St. John's wort in folk medicine has a special place. It is used both independently and as part of various fees. To preparations of St. John's wort was effective enough, St. John's wort to properly collect and store.

That is part of the St. John's wort

The composition of St. John's wort include many biologically active substances have a significant, but the mild effect on the human body. This flavonoids (hyperoside, rutin, kvertsitrin, izokvertsitrin, quercetin), fluorescent, color and tannins, carotene, hypericin, essential oil Essential oils and conception: can help the roses? Resins, nicotinic and ascorbic acid, vitamin E and PP, choline, anthocyanins, saponins, alcohols, alkaloids and other trace compounds.

This determines the diversity of the St. John's wort and its broad impact on the human body.

St. John's Wort - when to collect medicinal raw materials

Medical raw material is a herb St. John's wort, collected at the beginning of flowering - at this time in the grass contains the maximum number of biologically active substances. Cut off the top young flowering shoots, leafy at least half the height of the plants. If you cut the grass properly, then it can be harvested twice a year, since the cut plants grow and bloom a second time.

Gather the herb St. John's wort in the dry serene days - wet plants rot quickly, they are more difficult to dry. When gathering should pay attention to the condition of the plant: it should not be dusty, sluggish and sick. You are going to need as much grass as possible to dry at once.

The collected grass should be dried as soon as possible. With proper drying can save the maximum amount of biologically active substances with medicinal properties. Improper drying can also completely deprive the grass of medicinal properties. St. John's wort grass dried in special dryers, canopies, which is the natural movement of air. Near the dryer should not be a source of the smell - the grass perfectly absorbs them. Herb St. John's wort is best to hang small bunches drying on a clothesline stretched, and then dosushit decomposition. Dried herbs are stored in linen bags with clean dry, cool place.

How to cook the drug of St. John's wort

Brewing St. John's wort? Because St. John's wort extracts are prepared for internal and external use, tincture for oral administration, as well as oil, which is used externally and locally:

• St. John's Wort tincture for oral administration: a tablespoon of chopped dry grass Hypericum pour 1, 5 cups of boiling water, leave for an hour, drain, squeeze and take throughout the day;
• St. John's Wort tincture for external and local application of preparing the same, but a greater concentration of 2-3 tablespoons of raw materials to the two cups of boiling water;
• decoction of St. John's wort - 1, 5 tablespoons herb St. John's wort is placed in an enamel bowl, pour 200 ml of hot boiled water, close lid and heated in a water bath Sauna and health: the benefits and harms of bath procedures   for half an hour, cool, strain, squeeze, pour boiling water to its original level; with the same infusion preparing a bath with St. John's wort St. John's wort and its beneficial properties - whether a miracle? ;
• St. John's wort tincture is prepared from the calculation of 1:10 at 70% alcohol;
• tea from taking St. John's wort as a fortifying agent, brew it at the rate of teaspoon per cup of boiling water the grass.

St. John's wort extract is an active substance of medicines that can be bought at a pharmacy. Most often used for therapeutic purposes in the St. John's Wort tablets.

Also produced medicines for external and local application based on St. John's wort - imanin and novoimanin.

How to take St. John's wort

Decoctions and infusions Hypericum oral taking half an hour before a meal in the form of heat-thirds cup 3 times a day for 30 minutes before eating. St. John's Wort tincture take 30 - 50 drops to one-third of a cup of water inside three times a day. The same solution can be used for rinsing the mouth and throat. Tea from St. John's wort can drink a glass a day for a long time.

Infusions and decoctions of St. John's wort for external and topical use in the form of douches, gynecological tampons How to use sanitary pad - basic precautions , Wash wounds and ulcers.

St. John's Wort Oil is an excellent tool for the home kit, which can be used for wounds and scrapes instead of iodine and green fodder, as well as burns.

