During my recent camping holiday at a lovely country location near the Snowy Mountains, I couldn’t but not notice beautiful yellow flowers blooming all around the campsite, river bank and in the nearby fields. You may have seen it around as it is quite a sturdy plant. It can be seen along the roadside driving up to the Blue Mountains.
This yellow flowering plant is called St John’s wart or Hypericum perforatum, its botanical name. Historians think that the name St. John’s wort was given to it by the first Christians, who noticed that the plant blossoms (in Europe) around the 24th of June, the Saint John’s-the Baptist’s birthday.
It has a very long history of traditional use as a herbal remedy. It seems to date back to the time of the ancient Greeks. In Europe, people have been using it for centuries to treat many issues like anxiety, depression, cold & flu, menstruation muscle pain & spasm, skin infections, wounds and so on.
More recently St John’s wart has become one of the most popular herbal remedies for people that look beyond conventional medicine for a solution to their health problems. This popularity has contributed to the renewal of people’s recognition and acceptance of natural remedies.
Today, it is best known for being a go-to natural treatment for mild and moderate depression and nerve pain. According to researchers, “St. John’s wort has an action equivalent to amitryptilline, fluoxetine and maprotiline”, anti-depressant and nerve pain medications.
As a Naturopath, St John’s wart is an essential part of my dispensary. I use it in various forms as it is useful as an internal and topical remedy. I use mainly liquid herbal extract, and capsules but with a new supply of St John’s wart, I will be using it to make infused oil and creams.
As is the case with all our herbs, St John’s wart has a number of therapeutic actions. Its main actions include being an anti-inflammatory, relaxing nervine, anxiolytic, antidepressant, wound healing, antiviral and pain relieving.
St John’s Wart – Nerve Restorative
St John’s Wart is our go-to herb when the nervous system needs some TLC. We use it in mild to moderate depression or to help reduce relapse, for anxiety, stress, burnout, exhaustion and chronic fatigue syndrome when a viral component is involved.
It is also used to help relieve nerve pain associated with sciatica, fibromyalgia and migraine headache.
St John’s Wart and PMS & Menstrual Mood Issues
St John’s wart is also useful when there are psychological symptoms associated with PMS, perimenopause and menopause. It can help calm anxiety and lift the mood during these stages.
St John’s Wart and Herpes Virus
With its antiviral properties, this herb is used internally and topically to help with various viral infections including herpes viruses such as cold sores and shingles.
Topical Uses
St John’s wart can also be used topically as an oil or cream to help treat burns, minor cuts, grazes, shingle sores, eczema, psoriasis, muscle pain and bacterial vaginosis.
Word of Caution
As we are part of nature, I believe that natural substances are more compatible with our human biology than synthetic substances, however, we still need to be cautious when using potent herbal medicines. St John’s wart is a prime example of why you should seek professional guidance from a qualified Naturopath or Herbalist when considering these remedies.
St John’s wart is infamous for its known effects on pharmaceutical drugs. It interferes with the metabolism of a number of drugs (ie. Warfarin), hence it can weaken the drug effect making it less effective. If considering St John’s wart for internal use, check for any possible medication interactions with a qualified practitioner.
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References:
Istikoglou CI, Mavreas V, Geroulanos G. History and therapeutic properties of Hypericum Perforatum from antiquity until today. Psychiatriki. 2010 Oct-Dec;21(4):332-8. PMID: 21914616.
