St. John's wort contains a number of biologically active substances: flavonoids, photoactive anthracene derivatives, tannins (10-12%), essential oil, choline, organic acids, saponins, vitamins C, E, P, trace elements (silver, copper, manganese, zinc) .
Active St. John's wort flavonoids are able to relieve spasms of smooth muscles of the intestine, bile ducts, blood vessels and ureters, and can improve the ability of the gastrointestinal tract to digest food, inhibit bile stagnation and stone formation. Contained in the plant tannins are easy astringent and anti-inflammatory, have antimicrobial activity. In addition, it is known that St. John's wort has disinfectant, antiviral, wound-healing, hepatoprotective, diuretic, antioxidant, antitumor, tonic and restorative.
How to prepare St. John's wort
Collect the St. John's wort during while it blooms, gently cutting the upper parts of the stems by 15-20 cm. Dry the grass in a room with a good influx of air. St. John's wort in fresh and dried form produces a weak balsamic odor and has a bitterish resinous taste. It is important to know that when collecting St. John's wort, it should not be torn from its roots, but large plants should be left as seeds. Only with this condition can you save this useful plant.
Modern herbalists highly appreciate the medicinal properties of St. John's wort. So, MA Nosal wrote: "This is the most effective medicinal plant among all known to man. In all our flora there is no plant in its properties similar to St. John's wort. " The modern pharmaceutical industry produces the herb of St. John's wort in cardboard bundles and briquettes, tincture of St. John's wort, as well as the St. John's wort called Imain, which is used to rinse the mouth, throat, and also inside with colds and flu.
St. John's Wort - medicine application
To prepare the herb of St. John's wort, 10 g of dry grass (1, 5 tablespoons) should be poured a glass of boiled hot water, heated in pairs of water bath for half an hour. After that, cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, strain, squeeze out the raw materials. Then the volume of the resulting broth should be brought boiled with cool water to 200 ml. The broth should be taken inside with diseases of the digestive tract in half a cup 3 times a day for half an hour before meals.
The use of St. John's wort is recognized in medicine as a mixture with other medicinal plants during the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines, as anti-inflammatory and wound-healing in gastritis, colitis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. It is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, female diseases, joints, skin diseases, heart disease, tachycardia, hypotension. To eliminate problems with the kidneys and bladder, St. John's wort is used in folk medicine as an antiseptic and stone crushing agent.
In clinical trials, positive results were obtained using St. John's wort perforated in the complex treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, dysbacteriosis, as well as as an anticonvulsant, hepatopoietic and immunomodulating agent.
Fresh St. John's wort can be used as a salad in early spring for the so-called spring therapy. In the summer, it is suitable as a spice, especially for fish dishes.
Infusion of herb St. John's wort is used for incontinence: a glass of infusion (a teaspoon of raw material for 200ml of water) is drunk no later than 5 pm.
Antitumor properties of St. John's wort were also pointed out by Avicenna, who characterized his nature as "hot and dry". Avicenna gives St. John's wort the properties of dilators, opening plugging, diluting, dissolving. In modern phyto-oncology, St. John's wort and its use in medicine is common in cancer of the stomach, liver, ovaries, for the treatment of malignant ulcers. In addition, St. John's wort is used to treat depression of cancer patients, which is an important moment for maintaining the mental status of the patient at the proper level and contributes to a speedy recovery. 10% tincture of St. John's wort for the treatment of depression is used for 20-30 drops three times a day before meals.
Contraindications
In patients with gastritis with high acidity or a stomach ulcer during the application of a strong extract from St. John's wort, they may encounter severe spasms and pain in the intestine. Since St. John's wort can increase the sensitivity of the skin to the effects of ultraviolet rays, after taking St. John's wort, one should refrain from staying in the sun. If you ignore this rule, the St. John's wort can cause dermatitis and even a burn, which is especially difficult for people with sensitive skin.
Healing teas with St. John's wort
From the herb of St. John's wort, tea and many other drinks can be made that have a positive and curative effect on the organs and tissues.
St. John's wort tea
It is necessary to mix a glass of finely chopped dried St. John's wort, 2, 5 glasses of oregano, 0, 5 cups of rose hips. All this must be thoroughly mixed and used as a tea brew.
St. John's wort with currant leaf
The herb St. John's wort and currant leaves need to be ground, mixed in equal parts and used as a tea leaves.
St. John's wort with cranberry
To prepare this drink, prepare 1 glass of dried St. John's wort, 1 cup of cranberry, 1 glass of sugar. St. John's wort needs to boil in 2 liters of water, cool it. Then squeeze the juice from the cranberry berries, and boil the mash in 2 cups of water. Combine a strained broth of meats and St. John's wort with cranberries, add the sugar, mix, cool and stand for 10-12 hours.