What is St. Johns wort?
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is becoming the top natural treatment for mild to moderate depression, with all the benefits of prescription antidepressants, without the side effects, and at one-tenth the cost. St. John’s wort is a bushy perennial plant with yellow flowers that commonly grows wild. It is native to many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and the United States. It gets its unusual name from St. John the Baptist, since it was traditionally collected on St. John’s Day, June 24. “Wort” is the Old English word for “plant.
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum in Latin) is a long-living plant with yellow flowers. It contains many chemical compounds. Some are believed to be the active ingredients that produce the herb’s effects, including the compounds hypericin and hyperforin. How these compounds actually work in the body is not yet known, but several theories have been suggested. Preliminary studies suggest that St. John’s wort might work by preventing nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing the chemical messenger serotonin, or by reducing levels of a protein involved in the body’s immune system functioning. For what medicinal purposes has St. John’s wort been used? St. John’s wort has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders as well as nerve pain. In ancient times, doctors and herbalists (specialists in herbs) wrote about its use as a sedative and treatment for malaria as well as a balm for wounds, burns, and insect bites. Today, St. John’s wort is used by some people to treat mild to modera
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is an herb used to treat mild to moderate depression. It is available in pill form, as an infusion, in liquid extract form, and as a tincture. Its efficacy is a matter of some debate, but many studies conducted in the United States and Germany showed it to be effective in treating moderate depression, and it is routinely proscribed for this condition in Germany. However, St. John’s Wort has been shown to be ineffective against severe depression and dysthymia. Wort is an archaic word meaning “plant,” and St. John’s Wort gets its name from its traditional date of harvest, St. John’s Day, or 24 June. It has small yellow flowers and perforate leaves characterized by small holes. St. John’s Wort is grown commercially, but it is also a pest in many areas, as it can be poisonous to livestock if eaten in sufficient quantities. St. John’s Wort can cause a number of problems in livestock, including restlessness, mania, skin irritation and lesions, depressio
