Plant Medicine Summary: St. John's Wort

This is one of the best plant medicine based anti-depressents out there!

Brief History

Historical information dating back to 400 B.C. tells the story of hypericum and its medicinal and spiritual evolution.  The ancient Greeks and Romans noted that St. John’s Wort was used for such things as snake or reptile bites, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal distress, ulcers, depression or melancholy, superficial wounds, or sciatica.

Writings during the 19th century continued to incorporate hypericum for the treatment of melancholia or as we know it today, depression.  Some of these reported medicinal actions of St. John’s Wort have now been scientifically verified by double-blind studies, only to prove what the ancients knew all along.
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How Do I Use It?

We often use St. John's Wort in powdered and capsule form because it is so easy to take quickly when needing an emotional boost. It is a powerful nervine - meaning it supports and boosts the nervous system, specifically when feeling depressed or anxious.

One of the best ways to use St. John's is by making a glycerite and carry around in your purse!  We also have put St. John's Wort Tea into jello when making jello for our kids!
 
Our Experience With It

• (Paula) "One of my good friends was having suicidal thoughts and started using this and it helped pull her out of that situation and able to get her life back together again."
  
• We use it in skin salves to sooth and help a variety of conditions, including boils.
• (Kalea) "I was having a hard time dealing with all my kids for a while. Just always impatient and on edge. I decided I need to add St. John's to my herbal routine and it made a HUGE difference! My body was physically getting what it needed, and therefore I had more reserve to give to my kids."

Few Properties of St Johns Wort

Anodyne = Helps to relieve or sooth pain
Antidepressant = Herbs that can help with bouts of occasional, mild depression
Antioxidant = Help to control or elimination of free radicals
Astringent = Helps tighten tissues
Cholagogue = Herbs that support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile
Nervine = Soothes the nerves
Vulnerary = Help bring about healing in wounds and inflammation
 
List found on http://www.anniesremedy.com
 
 
NMM Products

Burn Balm - very powerful combination of herbs in a salve to help those horrible burns that can afflict home life so often!
Lung & Bronchial Infection Fighter - deep nutrition for your body when deep infection sets in.