Health Benefits Of St. John’s Wort

Health benefits of this amazing herb include its anti-depressant qualities, skin care, and many more.

Anti-depressant Qualities

Perhaps the most well-known effect of St. John’s wort is its anti-depressant nature. It has been widely used to relieve symptoms [3] of depression for generations and is now a popular natural solution that doctors and psychiatrists often prescribe to their patients. It contains a rare combination of antidepressant chemicals that inhibit or delay the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

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Relieves Anxiety

The health benefits [4]of St. John’s wort extend beyond depression, as they help people suffering from anxiety and mood swings as well. By helping to regulate the hormonal balance in the body, St. John’s wort is able to get the metabolism and internal clock back in line, providing help for sleeplessness, irritability, and chronic fatigue. Eliminating chronic stress hormones from the body can also improve overall health and cognitive function, as excess stress hormones can affect various organs.

Reduces Mood Swings

There are two distinct periods of feminine sexual health that can be challenging [5] in terms of mood swings: pre-menstrual syndrome and menopause. St. John’s wort is widely recommended for women in both these periods, as its chemical constituents have been shown to reduce mood swings and anxiety in menopausal women. Moreover, they reduce the severity of cramping and pre-menstrual irritation and depression.

Eases Withdrawal Symptoms

Early indications show that the use of St. John’s wort can be very helpful in easing cravings and withdrawal [6]symptoms after quitting cigarettes, alcohol or other addictive substances. This could prove very useful, as recovery from addiction is challenging. However, additional research on this particular benefit is still ongoing.

Antiviral Agent

New research has recently come to light saying that St. John’s wort has certain antiviral capabilities, which reduce the risk of AIDS, hepatitis, and other serious [7] viral conditions. The only problem with this is that very high doses of it are required for this sort of antiviral effect, which would also cause a range of unpleasant side effects.

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Restores Hormonal Balance

As we already know about the antidepressant effects of St. John’s wort, the active ingredients also have strong effects [8] on hormone regulation in the body. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common thyroid disorders and this herb has been shown to reduce its symptoms and help the thyroid gland release normal levels of hormones again.

Anti-inflammatory Agent

The soothing nature of St. John’s wort and the rich concentration of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds [9] make it perfect for easing the pain of arthritis, gout, joint discomfort, and muscle ache. Just as it helps to ease inflammation on the skin and in the gut, St. John’s wort also lowers inflammation in the cardiovascular system, thereby helping lower blood pressure and decrease stress on the heart.

Skin Care

If you use St. John’s wort for topical application [10]in the form of a salve or tincture, it can speed the healing process of burns, bruises, and scrapes by stimulating circulation of oxygenated blood to damaged skin cells.

Reduces Pregnancy Pains

During pregnancy, hemorrhoids and other stretched out areas of the body can become very painful. Although it is not recommended to take oral supplements throughout the pregnancy, topical application of St. John’s wort salves and paste are highly [11] recommended for women suffering from these pregnancy-related conditions.

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Prevents Cancer

Cancer research [12] has recently begun putting more faith in the role that St. John’s wort could play. Laboratory research has also shown a definite correlation between the prevention and treatment of leukemia with consistent use of St. John’s wort supplements.