Articles & Information
St. John's Wort In A Nutshell
9
Types of Depressive Disorder
Is
Someone You Love Depressed?
The
feel-good neurotransmitters, their primary functions and how to naturally
enhance them
Studies Suggest
the Mind Makes, Breaks its Misery
Hope
for the chronically depressed
The 23 best things to say to someone who Is Depressed
The 99 worst things to say to someone who is depressed
Read
complete text of the book How To Heal Depression
Celebrity
Meltdown -
Famous, important people who have suffered depression
Reseach Grade
St. John's Wort
Where to find National Institutes of Health tested St. Johns Wort
St. John's Wort Derivative Test
Many depressed individuals may be laying hopes on St. John's wort products too weak to help them
St. John's Wort /drug interactions/other natural alternatives
Researchers Trying To Make Synthetic St. John's Wort
Will The Real St. John's Wort Please Show Its DNA?
Clinical Research Studies Currently In Progress Using HBC Protocols Hypericum Perforatum
Scientists Have a Good Feeling About Exercise
Physical Activity and Depression
St.
John's wort and the treatment of Alcoholism
Semen
acts as an Anti-depressant?
Brain
part that appears to accentuate Negativity
DNA
Research links Depression to Family Ties
Study
Shows Genetic Link in Stress and Depression
Active
Mind's Linked to Brain Growth 
Depression
raises heart attack risk
Historical St. John's Wort Applications
The historical use of medical St. John's wort is well documented.
Commencing 2400 years ago St. John's wort was used as a nerve tonic,
a painkiller for arthritis, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal problems
(such as diarrhea, nausea . . . ) as well as ulcers.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used to treat many
ailments, including sciatica and poisonous reptile bites as well as to
ward against evil spirits, placing sprigs of the plant on statues of
their Gods. In fact, the genus name Hypericum is from Greek and means "over
an apparition" as the herb was once considered odiferous enough
to cause evil spirits to depart.
In the first century St. John’s wort was referred to in Pliny the
Elders famous book on natural history for its bracing quality in treating
diarrhea and promoting urine flow and bladder troubles.
Dioscorides, a Roman army surgeon, recommended drinking St Johns wort
in his medical text, “For it expels choleric excrements…” He
also recommended rubbing it on burns. Paracelsus, a medical authority
of the Renaissance also wrote of using St. John’s wort to treat
wounds. He was also the first to mention using it for psychotic symptoms
which he called “phatasmata”.
During medieval times, the Europeans used the plant to treat all forms
of madness (They thought St. Johns wort had magical properties) as it
blooms near the Summer Solstice. The Saltenitan drug list of the thirteenth
century also referred to St. John’s wort as herba demonis fuga--an
herb to chase away the devil.
Sixteenth century medical books refers to the plant as Fuga demonum,
or devil’s scourge, a term that was repeated frequently in the
literature of the next several hundred years.
The oil made from the flowers was listed in the first Pharmacopoeia Londinensis
(1618). 1630 Angelo Sala stated that St. John’s wort treated illnesses
of the imagination, melancholia, anxiety and disturbances of understanding.
He wrote, “St. John’s wort cures these disorders as quick
as lightening.” Gerard wrote that its use as a balm for wounds,
burns, ulcers and bites was without equal (Gerard 1633).
There is even evidence that the American Indians used St. John's wort
used it in the treatment of Tuberculosis and other breathing ailments.
Civil War soldiers collected St. John's wort to use on battle wounds.
A prolific and hardy plant that threatened grazing land, a beetle was
introduced into the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900's to keep St.
John's wort under control.
19th century literature incorporated the use of hypericum to treat melancholia.
19th century British and American literature stressed the superficial
use of the herb for the treatment of burns and wounds. A powerful antibacterial,
St. John’s wort has been used through the centuries as an analgesic
(pain reliever) to treat saddle sores and in poultices for certain lameness's
in horses.
More contemporary St. Johns Wort applications
- Over time, and the advent of modern pharmaceutical science, St. John's Wort was nearly forgotten as a medicinal herb. Only recently has St. John's Wort gained a renewed reputation as an effective treatment for all manner of infirmities most notably depression. Its complex and diverse chemical makeup has also shown to support depression related infirmities such as chronic fatigue syndrome, and pms.
- St. John's Wort's antibacterial / antiviral properties render it very useful adjunctive treatment for bacterial and viral infections.
- St. Johns Wort has also been shown to be useful in treating pulmonary complaints, bladder trouble, suppression of urine, dysentery, worms and nervous depression.
