St John's Wort Extract

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St John's wort, Hypericum perforatum, aerial buds and leaf extract 1:1 (1gm of dry herb used per 1 ml if menstruum)

History and Traditional Use: St. John's wort's association with mood disturbance and the nervous system has a long historical precedence: medical use was documented by ancient Greek medical herbalists, including Hippocrates, who recommended it for “nervous unrest;” by Dioscorides, and Galen, for nerve pain; it is also used in Ayurvedic medicine.The aerial flowering parts have been used in traditional European medicine for centuries internally to treat neuralgia, anxiety, neurosis, and depression.The Eclectics used it internally to treat spinal injury pain, hysteria, and nervous affections with depression, and externally for pain, bruises, sprains. 

Evidence and clinical research: A number of studies have revealed that St. John's wort has a series of bioactive compounds with effects on a number of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and GABA The major focus of contemporary investigation has been on St. John's wort's antidepressant activity, for which there is now considerable evidence. Other studies have shown possible effectiveness in reducing alcohol cravings and treating anxiety, PMS, stress, learning and memory, chronic fatigue syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition, other documented activities include antiviral and antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects.

Chemistry: Hypericum extracts have been chemically characterized and 150 different compounds have been identified. The table below lists some of the ones which have been recognized to cause a particular pharmacological action. However, the exact mechanisms of action and the role of all all ingredients together are complex and largely unknown.

Table 45.1. Pharmacologically Active Substances in Hypericum perforatum

Adapted from Butterweck and Schmidt (2007), Linde (2009), and Greeson et al. (2001).

Recommended dose: 1-2ml (20-40 drops) three times a day before meals.

Warning: Although St John's wort has been now proven to contain active constituents with beneficial effects on mood and nervous tension, viral infections and in some cases of pain, there has been some uunwanted effects following use, such as phototoxicity and effects on the metabolism of some important drugs and supplements. It also interacts with tryptophan and some other antidepressants(SSRIs), oral contraceptives, warfarin, anticonvulsant and other drugs. Do not take concominantly with other drugs or supplements without consulting your doctor or pharmacist. 

References: 

1. PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME: NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS, F. Ford, in Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition), 2003 - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/hypericum-extract

2.  Medical Attributes of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)Kenneth M. Klemow, Andrew Bartlow, Justin Crawford, Neil Kocher, Jay Shah, and Michael Ritsick  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92750/

3. Agostinis P, Vantieghem A, Merlevede W, de Witte P. A. M. Hypericin in cancer treatment: More light on the way. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2002;34:221–41. [PubMed]

4. American Academy of Family Physicians. 2000. http://familydoctor.org/handouts/012.html “Antidepressants: Medicine for Depression.”. (accessed November 18, 2010)

5. Barnes J, Anderson L. A, Phillipson J. D. St. John's wort (Hypericumperforatum L.): A review of its chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical properties. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2001;53:583–600. [PubMed]

6. Bombardelli E, Morazzoni P. Hypericum perforatum. Fitoterapia. 1995;66:43–68.

Warning: Herbal extracts may interact with other therapeutic substances, or be contraindicated in certain conditions, and as a general rule are not recommended for use by children, in pregnancy and lactation, or if you are on certain prescription medications.If wondering if any of our herbal products may be of benefit to you, please complete and submit this form and get in touch by phone or email.

Disclaimer: The statements provided on this website are based on the recorded traditional use of herbs in general and should not be viewed as therapeutic claims for the herbal teas, extracts, and blends on offer. We provide this information for educational purposes to our customers and fans of herbal and natural medicine because we believe it is important to stay connected to our roots and maintain and spread the human knowledge accumulated over centuries of traditional healing. Our herbal blends are custom made in accordance with your needs and not tested for efficacy or listed on the register of therapeutic goods.

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