St. John's Wort, a medicinal remedy for depression and sleep disorders

Depression, weariness, sleep disorders and anxiety... this is a list of symptoms that affects a large proportion of the population, especially during the winter months. To restore mental calm and joie de vivre, some people turn to natural medicine, particularly herbal medicine. Among the plant kingdom is St. John's Wort, a plant widely studied for its mood-enhancing benefits.

St John's wort: medicinal plant

Visit St John's wort, hypericum perforatum, is a perennial member of the Hypericaceae family, widespread in Europe and North America. The yellow, five-petaled flowers are harvested during the flowering period, between June and September, for drying or direct processing. ¹

The flowers are then used to make macerated oil, herbal tea, decoction or mother tincture. These methods extract the plant's medicinal components to create therapeutic remedies. The hypericin and hyperforin molecules present in St. John's wort are the most widely studied for their therapeutic effects on mood. ¹

St John's Wort: therapeutic uses

Visit St John's Wort has been used for thousands of years for mild depression. Well-known to indigenous peoples, some called it the demon-hunting plant for its mood-enhancing and depressive effects.

In the '90s, German physicists were prescribing eight times as much St John's wort than prozac for mild to moderate depression. At the end of the century, some American media popularized the medicinal use of St. John's Wort. St John's Wort. As a result, the plant rapidly gained in popularity, bringing with it the rebirth of the herbalism movement - the preparation of remedies from medicinal plants. ²

To this day St. John's wort remains the most studied natural antidepressant. More than 30 double-blind scientific studies involving no fewer than 2,200 guinea pigs have demonstrated that St. John's Wort is a natural antidepressant. St John's Wort is an excellent treatment choice for mild to moderate depression. Compared with Zoloft, St. John's Wort confers more benefits on the depressive state while limiting side effects. ^3,4,5

Thus, the use of St John's Wort is recommended for mild to moderate and even transient depressive symptoms. Taking St John's Wort orally helps counteract the lassitude, apathy, sleep disturbance and anxiety associated with depressive disorders. ¹

Hypericin (the therapeutic molecule of St John's Wort) continues to be studied and implemented in various holistic care protocols. Among the benefits studied is the relief of hormonal hot flashes. In fact, taking St John's Wort during menopause reduces episodes of hot flushes. Visit St John's Wort also eases the transition to menopause by reducing the mood swings associated with this period of hormonal change. This suggests that St John's Wort may also act as a mood stabilizer for women suffering from premenstrual syndrome. ^6,7

For the best mood benefits, the St. John's wort must be part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, good sleep hygiene and a positive attitude to life. Visit St John's Wort is an invaluable aid when used as part of a holistic approach to treatment. The key is to use a quality product that offers a maximum number of therapeutic molecules. ²

St John's Wort tincture: for maximum therapeutic effect

Mother tincture is a liquid concentrate in which the medicinal properties of plants are preserved in alcohol or glycerine. It is the most potent way of consuming plants orally.

In Quebec, certified organic farmers Clef des Champs grows and bottles St John's wort in extensive gardens in Val-David. In the heart of this medicinal garden grows St. John's wort adapted to the harshness of the Laurentian climate. After harvesting, the St John's wort is processed using traditional methods to create a vigorous mother tincture in which the plant offers the maximum of its medicinal properties.

The tincture of St. John's wort tincture is then used to counter nervousness and agitation, while stabilizing mood and sleep disorders.

Warning:

The majority of pharmaceutical drugs are incompatible with St. John's wort. This is the case with oral contraceptives, sedatives, antidepressants, migraine medications, anticoagulants, immunosuppressants and hydrocortisone. Be sure to talk to your pharmacist before taking any herbal medicine that includes St. John's Wort.

Some studies have shown that the consumption of St. John's wort makes the skin more prone to sunburn. Although this effect is generally not present when used in low doses, people with fair, sensitive skin should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun during a St. John's Wort treatment protocol.

Pregnant or breast-feeding women should not take St. John's Wort. St. John's Wort internally.

This winter, don't succumb to symptoms of depression, lassitude and anxiety. Meet our consultants at any La Boîte à Grains store to learn more about the benefits of St. John's Wort. St. John's Wort or store directly on our online store for quality organic St John's Wort.

We wish you good health!

About the author

Naturopaths of La Boite à Grains

Team of licensed and certified naturopaths (ND) in Gatineau, Outaouais.

Original article written by Véronique Cousineau

 

Sources

1: DUMENAT Phytotherapy teaching team, Faculty of Medicine Paris-XIII, Bobigny (2003). St. John's wort. Hypericum perforatum. Les médecines de la nature - 200 plantes pour se soigner. (Adapted from Health through plants). (p. 160). Canada, Montreal: Sélection du Reader's Digest.

2: Murray Michael T., Pizzorno Joseph. NY 2012. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Third Edition.

3: Hypericum Depression Trial Study Group. Effect of Hypericum perforatum in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002;287)1807-1814)

4: Gastpar M, Singer A, ZellerK. Efficacy and tolerability of hypericum extract STW3 in long-term treatment with a once-daily dosage in comparison with sertraline. Pharmaco-psychiatry 2005;38(2):78-86

5: Szegedi A, Kohnen R, Dienel A, kieserM. Cute treatment of moderate to severe depression with hypericum extract WS 5570 (St John's wort): randomised controlled double-blind non-inferiority trial versus paroxetine. BMJ 2005;330(7490)503

6: Chung D, Kim H, Park K, et al. Black cohosh and S. John's wort (GYNO-Plus) for climacteric symptoms. Yonsei Medical Journal 2007;48(2)289-294

7: Van Die M, Bone K, Burger h, et al. Effects of a combination of Hypericum perforatum and Vitex angus-castus on PMS-like symptoms in late-peri-menopausal women: findings form a subpopulation analysis. The journal of Alternative and Complementary Medeicine 2009;15(9):1045-1048