
- simultaneous use with MAO inhibitors and HIV protease inhibitors.
Negrustin contains a large dose of St. John's wort extract (425 mg in 1 capsule). For this reason, it should be used less frequently - up to 2 times a day. Deprim is less effective because it contains only 60 mg of the active ingredient. It is noted that this drug has the same contraindications, but fewer age restrictions - it is prescribed to children from 6 years of age. Deprim is used to normalize the functioning of the nervous system of patients under 12 years of age in a reduced dosage.
Neuroplant is recommended for use in the same pathological conditions as other drugs, but it can also be used as an adjuvant measure to treat severe forms of depression. In terms of contraindications, this drug does not differ from Gelarium Hypericum. It is prescribed to children from the age of 12.
Considering that the listed products contain the same active ingredient, they act in a similar way. This ensures the same effects.
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Cost of medicines
The average price of St. John's wort for depression varies between 40-200 rubles. The low cost is explained by the availability of raw materials used in production.
Antidepressants based on St. John's wort
The psychotropic properties of St. John's wort have not gone unnoticed by pharmacists. Modern pharmacy chains offer a number of herbal antidepressants based on St. John's wort.
Among them:
- Gelarium
- Negrustin
- Deprim
- Hypericin.
These drugs are believed to have a unique combination of safety and effectiveness, as they do not have as many side effects as synthetic drugs. In addition, their safety allows these drugs to be used in the treatment of depression in pregnant women, elderly patients and people with weakened immune systems. Another advantage of such products is that they are approved for use by persons whose activities involve working in hazardous areas and driving vehicles.
Composition and properties of the plant
It can be found in a large number of medicinal preparations. Even in ancient times, it was actively used to eliminate various ailments. There are about 100 varieties of it in the flora. The perforated species has medicinal properties. To prepare miraculous remedies, it is recommended to use the above-ground part, where most of the beneficial substances are contained. Among them are:
● alkaloids;
● flavonoids;
● organic acids;
● phytoncides.
But it also contains toxins. If you do not adhere to the correct dosage, it will have a completely opposite effect. St. John's wort for neuroses will help not only normalize the functioning of the nervous system, but also return the previous positive attitude to life. Read more about the beneficial properties and contraindications of St. John's wort herb here: https://zdravoline.info/ot-chego-pomogaet-trava-zveroboj/