- St. Johns Wort can act to dissolve and remove bacterially based tumors and boils. It calms the nerves and increase the flow of urine.
- St. John's Wort is an excellent blood cleanser and blood purifier.
- For Tourette's syndrome - used with Wormseed
- Bells' Palsy (apply directly on face)
- St. Johns Wort antibacterial/viral properties have been shown useful in relieve phlegm obstructions in the chest and lungs. It can be beneficial in addressing bronchitis as well.
- Like Horsechestnut, St. Johns Wort may be valuable for treating internal bleeding.
- St. Johns Wort is used to treat chronic uterine problems and will correct irregular and painful menstruation.
- St. Johns Wort contains an alkaloid that is a heart and artery stimulant
- Is useful for low back pain
- Mattioli wrote of its use as an emmenagogue and antimalarial (Bombardelli and Morazzoni 1995).
- Most recent research at two of
the world's leading medical institutions, New York University and
the Weizman Institute of Science in Israel ,found that 2 of the main
constituents of St. John's Wort namely hypercin and pseudohypericin
were found to inhibit the growth of retroviruses( including HIV,
the AIDS virus) in animals. Although the results of these studies
are promising, more work needs to be done. The mechanism is thought
to involve the production of oxygen free radicals which can damage
the viral envelope.
An
open-label pilot study of St. John's wort in juvenile depression.
Out Of Darkness:
February 20, 2006
February 17, 2006
February 15, 2006
February 14, 2006
February 9 , 2006
February 7 , 2006
February 3 , 2006
February 2 , 2006
February 2 , 2006
January 30, 2006
January 29, 2006
January 28, 2006
January 27, 2006
January 26, 2006
January 23, 2006
January 20, 2006
January 17, 2006
January 13, 2006
January 9, 2006
Book Review 
January 
January 4, 2006
January 2, 2006
December 29, 2005
December
27, 2005
December 22, 2005
December
20, 2005
Chinese Government submits fast track application for St. John's Wort as new
treatment for Avian Flu Virus
November 25, 2005
November 21, 2005
Brooke Shields Not Afraid Of Second Bout With Postpartum Depression . . 
July 25, 2008 
July 9, 2008 
June 24, 2008 
June 1, 2008 
May 8, 2008 
April 2 , 2008 
March 18, 2008 
March 1, 2008 
February 22 , 2008 
January 23, 2008 
January 14, 2008 
January 1, 2008 
December 20, 2007 
December 13, 2007 
December 5 , 2007
November 26, 2007 
November 7, 2007 
November 1, 2007 
October 23, 2007 
October 14, 2007 
October 13, 2007 
October 10, 2007 
September 28, 2007 
August 29 , 2007 
August 3, 2007 
July 27, 2007 
July 4, 2007 
July 1, 2007 
June 26, 2007 
June 6, 2007
June 2, 2007 
May 8, 2007 
May 5, 2007 
April 26, 2007 
April 17, 2007 
April 7, 2007 
March 28, 2007 
March 15, 2007 
March 5, 2007 
February 27, 2007 
February 21, 2007 
February 14, 2007 
February 12, 2007 
February 8, 2007 
February 6 , 2007 
January 15, 2007 
December 27, 2006 
December 20, 2006
ecember 13, 2006 
December 11, 2006 
December 6, 2006
November 14, 2006 
November 1 , 2006 
October 23, 2006 
October 9, 2006
October 1 , 2006 
September 24, 2006 
September 14, 2006 
September 2 , 2006 
August 24, 2006 
August 16, 2006 
August 8, 2006
August 1 , 2006
July 24, 2006
July 21, 2006
July 18, 2006
July 5, 2006
June 26, 2006
June 12, 2006
June 1, 2006
May 22, 2006
May 20, 2006
May 18, 2006
May 15, 2006
May 12, 2006
May 11, 2006
May 10, 2006
May 9, 2006
May 8, 2006
May 5 , 2006
May 2 , 2006
April 25, 2006
April 18, 2006
April 14, 2006
April 7, 2006
April 5, 2006
April 3 , 2006
March 30, 2006
March 29, 2006
March 28, 2006
March 24, 2006
March 22, 2006
March 21, 2006
March 20, 2006
March 17, 2006
March 16, 2006
March 14, 2006
March 10, 2006
March 9, 2006
March 8, 2006
March 6 , 2006
March 2 , 2006
March 1 , 2006
February 27, 2006
February 24, 2006
February 22, 2006