Home » Herbs » 3 Powerful Health Benefits Of St John’s Wort

3 Powerful Health Benefits Of St John’s Wort

St John’s wort is a native European plant that also survives in other climates and can be found in North America, Europe and Asia. It is a flowering plant and it is the flowers which are harvested, dried and then used to make many herbal supplements and products.

The name comes from the early days when the flowers peaked during the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, and thus the name eventually evolved into St John’s wort. There are many excellent health benefits of St John’s wort that make it a great herb to use.

St John’s wort for depression

The most common use of the herb is to treat depression and other brain issues. It has a long tradition of being an aide to mental health problems and has been extensively studied in this area. A 2011 article by the University of Maryland Medical Center reports that studies have backed the notion of this herb being a good cure for depression. The article notes that St John’s wort “seems to work as well as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors”, which are often prescribed by doctors these days.

But the great thing about St John’s wort is that it doesn’t have the same negative side effects, such as loss of libido, that a lot of other medical antidepressants have. This way, the benefits of St John’s wort on depression can be enjoyed in a relatively safe manner.

St John’s wort has good amounts of various chemicals and flavonoids that seem to help it treat depression. It isn’t completely known how St John’s wort helps brain function, but the article notes that it seems to be able to enhance the availability and function of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It is these chemicals that play an important role in regulating a person’s mood.

A 1997 Mother Earth Living article recommends that you can use St John’s wort to treat depression by drinking the herbal tea. You should drink around two cups of this herbal tea every day for several weeks to notice positive improvement in your mood. You can also use tablets or extracts of this herb. The article notes that it will take a few weeks for it to start working, and the benefits of St John’s wort won’t necessarily increase if you take more than the recommended amount.

Pages: 1 2