St. John’s Wort - Hypericum perforatum
Hypericum perforatum, commonly known as St. John's wort is an herbaceous perennial in the Hypericaceae family that is native to the temperate areas of Europe and Asia and has become naturalized worldwide. It has been used for its healing properties since the Romans. The common name comes from the knights of St. John's Order, who used its essential oil as an antimicrobial and to heal wounds during the Crusades.
Its active compounds are polyphenols, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins. It also contains terpenoids and essential oils. Because of its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, an antiviral property, it's used on wound healing and skin conditions. The primary terpenoids of interest are hyperforin and hypericin. In traditional medicine, they’re used against anxiety, mild depression, cough and stomach upset. There is some evidence that those same terpenoids provide pain relief. 1
St John’s Wort is used for mild depression. It appears to work via the inhibition of the reuptake of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. This causes more of the neurotransmitters to be available which results in an increased sense of well-being and happiness. 2
Tincture Dosing: 2-10 ml per day. Start slowly as allergies and intolerances are always possible. This tincture is made from the flowers of the plant. It is a bright magenta color.
Possible Side Effects: Headache, nausea, constipation, dizziness, confusion, sedation, fatigue and allergy. It can also cause photodermatitis or sun-sensitivity.
Do not take this tincture without speaking to your doctor and pharmacist. It has been shown to interact negatively with antidepressants, birth control pills, antivirals, anticoagulants, opioids, digoxin, psychedelic drugs, and more. It can reduce the effectiveness of chemo, or radiation. It should not be mixed with alcohol or sedatives, as this may result in increased sedation.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.
1 Nicoletta Galeotti, Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) beyond depression: A therapeutic perspective for pain conditions, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 200, 2017, Pages 136-146, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.02.016.
2 Siegfried Kasper, Filippo Caraci, Bruno Forti, Filippo Drago, Eugenio Aguglia, Efficacy and tolerability of Hypericum extract for the treatment of mild to moderate depression, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 20, Issue 11, 2010, Pages 747-765, ISSN 0924-77X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.07.005.