Information About The Herb St John's Wort

Botanical Name: Hypericum perforatum

Plant Family: Hypericaceae

Common name: Amber, Goatweed,Klamath Weed, Tipton Weed 

Origin: St. John's Wort  is a bushy perennial plant with numerous yellow flowers, native to Europe and the United States and growing wild in northern California, southern Oregon and Colorado.

History: Greek and Roman legends mention St. John's Wort:

• as an antiseptic
• for its healing properties
• to treat sores
• to treat wounds

Early Christian mystics named the plant after John the Baptist and it is traditionally collected on St. John's Day, June 24, and is soaked in olive oil for days to produce a blood red anointing oil known as the 'blood of Christ'.

The plant has a 2,400-year history of safe and effective usage and has been used as a herbal remedy since the Middle Ages in many folk and herbal remedies. 

Tradition: St. John's Wort was

• believed to have magical powers to protect one from evil
• burnt to banish evil and negativity
• hung in the home or carried to prevent spells of others from entering
• hung in the window on St. John's night to keep away ghosts, devils and familiars for a year
• picked and hung on the bedroom wall to give dreams of a future husband/wife
• hung around the neck to prevent fevers
• used in exorcisms
• worn to aid in war and other battles
• worn to help with problems of willpower and indecision

Back to the Top

Plant Constituents

Contains:

• flavonoids
• hypericin (increases capillary blood flow and inhibits the breakdown of neurotransmitters in the brain, thus
• increasing theta waves in the brain which may effectually improve perception and clarify thinking processes)
• procyanidins
• pseudohypericin
• tannins (the astringent effect for wound healing)

Back to the Top

Usage

Medicinal Parts Used: Herb tops and flowers

St. John's Wort is used for:

Blood Conditions

• anemia
• internal bleeding
• spitting of blood, combined with Knotgrass

Brain and Nervous Conditions

St. John's Wort has an affinity for nerve endings and is one of the best herbs for mood elevation and has been used for: 

• anxiety
• depression
• exhaustion
• headache
• helplessness
• hopelessness
• hysteria
• insomnia or restless sleep
• long-term nervous debility and fatigue
• melancholy
• mild to moderate depression
• nervous complaints
• nervous debility
• neuritis
• neurosis
• repairing nerve damage
• sadness
• shingles
• sleepwalking
• speech disorders
• tension
• trigeminal neuralgia

Female Conditions

• menopausal symptoms, especially where anxiety is pronounced (combined with Vervain and Oatstraw)
• menstrual cramping
• menstrual difficulties
• promotes regular menstruation
• uterine cramping

Gastrointestinal Conditions

• colic
• constipation
• dysentery
• gastric diarrhea
• nausea
• intestinal problems
• soothes the digestive system
• stomach ache
• vomiting, combined with Knotgrass

Genitourinary Tract Conditions

• affections of the urinary passages
• bedwetting in children
• bladder troubles
• incontinence
• suppression of urine

Inflammatory Conditions

• arthritis
• catarrh
• reduces pain and inflammation

Liver Conditions

• favorable action on the secretion of bile
• jaundice
• liver remedy, combined with Aloe vera

Respiratory Conditions

• bronchitis
• congestion of the lungs
• coughs and colds
• lung diseases generally
• mucous obstructions in chest and lungs

Viral Conditions

St. John's Wort's potent antiviral and antibacterial properties are used for:

• herpes simplex
• influenza viruses
• treatment for acquired immune deficiency [AIDS]

Other

• sciatica
• ulcers

Externally: St. John's Wort [herb/oil] is used for:

• abdominal pain in babies
• abscesses
• bad insect stings
• bruises
• closes wounds
• contusions
• cuts and grazes
• dirty, septic wounds.
• glandular swellings
• healing wounds
• injured nerves
• injuries caused by a blow
• open wounds
• preventing wounds, scratches, cuts and punctures from becoming septic
• relieving inflammation 
• sores
• sprains
• swellings
• swollen lymph glands
• ulcers
• varicose veins 

Eases pain of:

• lumbago
• neuralgia
• rheumatism
• sciatica
• sore back

Combined with Linseed Oil it is used for:

• burns
• scalds
• sunburn

Action:

• anodyne [an agent that soothes or relieves pain)
• antibacterial [an agent that destroys bacteria; bactericide]
• antidepressant [an agent to relieve depression]
• antispasmodic [an agent that relieves or checks spasms or cramps]
• antiviral [an agent that destroys viruses]
• astringent [an agent that contracts organic tissue, reducing secretions or discharges]
• expectorant [an agent that promotes the discharge of mucus from the respiratory passages]
• nervine [an agent that has a calming or soothing effect on the nerves, any agent that acts on the nervous system]
• sedative [a soothing agent that reduces nervousness, distress or irritation]
• vermifuge [an agent to expel parasitic worms, especially of the intestines]
• vulnerary [a healing application for wounds]

Back to the Top

Precautions

Caution: St. John's Wort

• can increase skin sensitivity to sunlight if taken in high dosages causing blistering sunburn, especially in fair- skinned people
• should not be taken with other antidepressants

It lowers the efficacy of:

• anti-coagulants
• organ rejection drugs
• the contraceptive pill. 

