St. John's wort

St. John's wort has other names. In the people it is called youth blood, red grass, bloodwort and healthy grass. There is a fabulous legend about the origin of this plant, which tells that St. John's wort grew from the blood of a magical bird. There was a battle in the sky, and the bird was badly injured by the evil monster. She descended to the ground, and St. John's wort grew from the droplets of blood and lost feathers.

The Catholic Church attributes the appearance of St. John's wort to the blood of John the Baptist. After the executioner cut off his head, the fallen drops of blood gave birth to St. John's wort.

St. John's wort is a low perennial shrub. Belongs to the St. John's wort family. St. John's wort stem has four faces. Leaves with short petioles are located opposite each other. On them you can see small black dots-glands.

Yellow and rather large flowers, having five sepals and petals, are collected in inflorescences and are located mainly in the upper part of the plant. The center of the flower is an abundance of stamens. The flowers are not brightly saturated yellow, they cast a brownish tint. The flowering period lasts from June to August.

St. John's wort is a trihedral box, which, after ripening, opens into nests. They can be from 3 to 5.From there, small seeds are poured out in a shape similar to an oval. Seeds ripen in late summer and early autumn.

The root of St. John's wort is branched.

There are approximately 110 species of this plant. The most common:

• Hypericum perforatum. The stem of this species is dihedral. The name speaks for itself. Black glands located on bright green leaves create the feeling that the leaf is in holes.
• St. John's wort is large. Unlike the previous species, it has a smooth stem. No wonder it is called large, since its height is more than a meter. Accordingly, its flowers are very large in size. They are collected in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces. St. John's wort is classified as an ornamental plant.
• Hypericum elongated. The height of this species reaches 50 cm. The leaves are also equipped with glands. There are many flowers. They are whitish yellow. Flowering period May-July.
• Hypericum mountain. The height of St. John's wort is from 20 to 60 cm. The stem is cylindrical in cross section. The glands are supplied with leaves, which are located in the upper part of the plant.
• Hypericum retracted. It can be both 10 cm in height and 70. There are quite a lot of stems and they are covered with oval leaves with a few glands. Flowers form a paniculate inflorescence. The flowering period lasts until September.
• St. John's wort erect. The stem of this species of St. John's wort is colored purple. At the top of the stem gives many branches. Flowers are light yellow.
• St. John's wort spotted. It is very similar to perforated, but its stem has 4 longitudinal edges, and not two, like perforated.
• St. John's wort rough. The height of this species reaches 40 cm. The stem has a brown or reddish color and is covered with small glandular growths.

St. John's wort is a plant that is found in both tropical and temperate latitudes.As for Russia, here it is ubiquitous. It does not exist only in the Far North.

St. John's wort is harvested during its flowering period, simply by cutting off the stems with flowers. The root is not used. Moreover, when collecting raw materials, make sure that the root remains in place. Then next year the plant will again delight you with its flowers and medicinal properties.

In the process of drying St. John's wort, good ventilation of the room is necessary. St. John's wort should be laid out in the shade on paper or on a wire mesh. The layer of plants should not exceed 7 cm. The raw materials must be mixed. You can dry St. John's wort in bunches, hanging them, for example, in the attic. If the stalks of St. John's wort break with a crunch, then the drying process is complete. Bags are suitable for storing finished dry raw materials. Useful properties are stored for 3 years.

The entire ground part of the plant, its stems, leaves and flowers are applied.

It does not have any pronounced odor. Bitter in taste, slightly astringent.

100 grams of dry St. John's wort contains 10 kcal. In the composition of St. John's wort, flavonoid compounds were found:

• glycoside;
• hyperoside;
• routine;
• quercitrin;
• isoquercitrin.

The chemical composition of St. John's wort also includes:

• essential oil;
• tannins;
• anthocyanins;
• saponins;
• carotene;
• acids (nicotinic, ascorbic);
• vitamin P;
• ceryl alcohol;
• choline;
• trace elements (Mg, Zn).

You can learn more information about the beneficial properties of St. John's wort from the following video:

• Shows antispasmodic properties.
• Removes inflammation.
• Stops bleeding.
• Disinfects.
• St. John's wort has choleretic properties.
• Strengthens immunity.
• Improves the regenerative ability of the body.
• It is a sedative.

Despite the fact that St. John's wort brings great benefits to our body, do not forget about its name, which speaks for itself:

• The use of this plant has a negative effect on the body of a pregnant woman, more precisely, on the fetus. The use of St. John's wort can provoke an early birth, or cause mental retardation in a born baby.
• In a lactating woman with the use of St. John's wort, milk begins to taste bitter.
• St. John's wort increases blood pressure.
• St. John's wort contains toxic substances, so abuse is fraught with consequences: allergies and poisoning.
• It has a negative effect on male potency. With the appearance of relevant problems, men should immediately stop using St. John's wort.
• St. John's wort-containing preparations of strong concentration (infusions, decoctions) can harm the body.
• Under the influence of St. John's wort, the body becomes extremely susceptible to ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, after its use should be limited to sunny days.
• St. John's wort weakens the effect of contraceptives, drugs that treat diseases of the cardiovascular system, and antibiotics.
• Completely neutralizes the therapeutic effect of drugs that treat HIV.

• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Hypertension.
• Hypersensitivity to ultraviolet rays.
• HIV infection.
• Children's age up to 12 years.

• Recipe 1. To prepare St. John's wort, you will need fresh crushed flowers and leaves of the plant (25 g), which must be poured with vegetable oil (250 g). Olive, sunflower or flax oil is suitable. The oil is infused for about 3 weeks in a warm place. It needs to be shaken periodically.After the allotted time, strain the oil and pour it into a dark glass bottle, in which it should be stored.
• Recipe 2. You should take 0.5 kg of fresh raw materials and pour them with a liter of olive oil and half a liter of white wine. The mixed components are left for three days, and then everything is put on fire so that the wine evaporates.

St. John's wort tea is especially useful if you take a glass or porcelain teapot for its preparation. It should be rinsed with boiling water and only then proceed to the brewing process itself. 250 ml of boiling water will require 1-2 teaspoons of herbal mixtures. After 10 minutes of steeping, the tea is ready to drink.

St. John's wort goes well with various herbs. Here are some recipes for such mixtures:

• Recipe 1. Take two parts of oregano and one part of St. John's wort and dry rose hips. This tea is infused for 30 minutes. This time is necessary for the wild rose.
• Recipe 2. In equal proportions, mix St. John's wort and blackcurrant leaf. Brewed in the usual way. It turns out a very aromatic and healthy drink.
• Recipe 3. Cranberry and St. John's wort tea. This is a necessary drink in the treatment of colds. It is noteworthy that decoctions of cranberries and St. John's wort are made separately from each other and then mixed. It is recommended to brew them in the evening, so that the infusion is especially useful. In the morning, the decoctions are mixed and sweetened to taste with sugar.

• Alcohol tincture of St. John's wort is a remedy that relieves inflammation.
• She is being treated for angina.
• Treat wounds and cuts.

For the preparation of alcoholic St. John's wort tincture, dry crushed raw materials and vodka are taken at the rate of 1:5. A dark place is suitable for infusion. A week later, the medicine is ready. It is used three times a day. Single dose - 40 drops.

St. John's wort, like many other herbal decoctions, is prepared in a water bath. To do this, 100 ml of water is poured into the pan and 10 g of dry raw materials are poured. This mixture is placed in another container with a small amount of water. The broth should be heated in a water bath for half an hour. It can't be boiled. After that, everything should be removed from the fire, cool and strain. The resulting liquid is added with boiled water to make 200 ml.

This elixir is recommended to rinse your mouth with stomatitis and gingivitis, take orally a third of a glass three times a day for diseases of the digestive system.

Before taking the received medicine, it must be shaken.

• St. John's wort extract is primarily an antidepressant with sedative properties.
• Favorable for the nervous system.
• Eliminates anxiety during sleep.
• It has a positive effect on the performance of the body.
• Recommended for pain caused by burns, injuries.

In the process of using the drug, driving a vehicle, as well as actions requiring increased concentration of attention, should be excluded.St. John's wort extract is a substance that can be in both dry and oily form. The oily extract is colored red and has a pleasant aroma. It has astringent properties, and also relieves inflammation, pain caused by spasms; heals wounds, cuts and ulcers, providing a healing effect. St. John's wort extract is widely used in the cosmetic industry. It is added to toothpastes, shampoos and soaps, various lotions and tonics, etc.

St. John's wort imparts a tart note with a hint of bitterness to culinary dishes. St. John's wort is usually used in dry form.

• An ideal combination of St. John's wort and fish dishes.
• John's wort is added to vegetable and meat dishes.
• It is a component of various tinctures and healing balms.

• One of its most important uses is in the treatment of depression.
• It is used to improve the process of falling asleep.
• It is a general strengthening agent.
• St. John's wort treat tuberculosis and diseases of the respiratory system, stomach, gallbladder.
• With the help of St. John's wort get rid of helminths.
• Recommended for gout, arthritis, rheumatism of the joints.
• Fights liver diseases, eliminates flatulence.
• Infusions and decoctions are used in the treatment of inflammatory processes that occur in the oral cavity.
• John's wort is used to treat urinary incontinence. It is prepared as follows: for 2 hours, insist the herb poured with boiling water (3 tablespoons of raw materials per glass of water). To achieve the maximum effect, wrap the dishes with the infusion with a towel. The infusion is taken orally (100 ml) before meals.
• It is used in complex therapy in the treatment of alcoholism.

