St. John’s wort, the plant that drives away sadness

The hypericum It is a herbaceous plant of the hypericaceae family, which grows wild, on the edge of roads and in dry and sunny environments. The leaves are oval and present what at first glance appear to be numerous dark holes, but which are actually glands that contain essential oil and appear translucent to light. It blooms from May with bright golden yellow flowers.

A plant with a "magical" story

The tradition of the hypericum is very old and Hippocrates already quotes its use as an analgesic and anti-anxiety, as well as Plino the Elder (1st century AD) and Galen. In addition, in ancient times it was believed that even its aroma kept evil spirits away, so when an epidemic broke out in a city, its inhabitants burned St. John's wort branches as incense or hung them on door lintels as protection. Dioscorides, regarding the hypericum, also refers to its power to drive away demons, "because it burns them and transforms them into wheat."

This magical and protective use against evil spirits lasted over time and thus we find that Piero Andrea Mattioli, a famous Italian doctor who lived in the 16th century, cites the properties of St. John's wort to "put demons to flight" and in the 17th century , the Dutch physician and botanist Dodonaeus, indicates "the flowery tops extracted into concentrated aromatic wine by means of boiling and drunk very hot against the tensions caused by inner regrets." On the whole, St. John's wort was used to cure the most diverse diseases, among them what was called "melancholy", that Saint Isidore of Seville described as "anguish of the soul, accumulation of demonic spirits, black ideas, absence of future and deep hopelessness", a definition that would correspond to what we know today as depression.

Also the external use was very widespread and in the seventeenth century, the naturalist and botanist John Gerard baptized it as the "herb of wounds". In the Renaissance, its use as a healing agent was consolidated based on the theory of signs (which consisted in attributing the medicinal properties of plants based on their shape) since their leaves seem full of perfectly healed “holes”.

Different names of St. John's wort

• The botanical name, Hypericum perforatum L, derives, according to some authors, from a Greek word that means image, ghost. This would in itself give a magical meaning to the plant, although others translate it as "above everything imaginable", alluding to its multiple virtues, as it was considered a panacea.
• Common names: It was known in the Middle Ages as "Fuga demonum" (drives away demons) and translated into Italian and French as scazzia diavoli, or chassediable respectively. It also receives multiple common names that we see repeated in different languages ​​and that derive from: its botanical name (hypericum, parrot, perico); of the morphology of its leaves (perforated, perforated, etc.), of its uses (wound herb, military herb, cop herb) ... The most universal name is that of Grass of San Juan, used in practically all languages, and which refers to the time of its collection, which has a tradition in magical rites but which coincides with the time when the plant blooms and contains a greater amount of essential oil and other active principles.

From tradition to scientific criteria

Although since the end of the 18th century the use of St. John's wort has been practically limited to topical use for the treatment of wounds, due to its antiseptic and healing action, or in infusion mixed with other sedative plants for the relief of nervous states, in the middle of the century XX scientific research refocuses on its beneficial action on depressed moods. Today we know that St. John's wort, with a complex chemical composition, it is effective against discouragement and depression, due to its action on different neurotransmitters, chemical substances that our body produces and that are closely related to emotions and mood. In the last 20 years, there have been numerous clinical studies that support its usefulness in the treatment of low moods, low mood, depression, night terrors and neurovegetative disorders associated with menopause. In external use, on the skin, hypericum-based preparations are also effective for treatment of small wounds, minor burns or stings.

When to take it

The different difficulties that life brings with it can lead us at certain times to have feelings of sadness, anguish and dejection. Fleeting feelings that usually happen when the situation that caused them is resolved or disappears. However, we must be careful and able to differentiate these occasional feelings due to a specific cause and that disappear in a few days (being "depressed"), from true depression, which is a disease that affects the state of mind and manifests mainly with great dejection, a feeling of unhappiness, deep disinterest in life and a feeling of guilt, among others. St. John's wort can be helpful in both cases, but depression is a common illness that can become serious so must always be diagnosed, controlled and treated by a doctor which will establish the treatment that it considers most appropriate in each case. So in self care It will only be used in those cases of occasional lack of courage due to a specific cause, which are accompanied by loss of interest, fatigue and sleep disturbances.

How to take it

To be effective in case of low or depressed mood, St. John's wort should be taken in the form of dosed preparations standardized in hypericin, which is the active principle that marks its quality and effectiveness. It usually comes in liquid form (fluid extract, tincture) or solid, in capsules of powder or dry extract. Generally, the dose indicated by the preparing laboratory establishes its dose twice a day. It should be taken into account that the antidepressant effect manifests itself at the earliest after 10-14 days of treatment. In external use can be used: oleate (maceration of St. John's wort in oil) and creams or ointments prepared with tincture, oleate or extracts of St. John's wort. The different preparations will be applied directly to the skin two or three times a day.

Precautions and recommendations

St. John's wort can interact with many medications, for example anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics or certain oral contraceptives, so if you are taking any medication you should consult your doctor or pharmacist to rule out a possible interaction. In external use, sensitization reactions can occur, so if it is used in uncovered areas, the treated part should be covered to avoid irritations and stains. In white or very sensitive skin, sensitization reactions can also occur when taken. People who have this characteristic and are being treated with St. John's wort are advised to use high sunscreen before going outside or exposing themselves to sunlight. No studies have been conducted in pregnancy and lactation, so in these cases it should not be taken without medical supervision.

How to prepare St. John's wort oil

St. John's wort oil (St. John's wort Oleate) for external use is prepared by following these steps:

• Put in a jar the flowery tops of St. John's wort, fresh (just picked) and cut into pieces.
• Cover with oil (sweet almond, olive, etc.)
• Leave to marinate "in the sun and serene" for 40 days.
• Decant and store in opaque or topaz-colored jars, protected from light and heat.

Keep in mind that the oil is red in color due to hypericin.

• It is effective against discouragement and depression.
• In external use, on the skin, hypericum-based preparations are also effective for the treatment of small wounds, minor burns or itching.
• No studies have been conducted in pregnancy and lactation, so in these cases it should not be taken without medical supervision.

Maria Jose Alonso Osorio

Member of medicinal plants and homeopathy of the College of Pharmacists of Barcelona