St. John's Wort seeds (Hypericum perforatum) - 1 gram

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) 1 gram of seeds

If you don’t feel like growing it yourself, you can also find the herb here; Click here

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a small plant with beautiful yellow flowers. It has been used for thousands of years for its effects on a person's mood.

Usage

To make tea, pour a cup of boiling water over 1–2 teaspoons of dried St. John’s wort and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not drink more than three cups per day.

For specific therapeutic purposes, it may be wiser to use capsules or tablets containing a standardized extract of this herb.

Warning

St. John’s wort can adversely affect the efficacy of medications. St. John’s wort enhances the activity of the liver enzyme cytochrome P450, causing certain medications to be broken down more quickly and thus have a reduced effect. If you are taking a medication in combination with St. John’s wort (or a product containing it), you are advised to contact your doctor or thrombosis clinic, who can provide further information on whether this combination may lead to such an interaction. This applies if you wish to start using St. John’s wort, but also if you wish to stop using St. John’s wort in combination with any of the following medications:

• immune system inhibitors, for example in organ transplants and autoimmune diseases: cyclosporine;
• coumarin-type anticoagulants, such as acenocoumarol (e.g., Sintrom) and fenprocoumon (e.g., Marcoumar);
• antiepileptics: phenobarbital and phenytoin;
• bronchodilators: theophylline;
• cardiac glycosides for heart failure and arrhythmias: digoxin;
• HIV inhibitors: indinavir.

St. John’s wort may also affect the efficacy of SSRI-type antidepressants. Concomitant use is not recommended.

In rare cases, breakthrough bleeding has been observed when St. John’s wort is used concurrently with certain types of the birth control pill (a combination of ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel, also known as the “sub-50” pill). If breakthrough bleeding occurs, protection against pregnancy may be reduced.