• St. John's wort tones and rejuvenates our skin.At home, it is easy to prepare a lotion that will become an indispensable tool for maintaining youth and beauty. A glass of water and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry chopped St. John's wort. This infusion is boiled for 10 minutes. After cooling, it is filtered and boiled water is added to make a glass of the finished liquid. Pour 1 teaspoon of vodka into it (cologne will do). This lotion can be used to wipe the skin of the face before going to bed.
• St. John's wort helps normalize oily skin. Just use the decoction as a cleanser. To prepare it, you need to take 20 g of dry raw materials per glass of water. The broth is boiled for 10 minutes. Then he needs to brew for half an hour. Only then can the broth be filtered and used for its intended purpose.
• For oily skin, a St. John's wort mask is recommended. The crushed dry raw material is mixed with water to a mushy state. Then it is heated on fire to + 70 °. Apply a warm mass for 15 minutes and rinse with water at room temperature. For the effect to make itself felt, it will take about 20 such procedures.
• Many women suffer from cracked heels. This is both painful and unpleasant. St. John's wort baths will help to eliminate this problem. The decoction is prepared from a liter of boiling water and 2 tbsp. spoons of dry St. John's wort. The bath is hot. After the procedure, steamed legs are wiped dry and smeared with cream.
• St. John's wort smoothes fine wrinkles, preventing premature aging. A very good effect is obtained if you freeze a decoction of St. John's wort and then wipe your face and neck with frozen cubes.
• When taking a bath, add a little tincture, decoction, or just throw a few sprigs of St. John's wort into the water. This will help you relax and relieve nervous tension.
• A steam bath with St. John's wort will relieve acne, excessive oily skin.
• Thanks to its antiseptic properties, it destroys acne.
• It is a wonderful remedy that strengthens hair and relieves dandruff. We rinse the hair with a decoction, which is prepared from half a liter of water and 5 tbsp. spoons of dry herbs.
• Warts are treated with fresh St. John's wort juice.

When losing weight, St. John's wort is used as part of a variety of herbal preparations, which usually have the main goal - to reduce weight. St. John's wort promotes the process of metabolism and the removal of fluid from the body. Due to this, the person loses weight. If you use only St. John's wort and hope that extra pounds will go away, then this is in vain. The decisive factor, however, is a well-chosen diet.

Very effective as an accompanying element is St. John's wort tea with lemon. The combination of these two components converts body fat into energy. In combination with a properly selected diet, this will allow you to lose those extra pounds. To prepare such an effective drink, you need 1 teaspoon of dry St. John's wort, which is poured with 300 ml of boiling water. After the temperature of the infusion reaches + 50 °, a slice of lemon is added. The tea is ready to drink.

When going on picnics or hiking, none of us is immune from bruises, cuts and various troubles that lie in wait on the way.

• If there is a bruise, then a mixture of herbs from St. John's wort, plantain, burdock, wormwood, dandelion will help relieve pain. Herbs should be finely chopped, crushed and applied to a sore spot. Change when dry.
• For cuts and wounds, you can apply either the leaves of St. John's wort, or a plant ground into gruel.
• Sometimes it happens that the wound began to fester. It is useful to use a decoction of St. John's wort inside.
• If there is chest pain, it is recommended to brew St. John's wort and drink a decoction.
• If someone gets burned during the campaign, then St. John's wort will help.

• St. John's wort is a plant that is beneficial for the female body. During menopause, women are recommended a soothing tea that any woman can prepare. The following components are taken: three parts of St. John's wort and lemon balm leaves, two parts of hop cones and cuff grass. Pour two teaspoons of this crushed raw material with a glass of boiling water. Insist 20 minutes. Tea is taken three times a day for 0.5 cups.
• St. John's wort treat diseases of the reproductive system, various inflammatory processes (uterus, appendages, ovaries). Sterile swabs soaked in St. John's wort oil should be inserted into the vagina.
• Helps to normalize the menstrual cycle. Three times a day, 30 minutes before meals, you need to drink St. John's wort infusion.
• St. John's wort tea is very useful for premenstrual syndromes. It will help the female body cope with increased nervousness and excitability, and will have a sedative effect.

Growing St. John's wort in your backyard is not particularly difficult. You can use seeds, or you can use ready-made seedlings. Seeds are sown in the ground in autumn or early spring. +6°C is enough for seeds to germinate. You do not need to do anything special when growing. Like any other plant, St. John's wort needs bright sun, weed-free soil, watering, etc.

Please note that the plant of the first year of life does not produce flowers and generally grows very slowly.Remove weeds, because they interfere with the normal growth and development of St. John's wort. In one season, two crops can be harvested with a difference of one month between them. In one place, St. John's wort can last about 5 years.

In the days of paganism, St. John's wort was protected from evil spirits, witches. Magical properties were attributed to the juice of this plant. And the twigs of the plant, placed in a headdress or in shoes, protected from the evil eye.

In Russia, the plant was not accidentally called "St. John's wort". People noticed that many pets died after they ate these bushes. Interestingly, herbivores with a light coat color and usually on a sunny day were subjected to poisoning. Later, scientists uncovered the cause of the phenomenon. St. John's wort contains substances that make the body overly susceptible to ultraviolet rays.