Description
St. John’s wort is most commonly used for “the blues” or depression and symptoms that sometimes go along with mood such as nervousness, tiredness, poor appetite, and trouble sleeping.
Benefits of St. John’s Wort:
Antidepressant: It contains a rare combination of antidepressant chemicals that inhibit or delay the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Menopause: its chemical constituents can help to reduce mood swings and symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes in menopausal women. Moreover, they reduce the severity of cramping and premenstrual irritation and depression.
Wound Healing: St. John’s wort as a topical application in the form of a salve or tincture could help to improve wound healing such as burns, bruises, and scrapes and reduce scar formation.
“For a long time, scientists thought a chemical in St. John’s wort called hypericin was responsible for its effects on improving mood. More recent information suggests other chemicals like hyperforin may play a larger role. These chemicals act on messengers in the nervous system that regulate mood.”
St. John’s Wort has been used for homeopathic remedies for it’s anti-imflammatory, astringent and calming qualities. St. John’s Wort is said to have a calming effect on the nervous and digestive system. It has become a popular herb for controlling stress and to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety and depression. It has been useful in treating the mood swings associated with menopause and PMS and it is considered a mild sedative for treatment of insomnia.
