Tea from St. John's wort: useful properties and contraindications

St. John's wort is used in both traditional and folk medicine - experts say that this plant is one of the most effective. In the people it is called a magic herb, field pharmacy, youth blood.

It has been proved that St. John's wort can cure almost 100 types of various diseases, we will consider the details below. It is worth bearing in mind that the plant is low-toxic, so its use should be approached with caution, preferably having consulted a doctor beforehand.

What is St. John's wort and why is it useful?

The height of the plant - from 70 to 100 cm, the root is thin, there is a large number of branches on the sides. The leaves are oblong, on the yellow flowers you can see oily glands, which have the appearance of black dots. Blossoms from June to August, it is important to collect the medicinal plant at the peak of flowering, because it is at this time there is the greatest concentration of beneficial substances for the body. The herb should be dried in a dry and dark place.

As for the useful properties - there are a lot of them, let's consider in detail.

1. The herb has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic action. Therefore, it is recommended for use in diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as arthritis.
2. St. John's wort promotes rapid tissue regeneration, it can be used for cuts, wounds - if you need them to heal faster.
3. The plant has a diuretic effect. It is shown in diseases of the urogenital system.
4. Gastrointestinal diseases can also be treated if you use St. John's wort - first need to consult with your doctor about the dosage.
5. If there are problems with the oral cavity: sores, ulcers, erosions on the mucosa, this herb strengthens the gums, treats stomatitis.
6. If a person has a strong alcohol intoxication - the plant will have a sobering effect.
7. St. John's wort should be used if a person suffers from migraines, neuroses, sleep disorders.

Specialists have conducted experimental studies that showed: the water extract of this herb is good for strengthening the immune system, so St. John's wort will be useful for people who are prone to frequent colds, SARS.

Interestingly, "St. John's Wort" means "healer of wounds" in Kazakh. Externally, the flowers of the plant are very effective. Diluted tincture in alcohol can be used to rinse the mouth (with stomatitis, the presence of ulcers, etc.). It also eliminates unpleasant odor. In the presence of burns, sores, wounds on the skin need to make compresses on the basis of St. John's wort to avoid infection and to ensure rapid recovery of the skin. They treat purulent inflammation on the skin, boils.

Studies have been conducted that showed that the extract of St. John's wort can be injected intravenously! Due to this increases the amplitude of heart contractions, vasoconstriction, and BP increases.

The composition of St. John's wort

This amazing herb has a large number of therapeutic properties, while contraindications are minimized. All this is directly related to the fact that the composition of the plant contains many useful components, namely:

1. Tannins. They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, have a powerful antibacterial effect.
2. Flavonoids. Contribute to the strengthening of capillaries, have a choleretic effect. Have a beneficial effect on intestinal peristalsis.
3. Resins. Have expectorant action, have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory.
4. Vitamins E, B, C and P. Strengthen the nervous, immune, cardiovascular system. Prevent the appearance of malignancies.
5. Cineol. Indispensable for anxiety disorders, improves sleep quality, increases the overall tone of the body.
6. Geraniol. The substance is indispensable in the treatment of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, salmonellosis.
7. Alkaloids. Have a positive effect on the nervous system. They are necessary if a person suffers from neuroses, depressions, subject to frequent stresses.
8. Myrcene. Its action is aimed at suspending the growth of Pseudomonas, E. coli.
9. Azulene. It has regenerating properties.
10. Hypericin. Releases free radicals, due to which the body is rejuvenated. Also promotes the formation of new, healthy cells. There is a negative factor - the substance increases susceptibility to UV.
11. Quercetin and isoquercetin. Narrows blood vessels and has a choleretic effect.
12. Hyperoside. Eliminates allergic reactions, reduces the tone of smooth muscles. Effective in swelling, and eliminates inflammation.
13. Pinens. The substance is used if there are diseases associated with capillaries, as well as vessels.
14. Rutin and Coumarin. Effectively strengthens the walls of blood vessels, prevents the formation of blood clots (thinning the blood).
15. Saponins. Indispensable as the prevention of atherosclerosis, have a mild laxative and diuretic effect.