Galina Romanenko

St. John's Wort - a herb, which found the widest application in various diseases. Decoctions and infusions are used inside the St. John's wort, topically and locally. In folk medicine, it is used in diseases of the digestive system, nervousness, depression, atherosclerosis and many other diseases. But, nevertheless, Hypericum has contraindications and can not be ignored.

The herb St. John's wort

St. John's Wort - a common plant. In total there are more than a hundred species of this plant. The most common species in our country, St. John's wort - a common St. John's wort (wort) and St. John's wort tetrahedral. There are also spotted St. John's wort, Hypericum chashechkovy, stone St. John's wort, Hypericum shrub, odorless St. John's wort, Hypericum decorative. As the herb St. John's wort is used mainly St. John's wort, Hypericum tetrahedral but also has medicinal properties.

St. John's Wort - a perennial herb with persistent rhizomes. Stem erect, dihedral, tight, first green, then reddish-brown color. The leaves, the leaves are opposite, elliptical with numerous translucent glands. The flowers are small, yellow, with a strong pleasant smell, collected in a broad paniculate inflorescences. St. John's wort blooms in June - August, the fruit - brown oblong box ripen in July - September.

St. John's wort can be found in almost every corner of our country, but especially a lot of it in Central Russia, the North Caucasus, in Western Siberia. St. John's wort grows in gardens and orchards, forest clearings, meadows, roadsides, and so on.

The St. John's wort is useful

The composition of St. John's wort include flavonoids, saponins, anthocyanins, essential oil, tannins, organic acids, mineral salts, coumarin, carotene, niacin and ascorbic acid, vitamin P.

The main active ingredient herb St. John's wort are photoactive compounds from the group of hypericin. Hypericin has antidepressant properties, so that St. John's wort extract is used for making light herbal antidepressants such as negrustin, Despres, gelarium hypericum. They are recommended for mild depression, increased anxiety Anxiety - how to distinguish normal from disease? As a sedative.

In addition, St. John's Wort has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, choleretic, hemostatic, astringent, diuretic, analgesic, cleansing properties. It regulates the metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting It activates digestion, regeneration of nerve tissue.

Due to the content of the grass photosensitizing substance hypericin hypericum increases the sensitivity of the skin to light and ultraviolet rays.

Contraindications

• St. John's wort should not be taken during pregnancy, because it refers to an emmenagogue, and can lead to miscarriage. Nursing women as St. John's wort is contraindicated.
• Those who take St. John's wort should not visit a solarium Solarium: harm or benefit?   and sunbathing in the open air, as contained in the plant hypericin makes the skin extremely sensitive to UV radiation.
• Without the advice of a doctor St. John's wort should not be used to treat severe forms of depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood And taken in combination with any antidepressant.
• St. John's wort can not be combined with alcohol and reserpine.
• St. John's wort is contraindicated in people with chronic liver and kidney disease, as sick bodies will not be able to recycle and how to bring the body of hypericin, which threatens to various complications.
• Should not be taken simultaneously with Hypericum any additives containing amino acids.
• St. John's wort is contraindicated in patients who have identified estrogen-dependent tumors.
• It is also contraindicated in those who are taking any anti-epileptic drugs, theophylline (used to treat asthma), warfarin, heparin, migraine drugs.

St. John's wort can reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives, drugs that are used to prevent rejection of donor organs, as well as medicines used for treatment of HIV-infected patients. Anyone who takes these and any other (including OTC) drugs before taking St. John's wort, you should consult a doctor.

Allergy to St. John's wort

We must not forget that when using any of the drug may develop an allergic reaction. Very often allergy develops when taking herbal drugs, and St. John's wort is not an exception. This happens because the plant contain a large number of different substances, each of which can cause allergies.

When you receive drugs based on St. John's wort may develop various allergic reactions - from diverse itchy rash to angioedema and anaphylaxis. In addition, each followed by a reception of the drug will cause a more severe allergic reaction. Therefore, if you suspect an allergy receiving St. John's wort should be stopped immediately.

Galina Romanenko