St. John's wort: healing properties and contraindications. How to be treated by St. John's wort?

St. John's wort, medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of which we will consider today, according to legend, first appeared on earth from the feather or blood of a lightning bird that descended to earth from heaven and was wounded by an evil creature. In the Middle Ages, people attributed this herb to driving away evil spirits, witches and ghosts. And of course, they used it to fight various diseases.

This is not accidental. After all, St. John's wort, the medicinal properties and contraindications to which are studied until now, has a complex chemical composition, which includes, among other things, flavonoids, tocopherols, glycerol essential oil, tannins, vitamins C, P and PP, many micro- and Macronutrients, nicotinic acid, carotene, provitamin A and many other important components.

Grass from a hundred diseases

In Russia, the infusion of St. John's wort actively drank all those who wished to save youth and health. He was especially shown to those who got tired during heavy physical labor. And in the army he was given to drink to soldiers who had to walk long distances on foot. Twigs of St. John's wort were thrown into the water from unknown sources, protecting themselves from various intestinal infections and dysentery.

Nowadays, St. John's wort, the medicinal properties and contraindications to which we are discussing, is also an indispensable companion of all those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. After all, this plant contributes to the normalization of gastric microflora, accelerates the treatment of gastritis and ulcers, and improves digestion in general. In addition, it is often used as a general restorative for diseases of the heart, blood vessels, liver, gums and other organs and systems of the human body.

And relatively recently, scientists studying St. John's wort, medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of this plant, found that it has an extremely beneficial effect on the central nervous system. Therefore, St. John's wort is shown to people who are often in a stressful state and who suffer from insomnia.

To treat bruises and wounds on its basis, a special preparation is prepared: 25 grams of fresh flowers are mixed with 50 milliliters of olive oil and put for three weeks in a dark place. After that, the obtained product can be used as a basis for compresses.

Burying the broth of St. John's wort (especially effective medicine will, if you mix it with chamomile and marsh swine) in the nose, you can quickly get rid of sinusitis.

He also plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer: a can of 1 liter to half is filled with dry raw materials, then filled up with vodka to the top and, after shaking regularly, is insisted for about a month. When the product is ready, you should apply it, doing a few times a day lotion. On average, the duration of one procedure should be about 15-20 minutes.

What else can St. John's Wort be useful for? The healing properties for men of this plant have also been known since ancient times, because regular use of the broth can help restore the lost male power. In this case, the broth is prepared as follows: 10 g of raw material is poured a glass of boiling water, after the drug is infused, it must be drunk for half an hour before meals (60 g at a time).

With stomatitis, catarrhal sinusitis, otitis, anemia, hemorrhoids, migraine, coughing, St. John's wort can also be useful.

Contraindications for use

However, it is important to understand that if you misuse this gift of nature, you can damage your body. St. John's wort has its contraindications. So, it should not be used by patients with hypertension and pregnant women. It is also important to know that this plant is a weak toxin, so if you take it for too long, you can face unpleasant side effects and only aggravate the initial problems. It is especially important to remember about this to men: in small quantities, St. John's wort helps to improve potency, however long-term use produces the opposite effect. In addition to all of the above, St. John's Wort makes the skin of a person temporarily sensitive to UV rays, so immediately after the treatment should avoid a long stay under the scorching sun. In the rest, with proper application and dosage, the plant is completely safe.

Conclusion

So, now you know what kind of medicinal properties St. John's wort has. The photos in the article will help to recognize this plant in case you decide to collect and dry it yourself. However, these days it is not required - dried herb you can buy in any pharmacy, but it is quite inexpensive!