As we can see, the plant can really fight many pathologies. But it is important to remember that it is advisable to use St. John's wort after consulting a specialist, as well as in clear doses that are specified in the recipes.

Useful properties of tea from St. John's wort

St. John's wort is a plant that can be found in many medicines due to the fact that it has a lot of useful properties for both women and men. But it is important to remember that even before using such medicines, you need to make sure that the person does not have an individual intolerance to this herb.

For women

The use of tea based on this plant has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair, nails, skin. If a woman suffers from acne or skin problems (for example, very oily skin), experts recommend drinking tea based on St. John's wort on a regular basis. As for women's health, it is worth taking a closer look at this plant for such conditions:

1. A pronounced premenstrual syndrome - attacks of aggression, tearfulness.
2. Climax: helps to establish mental balance.
3. Colpitis or vulvaginitis.
4. Hormonal problems.
5. Inflammation of the uterus.
6. Mastitis - St. John's wort helps to get rid of it in the short term, you can apply externally.
7. Uterine bleeding - the herb helps to get rid of them, because it has a styptic, vasoconstrictor action.

Do not forget that the tea is prepared strictly in accordance with the specified proportions. The plant has a weak toxic effect.

For men

If you are worried about erection problems - in this case, you should definitely try to drink tea with St. John's wort, because the herb is considered a natural aphrodisiac. Also, for men, tea will be useful in the following cases:

1. Decreased libido - will help restore sexual desire.
2. Erectile dysfunction is diagnosed - the plant activates blood circulation processes, which provides the blood rush to the pelvic organs.
3. There are inflammatory processes in the urogenital system.
4. Pathology such as prostate inflammation is diagnosed.
5. Frequent stress, rapid fatigue, which leads to a decrease in performance.

Of course, it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor if you are worried about problems in the male part of health. But many reviews indicate that thanks to this herb, you can get rid of many problems. It is also relevant to use it as a prevention.

In pregnancy

Obstetricians-gynecologists argue that women who are in the position, it is not recommended to drink tea on the basis of St. John's wort. This herb has not only therapeutic properties, there are a number of contraindications to its use. Therefore, even drugs that are based on St. John's wort should not be used.

During pregnancy, a woman's hormonal background changes. St. John's wort also affects hormones, so the likelihood of failure to conceive increases.

There may be such negative consequences if St. John's wort is used during pregnancy:

• edema;
• allergies;
• problems in the development of the unborn child;
• heartburn.

To avoid all these phenomena, you should not use St. John's wort for medicinal purposes.

When breastfeeding

With regard to breastfeeding - there are a number of products that a woman can eat, so that the baby does not have allergic reactions. St. John's wort is not included in this range, because it changes the taste of milk, and the baby will not want to take the breast.

For babies

Experts say that it is possible to use this plant for treatment only when the child reaches the age of 12 years. Even in this case, the obligatory consultation of a pediatrician is required beforehand, and infusions and decoctions should be prepared carefully according to a clearly specified recipe. There is a perception that teas based on the plant have the property to treat stomach disorders, skin diseases. Nevertheless, self-medication in this case is unacceptable.

When losing weight

You can lose excess weight by taking St. John's wort in the form of decoctions, teas, tinctures. The weight loss process is carried out due to the fact that this medicinal herb reduces appetite and improves digestion processes. Also the plant has a calming effect - as everyone knows, during weight loss due to the refusal of the usual way of eating a person experiences stress. Thanks to St. John's wort you can improve your general well-being.

One more important point: a sudden change in diet may have a negative impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Get rid of diarrhea, discomfort, bloating will help decoctions with St. John's wort. Below is an effective recipe that can speed up the weight loss process and still feel great:

• 20 g of flowers of the herb;
• 500 ml of vodka.

