St Johns Wort:

The Herb Called St. John's Wort

Depression and anxiety are growing mental health disorders in the United States, perhaps in part thanks to a culture that pushes Zoloft and Paxil during breaks in the nightly news. Fortunately, there are a number of natural remedies worth trying, like St. John's Wort, which show great promise in treating depression and anxiety without resorting to possibly dangerous and personality altering drugs. St. John's Wort has been shown to improve mood in many people, and some swear by the positive effects of this herbal medication.

The history of St. John's Wort
The herb we know today as St. John's Wort is known scientifically as Hypericum perforatum, and it gets its name in honor of John The Baptist. St. John's birthday is believed to be in June, and it's in June that the golden flowers of this herb begin to bloom. The word "wort" translates to "plant;" therefore St. John's Wort is St. John's plant.

This herb grows as a perennial, meaning it will grow back year after year on a single planting. St. John's Wort grows wild like a weed, having grown abundantly in Europe for thousands of years. The history of using St. John's Wort also goes back thousands of years, and it has been used as a safe and effective herbal medication for at least 2400 years. The founder of medicine, Hippocrates, was known to prescribe St. John's Wort for relief of such common ailments as dysentery, tuberculosis, hemorrhage, jaundice, colds, and insomnia.

In European countries, St. John's Wort has been studied for many decades, and scientists have discovered it contains a combination of compounds, the most important of which is hypericin. These compounds are thought to react with certain chemicals in the brain, thereby providing emotional comfort, a calming element and freedom from depression. Point of fact, St. John's Wort is thought to work much the same way as many common prescription antidepressants.

St. John's Wort and depression
In Europe and other countries, doctors have been prescribing St. John's Wort for the treatment of depression for years, and the therapeutic effects of this herb have been shown to include relief from mild to moderate depression, relief from anxiety, relief from insomnia, and even increased cardiac circulation.

In the United States, St. John's Wort is available over the counter in a number of preparations and a variety of strengths. When taken orally, St. John's Wort is often prepared in a capsule form, at a standardized dosage of 300 mg, with a 0.3 hypericin concentration. The suggested dosage from herbalists or health practioners ranges from 2 to 12 capsules per day, depending on the condition being treated and its severity.

St. John's Wort is also available in tea form. The tea is prepared by mixing 2 teaspoons of the dried herbs with hot water and letting it steep for 10 minutes. After the tea has time to steep, it's strained and mixed with sugar or honey to make a tasty drink.

In addition to these common forms, St. John's Wort can be infused with olive oil and used as a massage oil to relieve joint pain and inflammation. This massage oil also thought may be effective against bruises and wounds.