The feel-good best-seller of the modern herbal market, St. John's wort migrated from Europe and Asia with the colonists several centuries back. It now grows extensively in North America as a perennial shrub. It has oblong leaves and bright yellow, st...
* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
The feel-good best-seller of the modern herbal market, St. John's wort migrated from Europe and Asia with the colonists several centuries back. It now grows extensively in North America as a perennial shrub. It has oblong leaves and bright yellow, star-shaped flowers. St. John's wort was once harvested on and around St. John's Day (June 24). Wort (not wart) is an Old English word for plant, root, or herb.
Potential Health Benefits
The flowers of St. John's wort are considered the most medicinally active part of the plant, which has won renown as a treatment for mild depression. Taken internally, it improves mood and allays anxiety. In Germany, the plant far outsells Prozac. St. John's wort is also applied topically to treat burns, given that is has antibiotic qualities and is an anti-inflammatory agent. Additionally, Commission E recommends internal use to calm the stomach.
Scientific Evidence
The plant's most celebrated active ingredient is hypericin. Other as yet unknown chemicals may help give St. John's wort its power to fight depression, researchers believe, with the substance hyperform thought to be a likely candidate.
According to a 1996 study in the British medical journal Lancet, a review of 23 tests of the herb, covering nearly 1,800 patients, found St. John's wort to be as effective as prescription drugs and with much milder side effects.
In an article for Prevention magazine, Varro E. Tyler, dean emeritus of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Studies, cited German studies of 3,250 depressed patients, 80 percent of whom said they felt much less depressed after taking St. John's wort.
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Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
Iced tea brewing method (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].
Cautions
Fair-skinned people may be photosensitive when taking St John's wort Ahhough Commission E found no known interactions with other drugs, other observers' concern that St John's wort could interact with other antidepressants prompted Ireland to require prescriptions for the herb. Alcohol intake should also be prudent in people usmg St John's wort, as with any tranquilizer.
In 2000, a US study concluded that St John's wort could weaken the effect of anti-HIV medicines, an important finding if verified by other scientists.
Additional Information
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