Pour St. John's wort with vodka, send it to a dark, cool place for 14 days. After the specified time, strain the resulting mixture. Take 30 drops per day, diluted in 100 ml of water.

Tea from St. John's wort in medicine

Interestingly, the plant has healing properties due to the fact that it contains essential oil, carotene and vitamin C. The herb is used in both folk and traditional medicine. Due to the fact that it has a lot of useful properties, you can not only prevent but also cure a lot of diseases.

Experts recommend drinking the tea after meals, if you need to provide an anti-inflammatory effect, prevent constipation and discomfort in the gastrointestinal area.

Scientific medicine suggests using preparations with the addition of St. John's wort orally, if a person suffers from neurosis, insomnia, irritability, excessive emotionality. Also, experts often use tea based on the plant as an astringent, tonic to strengthen the gums.

St. John's wort is used to create herbal antibiotics called imanine and novoimanine. These are medicines that successfully treat ulcers and burns (even severe forms), remove excess fluid from the body. Due to its calming effect, St. John's wort will be effective even in cases of depressive psychosis.

Folk medicine recommends using it for viral diseases, arthritis and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (relieves discomfort). With migraines perfectly helps tea, which is based on St. John's wort. Also folk healers offer their patients to drink teas for liver diseases, pain or urinary incontinence.

Harms and Contraindications

Despite all the benefits of St. John's wort, you need to treat with caution. For example, if you take decoctions or teas based on this plant for a long time, there may be discomfort in the liver area, bitterness in the morning in the mouth. These are clear signs that such treatment should be abandoned for a while.

There are also other nuances, about which it is important to know, if a person has decided to use this healing herb for therapeutic purposes:

1. St. John's wort tends to increase blood pressure, so people with hypertension are not recommended to use it.
2. Due to the fact that the plant can change the hormonal background, it is important for women to consider this factor when taking birth control pills - the effectiveness can be reduced.
3. The herb should not be used in conjunction with antibiotics.
4. If too long to use infusions and decoctions of St. John's wort a man, it can cause problems with potency.
5. Persons who have undergone organ transplants should not use St. John's wort.
6. Do not take the herb people with HIV or AIDS - it reduces the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy.
7. In the elderly, frequent use of St. John's wort can provoke migraines, sleep problems, and anxiety.
8. During therapy, it is best to avoid direct sunlight to avoid unwanted allergic reactions on the skin.
9. Too high a concentration of the plant can cause gastrointestinal pain.

This inconspicuous plant does have a huge range of therapeutic properties. But it is important to remember that everything is useful in moderation, as well as cases where such treatment can only make the situation worse.

When to collect and how to store St. John's wort

This plant is unique, but to achieve a visible effect, it is important to properly collect, dry and store St. John's wort. All parts have medicinal properties, and many experts argue that for maximum effect it is better to apply all together: flowers, stems, leaves. In this regard, it is worth collecting the herb as a whole plant, not individually.

Unpretentious St. John's wort grows everywhere. You can find the plant in meadows, in forests. It is extremely rare to find large shrubs. Before gathering, you must carefully study the area - there should be no industrial enterprises, landfills and roads nearby (the plant tends to absorb all harmful substances).

Since ancient times, the herb was considered magic, so it was collected only on the day of Ivan Kupala - it is timed to coincide with the summer solstice. On this day, August 7, all plants considered magic were gathered. It was believed that then they would be most useful, as nature reaches its prime. If you do not take into account the exact dates, you should collect blooming St. John's wort from the middle of June until August.

Do not damage the roots and cut only one plant whole. Otherwise, you will destroy the St. John's wort and it will not grow in this place anymore.

Let us outline the most important points:

1. Gathering should be done only in environmentally friendly places.
2. The optimal time to collect the herb is from June to August, but St. John's wort must necessarily bloom.
3. It is best to cut only the branches, with a maximum length of 35 cm.
4. The whole bush should not be cut off completely, so that the plant does not die.

