St. John's wort is a perennial herbaceous plant, which is found almost everywhere in meadows, forest edges and glades, in river valleys. Blossoms St. John's wort bright yellow, collected flowers in the paniculate inflorescence. It has a specific smell - a bit tart, but pleasant.
In the old days, the people of St. Petersburg were considered a magical plant capable of casting out evil spirits, protecting them from witches and ghosts. And he received his name because of the fact that it is toxic to animals and causes them painful phenomena.
Composition and useful properties of St. John's wort
Today, this plant is valued both in folk and scientific medicine, on its basis are produced various medications. Among numerous useful for the human body chemical substances contained in St. John's wort, one can distinguish:
- essential oils;
- hypericin;
- tannins;
- terpenes;
- choline;
- carotene;
- vitamins E, P, PP, C;
- various macro- and microelements.
The plant is capable of the following useful actions:
- antimicrobial;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antidepressant;
- astringent;
- antispasmodic;
- hemostatic;
- diuretic;
- choleretic;
- restorative, and so on.
St. John's wort is effective in diabetes, ulcers, allergies and skin diseases. This plant is often used to treat various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and bile ducts:
- colitis;
- gastritis;
- enteritis;
- hepatitis;
- cholecystitis ;
- diarrhea;
- flatulence;
- dyskinesia of the biliary tract, etc.
On the basis of St. John's wort, drugs are produced for the treatment of depressive states and neuropsychic disorders.
St. John's wort - harm, side effects and contraindications
Despite the numerous, scientifically proven healing properties of St. John's wort, the plant has many contraindications and can harm the body in case of improper application. Therefore, take St. John's wort preparations with caution, only according to the indications and with the permission of the doctor.
St. John's wort can not be used for a long time, because the plant has a weak toxic effect. Its long-term use can cause bitterness in the mouth, uncomfortable sensations in the liver.
Overdose of St. John's wort can cause such side effects as pains and spasms in the epigastric region, similar to the symptoms of acute gastritis , as well as headaches, nausea, vomiting.
When using preparations of St. John's wort, one should refrain from staying in direct sunlight, refusing to tan. This is due to the fact that the plant increases photosensitivity - the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet.
You need to be very careful, using the St. John's wort in parallel with other medicines. First and foremost, this refers to immunosuppressants, antidepressants, antibiotics, cardiac drugs and contraceptives. St. John's wort accelerates the excretion of medicines from the body, reducing their therapeutic effect and leading to undesirable consequences. There are cases when uncontrolled use of funds based on St. John's wort resulted in the rejection of the transplanted organ,
It should be borne in mind that St. John's wort contributes to increased blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels, increasing the level of the hormone testosterone. You can not take St. John's wort simultaneously with alcohol, strong tea, coffee.
To the contraindications of the herb St. John's wort are:
- pregnancy and lactation;
- increased sensitivity to solar radiation;
- arterial hypertension;
- increased body temperature;
- individual intolerance.