St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum )

         St. John's wort is a perennial herb with branched roots. The stalk of St. John's wort is erect, naked, a height of 20 to 100 cm. The flowers are yellow. Flowers from May to September. Plant needs soil medium nutrient rich and moderately warm and moderately bright habitats. The plant consists of hyperycine, pseudohipericina, izohipericina (in bloom), hyperoside, quercetin, rutin, quercitrin, biapigenina, amentoflavona, catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, hiperflorina, carotenoids, sterols, and essential oils. St. John's wort is used as an antidepressant, sedative and as an antibiotic. St. John's wort can also be used for outdoor use. The active substance is hiperflorin. St. John's wort extract increases the concentration of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the synapses. St. John's Wort oil (Oleum hyperici) is a widely known and used for mitigation and treatment of burns. Obtained by maceration of fresh flowers Klamath olive oil. Antidepressant activity is already known in the Middle Ages by Paracelsus, and school medicine in the 70-ies of the last century confirmed. It is said that St. John's wort, which blooms in midsummer collects the sun's rays to give them to people during the dark months.

St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum )

         The original homeland of her is Europe (Asia Minor and Greece) and Siberia. Ubiquitous in all subtropical and temperate zones. Once used to exorcise evil spirits and dealing with the consequences of snake bites. According to traditional belief because the reddish oil juice (such as blood), which occurs when the plant broke, so they were curing skin diseases because the skin is also bleeding. While this is still frivolous, there are scientific confirmation in treating bruises, burns and other wounds. Requires regular watering and soil moisture. It grows everywhere. The plant has a peculiar odor, pungent, bitter and aromatic flavor. It is used for decoration and for the medicine: to decorate the slopes of ramps, the beams, the edges of the leaves so characteristic interspersed with numerous translucent dots (glands filled with essential oil) so they look finely drilled and hence the name of the plant - perforatum. Leaves are arranged oppositely, ovoid - blunt, smooth stems with lots of translucent spots on the rim with black spots. Well developed golden flowers with 5 petals, bottom also have black spots, forming bloom. Rubbing flowers emit blood-red juice. Petals are 3-4 times longer than the calyx and asymmetric. The plant blooms the entire summer and medicinal parts are located on the upper half of the plants in bloom. The root is not intended to cure. Therefore, the plant can not and should not start pulling out of the country.

St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum )

         St. John's wort contains iron, various tannins, essential oils, resins, anthocyanins, hypericin - red, carotene, choline, vitamin C (in fresh plant about 30%), and some traces of alkaloids. For the preparation of the flowers dried in shady places (in the shade), and later used in pharmaceuticals: ether oil, tea, wine and tincture. It is used to improve mood, stimulate the digestive organs, alleviating rheumatism (back pain), in people who wet the bed, and for sprains, strains, the hematoma. The plant has a photosensitive effect, so it is necessary at the outset application to warn the patient not to be exposed to the sun, that he would not have turned on the skin, and one of the side effects people who are photosensitive when exposed to the sun in the form of swelling of lips - like a horse. Hypericin, which is effective in depression, causes the photosensitivity. If used concomitantly with conventional medications for depression, the combination can be overpowering and unnecessary cause other serious side effects. Some patients who have been taking St. John's wort are experiencing digestive difficulties, anxiety or a mild allergic reaction.

St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum )