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St. John’s wort: benefits and applications. Video
St. John’s wort is a popular medicinal plant that has proven its value over several centuries and thus deserves sincere love. The useful qualities of St. John’s wort have long been known not only to the Russian people, but also to the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and Rome.
St. John’s wort: benefits and uses
The chemical composition of St. John’s wort
The flowers and green parts of this plant contain flavonoids, essential oils, tannins and resinous substances, hypericin, ascorbic and niacin, vitamins P, PP, carotene, choline, saponins and other components that have a bactericidal effect. St. John’s wort is rich in macro- and microelements necessary for the human body: potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chromium, cobalt, selenium, nickel, boron and lead.
Useful properties of St. John’s wort
St. John’s wort has truly unlimited pharmacological properties – hemostatic, astringent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, wound healing, antihelminthic, choleretic and diuretic. The benefits of this magnificent herb are invaluable for the nervous system, which is why its use as a natural antidepressant is very useful.
St. John’s wort will also help when it is necessary to concentrate, but for one reason or another it cannot be done.
St. John’s wort tea helps to calm down, stimulate the secretion of various glands, increase appetite, start the process of tissue regeneration, relieve menstruation and menopause. This plant can be taken in the form of a decoction, medicinal tea, tincture, extract, and St. John’s wort is also included in many medicines. In cosmetology, St. John’s wort is used to cleanse oily and combination skin, get rid of acne and age spots, narrow pores, moisturize and nourish the skin.
To relieve symptoms of skin diseases and allergies, St. John’s wort can be added to baths
Contraindications to the use of St. John’s wort
In addition to a wide range of beneficial qualities, St. John’s wort can also be harmful. This plant has the property of concentrating cadmium in itself – an element that cannot be called useful. If St. John’s wort was gathered along roads or in ecologically unfavorable areas, the cadmium content in it is most likely very high, which means that such a plant can harm health instead of benefit.
Before using infusions, decoctions or teas based on St. John’s wort, be sure to consult with a specialist. Also, you can not use this plant for medicinal purposes for people suffering from high blood pressure. This is due to the fact that St. John’s wort is able to raise the pressure even more, which can provoke a hypertensive crisis. In addition, pregnant and lactating women, as well as adolescents and the elderly, need to give up the use of this plant.
It is also interesting to read: the medicinal properties of barberry.