St John's Wort Information, History, and more

This article covers some basic St John's Wort information as well as a little on the history of use of the St John's Wort plant.

According to Greek history, St John's Wort was used to chase away evil spirits. However, over several hundred years, what is becoming abundantly clear is that using St John's Wort for depression treatment is highly effective.

Besides depression, St John's Wort anxiety treatment has also gained tremendous popularity. In most parts of the world, St John's Wort has been an effective medicinal herb used to cure kidney problems, digestive tract ailments, viral diseases, and infections of various sorts.

According to St John's Wort information from folk medicine and ancient herbalists, St John's Wort worked well as a sedative and also provided pain relief. Hence, St John's Wort has been used to treat certain neuralgias, rheumatic pain, and menstrual cramps. Documented St John's Wort information and history also indicates that St John's Wort has worked well in treating alcoholism and various other skin disorders.

St John's Wort is popularly known by various names like Johnswort, Rosin Rose, Klamath Weed, Amber, Touch-and-heal, Hardhay, as well as Tipton. Because of its innate ability to treat mild forms of depression, it also came to be known as "Nature's Prozac".

Since it gained popularity as an antidepressant and was used to elevate moods, St John's Wort was thought to be effective in treating conditions like ADHD in children and adults. But recent studies and research do not support this claim and do not recommend that this herb be used for children with ADHD.

The botanical name for the St John's Wort plant is Hypericum perforatum and it is very popular in its use as a medicinal herb for over centuries now. The herb grows to about three feet in height and bears yellow-colored flowers. It is found in parts of North America and Europe and in both places it is famous for its antidepressant qualities.

The flowers and stem of St John's Wort are used in the preparation of yellow and red colored dyes.

The various products of St John's Wort like tea bags, tinctures, and capsules, etc, are inexpensive but are not marketed as antidepressants; instead, they are available in the market as dietary supplements.

Here, the big question that crosses everyone's mind is, does St John's Wort work? Well, it is an established fact that St John's Wort contains two very important chemical substances called hypericin and pseudohypericin, which have anti-depressive and antiviral properties. Hence, St John's Wort and depression have been closely associated for over several hundred years. Also, when compared to all other herbs, St John's Wort stands out for its qualities of treating depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

One important piece of St John's Wort information to note - while St John's Wort is not a prescribed medication for depression in the United States, it is in fact a prescribed medication for treating depression in parts of Europe. That is already a clear indication and answer to the question, "does St John's Wort work?"

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St John's Wort Pages | St John's Wort Information, History, and more | St John's Wort Dosage, Methods of Use and Preparation | Benefits of St John's Wort For Depression, Anxiety and other Ailments | Does St John's Wort Work? - Information on Research and Studies | St John's Wort Side Effects, Caution and Contradictions

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