Botanical Name

• Antidepressant- Substance that relieves depression
• Nervine Tonic – Substance that improves the tone ,vigor and function of the nervous system
• Antiviral -Substance that inhibits growth of or destroys viruses
• Vulnerary -Substance that promotes healing of wounds when applied topically
• Antimicrobial-Substance that inhibits  growth and destroys microorganisms
• Anti Inflammatory – Substance that reduces inflammation
• Emmenagogic – Substance that imitates and promotes menstrual flow
• Antispasmodic -Substance that reduces  or relieves smooth muscle spasm

Health benefits:

• Mild to moderate depression
• Afflictions of the nervous system such as spinal injuries , neuralgia, fibrositis and sciatica
• Depressive symptoms in patients  addicted to alcohol
• Recurrent orofacial herpes ,genital herpes
• Anxiety, nervousness ,restlessness
• Obsessive -compulsive disorder ,mild psychosomatic and somatoformic disorders
• Seasonal effective disorder
• Psycho logic symptoms of menopause
• Enhancing mood in stressed individuals such as athletes
• Enhancing aerobic endurance capacity in athletes ,in combination with vitamin E
• Treating and preventing acute and chronic infections caused by enveloped viruses such as shingles, cold sores, herpes chickenpox.
• Throbbing of body without fever
• Hemorrhage ,menorrhagia, diarrhea, jaundice, chronic urinary conditions such as bed wetting
• Stomach Ache
• Colic
• Lung congestion
• Insomnia
• Headaches
•  Antidote for intestinal worms

It contains several chemicals, including hypericin, hyperforin, and pseudohypericin, which are thought to be the major sources of antidepressant activity. In several studies of laboratory animals and humans, one or more of the chemicals in St. John’s wort appeared to delay or decrease re-absorption of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin by nerve cells.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages from nerve cells to other cells. Ordinarily, once the message has been delivered, neurotransmitters are re-absorbed and inactivated by the cells that released them. Chemicals in St. John’s wort may keep more of these antidepressant neurotransmitters available for the body to utilise. Multiple studies have shown that St. John’s wort may be effective in relieving mild to moderate depression, although maximum antidepressant effects may take several weeks to develop.

St. John’s Wort is an MAO inhibitor and should not be used with alcohol and some other foods.

Side Effects

Not to be taken together with the contraceptive pill, anti-epilepsy treatments and a number of other medications including anti-depressants. If you are taking any medication consult your doctor before starting St John’s Wort. It should not be taken together with foods that contain tyramine i.e. cheese, red wine, preserved meats and yeast extracts.

Both oral and topical forms of St. John’s wort may make unprotected skin more sensitive to sunlight or artificial light in sun tanning parlors. Some evidence from case reports also seems to associate a higher risk of cataracts with possible eye sensitisation to light when St. John’s wort is taken. If you use St. John’s wort, be sure to use sunscreen and eye protection when exposed to sunlight or artificial light used in sun tanning. Side effects reported from taking St. John’s wort by mouth include: Dizziness, Drowsiness, Dry mouth, Headache, Irritability, Upset stomach.

Rare cases of serotonin syndrome, a potentially dangerous oversupply of serotonin in the body, have been attributed to taking St. John’s wort. Uncontrolled serotonin syndrome may result in coma, seizures, and death. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include: Confusion, Euphoria, Fever, Hallucinations, Inability to coordinate muscles, Nausea, Restlessness, Shakiness, Sweating, Vomiting.

DO NOT TAKE.

St. John’s Wort if you are having Chemotherapy, or will be starting chemotherapy within several weeks, as St. John’s wort affects the metabolism (breakdown) of chemotherapy drugs by the liver and therefore seems to make these drugs much less effective.