In storing St. John's wort, it is also important to observe some nuances. If the bush has dried well - it will be brittle and brittle. Therefore, many recommend putting the bundles in bags of cotton cloth, and then tie them with string.

Another option: chop the grass, break it in small pieces and put it in plastic or glass jars. Store the already dried plant in a dry, dark place. A kitchen cabinet with doors will do. If you properly observe all the storage conditions, the herb will fully possess its medicinal properties for 3 years.

How to Dry

The best option, if you need to preserve as much of its medicinal qualities as possible, is to dry it in the open air, without the use of all kinds of heating devices. To do this, put St. John's wort in bunches (small size), tie them with a rope, hang them with the flowers down. The most important thing is that the plant is not exposed to sunlight. The room must be well ventilated, dry. A barn or attic will do.

There is another method of drying plants. The branches should be carefully placed on paper in a single layer. Periodically, they should be turned over. As a substrate, it is best to use parchment. Do not put St. John's wort on newspaper - the medicinal plant will absorb the paint, it is toxic and can harm the body.

It is convenient to dry the herb in bags-grids. It should be placed in small portions in the bag, and then hang it in a well-ventilated, dark place.

If you choose the natural method, the raw material will be ready in about 20 days. In very dry and hot weather it is cut in half - 10 days will be enough.

As an alternative, some people use an electric dryer. But in this case, it is very important that the temperature mode is respected - no more than 40 degrees. If the electric dryer is not equipped with a thermostat, then from this option will have to give up, because the herb will lose all its useful properties.

How to brew tea from St. John's wort

Let's consider how to conduct the procedure correctly, in order to extract all the useful properties to the maximum.

Prepare in advance a kettle of porcelain. There pour 10 g of crushed herbs, pour 100 ml of boiling water. Insist for 5 minutes, strain. Then dilute the resulting decoction with hot water in a ratio of 1:3. If desired, you can add honey or sugar to the broth. Do not drink tea in a strong form. This can lead to unwanted allergic reactions. Repeated use of the brew is also not allowed. If you wish, St. John's wort can be mixed with various herbs, except mint - otherwise you can harm your kidneys.

Consider a few more variations of teas if you have health problems:

1. Colds. You will need 1 tsp. of St. John's wort, 1 tsp. sage, 1 tsp. oregano, 0.5 tsp. thyme, 0.5 tsp. eucalyptus. All mixed. Add the mixture of herbs to black tea and cook as an ordinary drink.
2. Pain in the epigastric region. In equal proportions, mix St. John's wort, nettle, and meadowsweet. 8 Tbsp. of the resulting mixture pour a liter of boiling water, to insist for an hour.
3. At menopause (if a woman suffers from neurosis on this background). In equal proportions mix St. John's wort, melissa, hops. 2 tsp of the mixture dilute 250 ml of boiling water. In a day to get positive results, it will be enough to drink 130 ml of the resulting drink.
4. Diseases of the liver. Mix in equal amounts of St. John's wort, chicory, yarrow, horsetail. 1 tbsp. mixture pour a glass of boiling water. Infuse for 30 minutes.
5. Gastritis and prevention of GI diseases. In equal amounts need St. John's wort, nettle, meadowsweet. 6 tsp. mixture pour 250 ml of boiling water, to insist for 20 minutes.
6. Cystitis, pyelonephritis. St. John's wort, linden, calendula, licorice, chamomile - all herbs to take in equal amounts. A glass of boiling water will need 1 tbsp. mixture. Take 1 ml 3 times a day before meals.

How to prepare an oil, decoction, tincture of St. John's wort

Of course, the preparation of tea on the basis of this medicinal plant is the easiest option. But not only teas are popular among fans of homeopathy, there are still many variations of cooking healing mixtures with the addition of St. John's wort. Consider them in detail.

Aqueous tincture

It is used for hyperacidity, gastritis, cystitis. Prepare it as follows: 30 g of dried herbs pour a glass of boiling water. Insist 4 hours in a dark place. After filtering, put in a cold place. Take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day before a meal.

