Super Foods Blog

The benefits of St. John’s Wort for depression

There are so many cases of depression in the U.S. but what is unfortunate is the fact that so many people just do not want to seek treatment for it. Diseases of the mind still have a stigma attached to them, more out of ignorance and the fact that medical knowledge has not yet uncovered the secrets of the mind than anything else. What is fortunate, however, is the growing awareness of alternate therapies and medicines to treat this disease. St. John’s Wort is one herb that has proved very beneficial in this area and the best part is that it treats both depression and anxiety without the need for drugs which come with their own side effects. St. John’s Wort is a great mood elevator and so many who have taken it are thrilled with the results.

The botanical name for St. John’s Wort is Hypericum perforatum and the name which it is commonly called by is thanks to St. John the Baptist. This was because it was surmised that St. John was born in June and it is in this month that the plant starts to flower with golden blooms. The meaning of ‘wort’ is plant, so effectively, it means St. John’s plant. It is a perennial plant and keeps growing back every year from just one single plant. In fact, it’s almost a weed, growing wild all over Europe where it has had a field day for thousands of years. That’s why probably its medicinal use also goes back that long – the effective herb that’s safe and easily available. In fact, the father of medicine, Hippocrates is said to have used the herb for conditions like jaundice, dysentery, TB, insomnia, colds and hemorrhage.

St. John’s Wort has been used all over Europe traditionally for ages and recently, medical science has discovered that the most important compound it possesses is hypericin. This compound is supposed to work on the brain and react with the chemicals there so that there is a calm, soothing effect. In fact, it works very much like an antidepressant, without the dangers associated with taking strong medication like that. Not just all over Europe but in many parts of the world, medical practitioners have used St. John’s Wort to treat depression and anxiety. Very often, this herb is the only medication one needs to resort to if the depression is mild or moderate. It also increases circulation and helps the person sleep better.

You can get St. John’s Wort as capsules and tea and it is available in a range of strengths and in various preparations. You can buy it over the counter in most stores and the standardized dose if you want to take it orally is 300 mg which has a hypericin concentration of 0.3. The number of capsules you have to take would depend on the ailment and how severe it is - it could be anything from 2 to 12 capsules a day. You could also drink it as a tea. Pour hot water over 2 teaspoons of the dried herb and steep for around 10 minutes, strain and drink mixed with sugar or honey. You can also make a massage oil by steeping the herb in olive oil and using it to relieve arthritic pain and inflammation. It is also effective for sprains and bruises.

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