NOTE:

Check with your physician before taking St. John's Wort if you are

• lactating
• pregnant
• taking antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Serzone, etc. or multiple antidepressants
• taking anti-seizure medications
• taking drugs to prevent transplant rejection
• taking drugs to treat HIV
• taking heart medication
• taking photosensitizing drugs

Back to the Top

Products

Global Herbal Supplies has St John's Wort available in the following forms:

• St John's Wort Extract
• Dried St John's Wort
• St John's Wort Essential Oil
• St John's Wort Capsules (with Passionflower)
• St John's Wort Tablets - Blackmores, Herbs of Gold, Nature's Sunshine
  

Research

Articles

Information given by our website  is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by a physician or other medical professionals. You should not use the information given for diagnosing a health problem or disease. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. The above information is just a guide to general circumstances and in no way should it contradict the advice that you have been given by your naturopath, medical doctor or specialist.

More Herb Information: 

A: Adhatoda Vasica  ||  Agrimony   || Albizia  ||  Alfalfa  ||  Allspice  ||  Aloe vera  ||  Amaranth  ||  Andrographis paniculata   ||  Angelica  ||  Anise  ||  Arnica  ||  Astragalus  || 

B: Baical Skullcap  ||  Barberry  ||  Basil  ||  Bay Laurel  ||  Bayberry  ||  Bergamot ||  Bilberry  ||  Bistort   ||  Black Cohosh  ||  Blackberry  ||  Bladderwrack  ||  Blessed Thistle  || Blue Cohosh  ||  Boneset  ||  Borage  ||  Brahmi  ||  Buchu  ||  Bupleurum  ||  Burdock  ||  Butcher's Broom  || 

C: Calendula  ||  Californian Poppy  ||  Caraway  ||  Cascara  ||  Catnip  ||  Cats claw  ||  Cayenne  ||  Cedar  ||  Celery seed || Chamomile german ||  Chamomile roman   ||  Charparral  ||  Chickweed  ||  Cinnamon  ||  Cloves  || Coleus forskohlii  ||  Coltsfoot  ||  Comfrey  ||  Commiphora mukul  ||  Cornflower  ||  Cornsilk  ||  Corydalis ambigua  ||  Crampbark  ||  Crataeva nurvala  ||

D: Damiana  ||  Dandelion  ||  Devil's claw  ||  Dill  ||  Dong quai  ||  Dragon blood  ||

E: Echinacea  ||  Elder tree ||  Elecampane  ||  Ephedra  ||  Eucalyptus  ||  Evening primrose  ||  Eyebright  ||

F: False unicorn  ||  Fennel ||  Fenugreek  ||  Feverfew  ||  Flax  ||  Frankincense  ||

G: Garlic  ||  Gentian  ||  Ginger  ||  Ginkgo biloba  ||  Ginseng american  ||  Ginseng korean  ||  Ginseng siberian  ||  Ginseng tienchi  ||  Goat's rue || Goldenrod ||  Goldenseal   ||  Gotu kola  ||  Gravel root  ||  Green tea  ||  Guaiacum resin  || Gymnema  ||

H: Hawthorn  ||  Hemidesmus indicus ||  Hops  ||  Horehound white  ||  Horseradish  ||  Horsetail  ||  Hyssop  ||

I-J-K-L: ||  Inula || Juniper ||  Kava kava || Lavender  ||  Lemon balm ||  Licorice  ||

M-N-O: Marshmallow  ||  Meadowsweet ||  Mistletoe  ||  Mugwort  ||  Myrrh  || Neem  ||  Nettles || Oats  ||  Olive tree ||

P-Q: Paeonia lactiflora  ||  Passionflower  ||  Pau_D Arco  ||  Peppermint  ||  Phyllanthus amarus  ||  Picrorhiza kurroa  ||  Plantain  ||  Polygala tenuifolia  ||  Polygonum multiflorum ||  Queens delight ||

R: Raspberry leaves  ||  Red clover  ||  Rehmannia glutinosa  ||  Rheum palmatum  ||  Ribwort  ||  Rosehips  ||  Rosemary  ||  Rue  ||

S: Sage  ||  Salvia militiorrhiza  ||  Sarsaparilla  ||  Saw palmetto  ||  Senna ||  Shepherd's purse  ||  Skullcap  ||  Slippery elm  ||  Squaw vine ||  St john's wort  ||  St mary's thistle ||

T-U-V: Thyme  ||  Thyme wild ||  Uva ursi || Valerian  ||  Vervain  ||  Violet  ||  Vitex agnes castus  ||

W: Walnut  ||  Wild cherry  ||  Wild yam  ||  Willow bark  ||  Willow herb  ||  Witch hazel  ||  Withania  ||  Wormwood  ||

Y-Z: Yarrow  ||  Yellow dock || Zizyphus ||