Nature generously gives people dozens of useful plants. Among them, it is very popular among folk doctors and in official medicine, St. John's wort. This modest-looking, one can say, inconspicuous weed can help with dozens of ailments. People have known about its amazing properties for more than a thousand years. St. John's wort used Hippocrates for his potions. They healed diseases of the stomach, joints, nervous disorders. The great Avicenna recommended applying leaflets of this miraculous herb to wounds, drinking teas from it with rheumatism, coughing, and consumption. We used St. John's wort spotted in Russia, and in China, and in Europe. Modern doctors in America, Germany and Australia conducted testing on volunteers who were offered to use only St. John's wort extracts to treat their diseases. Positive results were obtained in 87-90% of cases. So what kind of grass is this, spotted St. John's wort? Why is she called that? What helps?
Etymology of the name
St. John's wort is a plant called only in Russia. In the scientific world, his name is Hypericum maculatum. Previously, our ancestors believed that a modest weed of St. John's wort can help with 100 different ailments, including treating animals. To enhance their fertility and improve health, they were even added to St. John's wort in the diet. But this plant has one feature - it increases the sensitivity of the skin to solar ultraviolet. That is, they could not feed animals with white hair. From this, wounds appeared on their skin, and the animal died. Hence the name "St. John's wort." But in some regions of Russia this plant is called bloody (because red juice is secreted from damaged stems), rabbit blood, twig, red grass.
Where is it growing?
Hypericum spotted is very widespread. You can meet him practically throughout Europe, except for its most northern regions. In Russia, he feels great from Kaliningrad to the Trans-Urals. You can see it in the southern regions of Siberia. St. John's wort loves sunny glades, so it grows in meadows, on the edges of the forest, can climb mountains, but not high, up to a maximum of 1000 meters, it also occurs along the shores of water bodies. But in dense thickets and in swamps it is impossible to meet him - he cannot grow in dense shade and where there is high humidity.
Description of Hypericum spotted
This modest plant does not grow very lush bushes. In height, it is able to stretch 70 cm, but there are also specimens no more than 20 cm high. Its stem is quite rigid, erect, closer to the ground - solitary, but from about the middle of its height has multiple branches. The color of the stem can be brownish-red, and in young plants - green. Hypericum leaves are small, sessile, whole-edge (without denticles), have an elongated shape. Throughout the leaf blade, and it can be up to 3 cm long, there are glands in the form of tiny dark spots. From here this species got its name.
The root of St. John's wort is thin, long, creeping, with numerous, thinner root processes. This plant belongs to the group of perennials. In autumn, its ground part dies, and the root remains to winter. In the spring, young plants grow again from the buds on it.
Flowers
Spotted Hypericum is a member of the family of Hypericum, in which there are 458 species. In many of them, the flowers are almost identical, and the differences lie in other parts of the plant. The formula of the St. John's wort flower is somewhat complicated and looks like this: ♀♂ * Ч (5) Л5Т (∞) + (∞) + (∞) П (3). Only specialists in the field of botany can interpret it. It is important for all other people to know that the flowers in this plant have a yellow-golden, sometimes orangeish color. Before withering, the petals become brownish. St. John's wort forms very loose inflorescences in the form of small panicles, located on the tops of all the stems extending from the central stem. Each flower has 5 petals and a lot of stamens (up to 60 pieces). The diameter of such a flower is only 3 cm or less. A photo of Hypericum spotted best gives an idea of what it looks like. This plant blooms in late June, and blooms in early September. In autumn, fruits appear on it - dark brown capsules, inside of which there are very small seeds.
Differences from Hypericum perforatum
In the family of St. John's wort there is another well-known medicinal plant called "Hypericum perforatum". It is also common throughout almost all of Europe and in many regions of Russia, and is also widely used to treat diseases. Some people are interested in what are the differences between St. John's wort spotted and perforated. I must say that there is no significant difference in their appearance. It is difficult for an ordinary person (not a botanist) to notice it. You can distinguish these plants by such signs:
- Height. Perforated St. John's wort is able to stretch up to 1 meter, so its stem is a bit more powerful than that of a spotted St. John's wort.
- Flowers. At the spotted, they have tiny dark dots on the petals.
- Stem. In both plants, it is tetrahedral, but in the spotted St. John's wort, all faces are the same, and in the perforated two of them are slightly protruding.
Chemical composition
The medicinal properties of St. John's wort are determined by its chemical composition. In its ground parts were found:
- essential oils;
- saponins;
- beta-sitosterol (a very useful substance that can slow down the growth of a prostate tumor and reduce "bad" cholesterol);
- flavonoids (8%);
- anthraquinones (these substances have wound healing and antiseptic properties);
- tannins (13%);
- vitamins C, E, P, PP;
- hyperforin (antidepressant);
- hypericin (helps the synthesis of dopamine - a hormone of the neurotransmitter);
- amentoflavone (antidepressant);
- routine;
- quercetin and its derivatives;
- trace elements.
What helps?
St. John's wort is used by both traditional healers and official medicine. Pharmaceutical companies even produce a drug called “St. John's wort”. It is available in brown capsules. It is attributed to depression, nervous disorders, insomnia.
In folk medicine, this weed is used in the treatment of such ailments:
- enterocolitis;
- gastritis;
- diarrhea;
- stomach ulcer;
- cholecystitis;
- hemorrhoids;
- colds;
- stomatitis;
- gingivitis;
- bronchitis;
- rhinitis and sinusitis (prepare a solution for washing the sinuses of the nose);
- as rubbing for rheumatism, back pain, legs, arms, with radiculitis;
- in cosmetology.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that St. John's wort helps with dozens of ailments, not everyone can take drugs from it. The fact is that this plant is the strongest adsorbent. It is able to adsorb other drugs taken in parallel with it, thereby reducing or nullifying their effect. Cases are known when organ transplantation was rejected by the body precisely because of the use of St. John's wort preparations, since it depressed the action of drugs that reduce immunity. As a result, the human immune system began to produce antibodies against a foreign organ transplanted into the body.
Preparations from spotted St. John's wort should never be used by people taking the following medicines:
- immunosuppressants (Daclizum, Azathioprine);
- antidepressants (Citalopram, Prozac, Panuramin and other SSRIs);
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors ("Befol", "Fenelzin", "Metralindol" and others).
Pregnant and young children need a doctor's consultation before taking St. John's wort.
Side effects
With an overdose of St. John's wort, unpleasant reactions may appear. Among them:
- nausea;
- headache;
- diarrhea;
- allergic rash;
- vomiting
- unexplained anxiety;
- insomnia;
- spots and rash from exposure to the sun (photosensitivity).
Some tips on how to take
With St. John's wort, soothing herbal teas can be brewed. They are prepared according to general rules - a pinch of grass (dried or fresh) is poured with boiling water and allowed to infuse. The exact proportions do not exist, but the finished product should be a faint reddish with brown notes. If the tea turned out to be more concentrated, it can simply be diluted with water. You can take such a tasty medicine with honey. Tea will help calm the nervous system and fall asleep, remove anxiety, and improve digestion. To St. John's wort, you can add mint, thyme, chamomile to tea.
For medicinal purposes, decoctions, infusions, alcohol tinctures, oil are prepared from St. John's wort.
Infusions and decoctions are used internally with the above ailments. Alcohol tincture is used both inside (drop by drop) and externally for compresses, rubbing. St. John's wort oil helps with various skin problems. They just cook it. Collect St. John's wort (ground part), wash, chop, place in a glass jar and pour vegetable oil. Allow to infuse for two weeks, after which they are placed in the refrigerator.
