Medicinal plant 2015 St. John's wort

Naturopathy medicinal plant 2015: St. John's wort

08/10/2014

The St. John's wort has been chosen as the medicinal plant of the year 2015. Among other things, the plant helps against anxiety and nervous restlessness. The effect of the herb in depression has been scientifically proven. Meanwhile, even extracts of the plant are being tested in cancer therapy.

Great importance in herbal medicine
The St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been chosen as the medicinal plant of the year 2015. This was announced by the Study Group History of Development of the Medicine Clinic at the University of Würzburg, according to a message from the news agency dpa. The plant, which is also referred to as St. John's Wort, is a medicinal plant that has both traditional and current importance in herbal medicine. „There is interesting new research on the very complex topic of St. John's wort“, Johannes Gottfried Mayer from the University of Würzburg. Therefore, the choice fell on this plant.

Natural antidepressant
It has been repeatedly confirmed clinically that St. John's wort preparations are effective against mild to moderate depression. Various mechanisms are involved in this: For example, in the case of internal antidepressants, the agents help to ensure that special messenger substances in the nervous system (neurotransmitters) are available for longer and in greater quantities. As a result, the patient's mood brightens. St. John's wort is also approved for so-called psycho-vegetative disorders, anxiety and nervous restlessness. Experts do not agree on other possible areas of application, such as burnout syndrome, winter depression or premenstrual disorders.

Test used in cancer therapy
According to Mayer, individual extracts from the medicinal plant are now also used as a test in cancer therapy. Another field of research is Alzheimer's disease. In herbal medicine St. John's wort is also used as tea or oil. So the oil - used externally - can be used to treat for example cuts or abrasions. And internally, it is used, for example, in a slight gastritis (gastritis) or mild gallbladder disease.

Side effects and interactions
However, the plant is not completely unproblematic. Among other things, it can cause side effects such as mild headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, tiredness or phototoxic reaction of the skin (sunburn tendency). In addition, Mayer explained: „There were irritations due to interactions.“ St. John's wort intensifies in the body the effect of an enzyme, which is of crucial importance in the degradation of drugs. So it can lead in combination with other drugs that the other funds hardly work. For example, this applies to the anti-baby pill.

High-dose funds are subject to a pharmacy
If a St. John's wort preparation is discontinued, it may, according to the study group to a „therapeutically dangerous increase of other drugs“ come. Therefore, high-dose St. John's wort remedies have been required for pharmacies since 2003. As a rule, the St. John's wort is 15 to 30 centimeters high and can be distinguished from other St. John's wort species on the basis of the stem, since it has two edges from top to bottom and is not hollow but filled with marrow. In addition, the „Medicinal plant of the year“ not with the „Medicinal plant of the year“ to be confused. The latter is the onion for the year 2015. This is used as a home remedy for cough, against loss of appetite, ear or throat pain. (Ad)