Ingredients · Herb
St. John's Wort
Hypericum perforatum · Hypericaceae (St. John's wort family)
What it’s like, and how to use it
- 212°F / 100°C
- Steep 10–15 minutes
- Use 1–2 tsp per 8oz
- Takes 4–6 weeks of daily use to build effects (like pharmaceutical antidepressants)
- CHECK MEDICATION INTERACTIONS BEFORE USE
How to use it
Strictly a medicinal herb — not used in cooking. St. John's wort tea (standalone or blended into mood-support formulas). St. John's wort oil (infused in olive oil — turns deep red from hypericin; used topically for nerve pain and wound healing). Tincture in herbal formulas. Not appropriate for culinary experimentation.
With food
Not a culinary herb. Best as a medicinal tea preparation, potentially sweetened with honey. The herb's serious drug interactions make casual consumption inadvisable.
With spices
Lemon Balm (the mood-support duo — hyperforin's monoamine reuptake inhibition + rosmarinic acid's GABA-transaminase inhibition; complementary mechanisms for mood and anxiety). Chamomile (calming addition — apigenin addresses the anxiety component). Lavender (linalool anxiolytic complement). Note: few spice pairings are appropriate given the drug interaction profile — keep blends simple.
With tea
Chamomile (the anxiety-mood combination in Ayurvedic Slumber). Passionflower (the mood-sleep bridge — but monitor for theoretical serotonin interaction at high doses). Lavender (calming complement). Lemon Balm (comprehensive mood support). Valerian Root (the Ayurvedic Slumber formula for combined mood and sleep).
Its story
Where it comes from
Native to Europe, now naturalized worldwide and considered invasive in many regions (Australia and parts of the US). Named for St. John the Baptist — it blooms around the summer solstice (June 24, St. John's Day). The 'perforatum' in its name refers to the tiny translucent oil glands in the leaves that look like perforations when held to the light. Major cultivation in Germany, where it's a regulated pharmaceutical herb.
What happened
Named for St John the Baptist, and traditionally harvested at the summer solstice. Medieval Europeans hung it over doorways against evil spirits. Paracelsus wrote about it for melancholy. German physicians took it up in the twentieth century and rigorous trials followed; it is now one of the most prescribed herbal medicines in Germany, and the Cochrane Collaboration has reviewed twenty-nine trials of it.
Good for
What the research looked at
Traditionally used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve low mood — and among the most extensively studied herbs in European phytotherapy; the ingredient guide cites the reviews.
Historically used on wounds and for nerve pain.
Naturally caffeine-free.
IMPORTANT: it interacts with a great many medications, including oral contraceptives and anticoagulants. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor before drinking it if you take anything at all.
What’s in the leaf
Hyperforin (fat-soluble; only about 1% extracts into water; binds the PXR nuclear receptor at Ki = 27 nM, which is what induces CYP3A4). Hypericin (the red pigment; better water extraction at about 34%; contributes to photosensitivity). Flavonoids: rutin, hyperoside, quercitrin (these extract well). Adhyperforin.
These teas are foods, sold as such. Nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
On the shelf with it
Every product it goes into.
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Ayurvedic Women's Uma
Regular price From $9.00 CADRegular price -
Ayurvedic Slumber
Regular price From $9.00 CADRegular price
