St. John’s wort (Hypericum Perforatum) is also known as Tipton’s weed, Klamath weed and goat weed. St. John’s Wort is an aromatic perennial plant belonging to the Hypericaceae family. St. John’s Wort can cure various diseases and sickness and can be a cure for cancer.
St. John’s wort can assist in a holistic cancer treatment. St. John’s wort will not cure cancer alone but in combination with other herbs, juices and therapies, St. John’s wort will boost cancer treatment effectiveness.
St. John’s Wort Historical Medicinal Usage
St. John’s wort has been used as a folk remedy for centuries to treat everything from wounds, headaches, gout, and kidney problems to nervous disorders. After it was brought to this continent, Native Americans used several species of St. John’s wort to treat diarrhea, wounds, and snakebites.
St. John’s wort has been used as a folk remedy for centuries to treat everything from wounds, headaches, gout, and kidney problems to nervous disorders. After it was brought to this continent, Native Americans used several species of St. John’s wort to treat diarrhea, wounds, and snakebites.
In the United States, the plant was not well known until after the 1900s. In 1959, the plant was first studied for its ability to fight bacteria. Extracts of St. John’s Wort have become extremely popular in the United States. Since its interactions with other drugs have been discovered, there are more concerns about its potential dangers. Ireland, for instance, banned over-the-counter sales of the herb in 2000. It is still available by prescription there.
St. John’s Wort Oil
The reddish color of the oil extracted from St. John’s wort is attributed to the products of a substance present in the herb – hypericin. This ingredient is known to be an antidepressant and, it is also a potent anti-viral. Owing to the latter property of the herb, presently scientists are conducting researches with St. John’s wort to find if it can be used to treat the deadly diseases HIV and AIDS. Researches conducted with the herb so far demonstrate that the entire herb possesses properties that are highly useful to combat several types of viral infections.
St. John’s Wort Health Benefits
- St. John’s wort is widely used in Europe to treat depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. In Germany, doctors prescribe St. John’s Wort more often than the popular anti-depressant drug Prozac. Hypericinis the most commonly studied active ingredient in St. John’s wort, and the amount of this compound is often used to standardize extracts. Although there are some evidences for using St. John’s wort in some emotional conditions besides depression, available scientific evidence does not support claims that it works for these other diseases.
- The herb has a sedative effect which is said to be owing to the actions of hypericin. This element present in St. John’s wort helps to lower blood pressure and lessen the fragility of capillaries as well as maintaining the health of the uterus. In effect, using St. John’s wort has proved to be effective in alleviating the symptoms of painful, intense and sporadic menstruation and premenstrual syndrome or PMS.
- St. John’s wort has been tried for exhaustion, stopping smoking cigarrettes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), migraine and other types of headaches, muscle pain, nerve pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. St. John’s herb is an excellent medicine for treating disorders of the nervous system, easing stress and apprehension as well as improving the mood of an individual. The herb is regarded to be especially beneficial to treat poignant problems faced by women during menopause.
- St. John’s wort is an expectorant and helps to clear phlegm from the chest. Hence, the herb is useful for fast recuperation from conditions like chest infections and coughs. Among its other medicinal virtues, St. John’s wort also possesses anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, is effective in combating tuberculosis (TB) and influenza.
- The herb is also promoted to treat bronchial inflammation, bed-wetting, stomach problems, hemorrhoids, hypothyroidism, insomnia, migraines, kidney disorders, and malaria. A balm made from St. John’s wort can be used on the skin for burns, wounds, insect bites and stings, and other skin diseases.
- The herb possesses diuretic properties and reduces fluid withholding as well as speeds up the process of eradicating toxins through urination. St. John’s wort is also an effective medication to cure bedwetting by kids and children. Moreover, the herb has proved to be helpful in treating painful conditions like arthritis and gout. St. John’s Wort is also used for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis C.
St. John’s Wort HIV Cure
Anti-viral effects of St. John’s wort have been observed in laboratory studies, but were not found in one human study. Multiple reports of significant adverse effects and interactions with drugs used for HIV/AIDS, including protease inhibitors (PIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), suggest that patients being treated for HIV/AIDS should avoid this herb. Therefore, there is evidence to recommend against using St. John’s wort in the treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS.
St. John’s Wort Anti Cancer Properties
Chemical analysis of St. John’s wort has revealed that the herb encloses several elements that also include about 10 per cent of tannin and approximately one per cent of unstable oil. Tannins present in St. John’s wort are believed to be responsible for healing wounds by means of their actions of precipitating astringents and proteins. Earlier, herbalists attributed most of the remedial properties of St. John’s wort to the presence of a reddish dianthrone pigment called hypericin. Researches conducted with St. John’s wort in those days hesitantly related the plant’s anti-depressant properties to several xanthones and flavonoids enclosed by the herb.
Presently, scientists are exploring the possibilities of using the herb to treat deadly diseases, including HIV, AIDS and cancer. As discussed earlier, the astringent and anti-microbial actions of St. John’s wort makes it a useful medication for treating ailments of the digestive tract, including gastroenteritis, dysentery and diarrhea. The herb is also believed to be effective in curing peptic ulcers (sores in the wall of the stomach or duodenum) and gastritis (inflammation of the stomach). St. John’s wort may be used both internally and externally and is an excellent medication for treating nerve pain and all types of sufferings and strains caused to the nervous system.
Canadian and Ukrainian scientists are testing the illuminating qualities of St. John’s wort, which they say is quickly absorbed by cancerous cells. The idea is to turn hypericin, the active ingredient in St. John’s wort, into a missile that selectively illuminates cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unlit. The strategy appears to be working, at least in animals. In tests on dogs at a local veterinarian clinic, the researchers have so far detected one case of cancer.
Hypericin shows up as a red spot when an animal is “illuminated” with blue filtered light, reported Andrew Rawicz, an engineering scientist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and colleagues at the University of Kiev. Once the cancer has been identified, an orange light forces hypericin to release unstable oxygen molecules that decompose the cells, he said.
The compounds found in St. John’s wort enhance the immune system and are currently being studied for their benefits for sufferers of AIDS and cancer. Take the herb as a tincture, taking five to ten drops orally each day or use the flowering tops as a cream on skin cancer. While these anticancer properties are exciting, keep in mind that studies are still being conducted.
St. John’s Wort Dosage
A common recommendation for St. John’s wort extract when taken in connecton with mild to moderate depression is 500-1,000 mg per day. Results may be noted as early as two weeks but may take longer. You should consult with a health care professional to determine how long to use this supplement. For more severe depression, higher intakes may be required, under the supervision of a physician.
We recommend consulting with a doctor before starting any supplement.
St. John’s Wort Products
St. John’s Wort products comes in tea bags, supplements, extracts, and capsules. Search St. John’s products in Google.
St. John’s Wort Precautions
There may be a number drug interactions with St. John’s wort that are not yet know. St. John’s wort stimulates a drug-metabolizing enzyme that metabolizes at least 50 of the drugs on the market. Based on this fact alone, St. John’s wort could possibley interfere with a number of medications. Consult with a qualified medical professional before supplementing with St. John’s wort. Here is a word of caution for women using St. John’s wort. This herb or medications prepared with it should never be used by pregnant women and nursing mothers.
St. John’s Wort Side Effects
The most common side effects of St. John’s wort include dry mouth, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and fatigue.
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