Decoction

Pour 60 grams of St. John's wort 250 ml of boiling water for about 1 hour to simmer on a water bath or over low heat. After the decoction has cooled, strain. Take with cystitis, gastritis, stomatitis. It is also recommended to use as a prophylactic for intestinal infections and other gastrointestinal diseases. You can cure and maxillary sinusitis - rinse the sinuses with the decoction 3 times a day. It is also worth preparing a concentrated decoction for the treatment of alcohol addiction. The method of preparation is as follows: take 5 tbsp. dried St. John's wort, infuse 500 ml of boiling water. Take 3 tbsp. twice a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2 weeks, if necessary, it is prolonged. Before starting therapy, it is advisable to consult a doctor to make sure that the patient has no individual intolerance to the plant.

Tincture

Prepare on the basis of alcohol or vodka. The recipe is as follows: 1 part of the medicinal herb and 7 parts of vodka mix, leave in a dark cool place for 4 days. Before using be sure to dilute with water - 1 tbsp. 50 ml of water. You can rinse your mouth, make warming compresses. This is an excellent remedy for people who often suffer from colds.

Oil .

Also an effective remedy, which is suitable for rubbing, cosmetic purposes (nails, skin, hair). To prepare the product, it is necessary to infuse St. John's wort with any of the vegetable oils - olive oil is best. Important: it is necessary to use the raw material only in fresh form. Consider several ways to prepare oil on the basis of this medicinal plant.

1. From the flowers. Put them tightly in a jar, pour refined olive oil. Cork and put in the sun. Infuse for a month, while it is important to stir the mixture regularly. After squeezing twice, pour into a bottle.
2. From the herb. Fine fresh grass St. John's wort in an amount of 0.5 kg pour any refined sunflower oil (1 liter). Add 0.5 liters of dry white wine, stir. Pour mixture into a jar, cover. Keep it for 3 days. Next, let the mixture sit in a water bath for 2 hours, again cover the jar and leave it for 3 weeks. At the end of time, strain. Store in the refrigerator.

Interesting facts about St. John's wort

At first glance - this is an ordinary, unremarkable herb. In fact, everything is not so simple, about this plant you can tell a lot of fascinating things, about which no one even guesses.

In total, there are about 500 species of St. John's wort in the world. To get the most out of the herb, it is harvested only when its buds have budded. Another name for the plant is bloodwort. This is due to the fact that if the herb is rubbed between the palms of your hands, it takes on a red color.

There is a popular belief that the plant can cure 99 ailments, and many believe that it is able to rid a person of magic, evil spirits. Previously, only herbalists were allowed to collect the plant - only they knew where to look for St. John's wort and how to cut it. Young girls were sure that if you drink a drink with the addition of grass, you can quickly and successfully marry. Even at home they used to fume with St. John's wort, accompanied by a prayer to protect their homes from evil spirits.

Interestingly, the plant is also valued in the field of cosmetology. St. John's wort helps get rid of excessive fatness of the skin, acne, various rashes. Its use is simple: freeze the decoction of St. John's wort in the form of cubes and wipe your face every morning. Regular use of the plant helps to strengthen the nails and hair. The oil of St. John's wort will be useful when taking a bath: just a couple of drops will soothe and refresh a tired body.

But this is not all of these interesting facts:

1. St. John's wort extract has a powerful sedative effect, so it is added to many medications for depression.
2. If a person has an anxiety disorder - the plant will have the same effect as many pharmacological drugs belonging to the group of antidepressants.
3. Many medicines that are recommended for women during menopause, as well as PMS, contain this healing herb.
4. The plant is excellent against migraines and chronic fatigue. Another scientifically proven fact: St. John's wort is used as a tool that facilitates the treatment of drug addiction.
5. If you compare the preparations based on Hypericum with traditional drugs - the first almost no side effects and are not addictive.

As we can see, St. John's wort - a truly amazing plant, despite its unremarkable appearance. The main thing - remember: everything is important in moderation. Be healthy!

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