St Johns Wort Powder - St Johns Wort Leaf Tea - St Johns Wort Herbal Tincture

Using Herbal and Superfood powders on a daily basis is simple, easy and can be really delicious. The simplest way is to rehydrate the powder in a little filtered water to make a shot, this can easily be prepared once, twice or three times per day if you are taking the herbs therapeutically. However sometimes the herbs can be bitter so the botanical powders can be added to a superfood smoothie instead of just water. The smoothie can be made with a base of nut milk, seed milk or non-dairy milk such as rice milk. Alternatively the main body of the smoothie can be created with fruit or vegetable juices. 

Additional superfood and herb powders can be added to fortify the smoothie with extra beneficial properties. The powders are largely dissolvable and can be scooped in and then blended, shaken or stirred until fully mixed with the liquid. Any true Superfood smoothie disciple would advise that the list of possibilities is endless with the goal to feel great and potentially replace a meal with this glass of super goodness. For full instructions go to our How to take Herbal Powders page.

Infuse this St. Johns Wort into hot water and steep for 3-10 minutes.

Serving:

1-2 teasp cut herb per 1 cup of boiling water up to 3 times a day or as recommended by a herbal practitioner.

• Produced to GMP standards.
• Quality Assured by Indigo Herbs.
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
• Gluten free.
• Re-sealable air tight, foil pouch.
• 100% pure botanical ingredients, absolutely nothing added.

Manufacture Process

These St. Johns Wort plants were harvested and grown in Hungary where they underwent a series of checks to maximise quality and production. All plants are screened and tested thoroughly before harvest. The flowers and leaf are cut away, cleaned, inspected for quality and damage before being air dried out of direct sunlight. The St Johns Wort plant matter is then cut before being tested for pollutants and foreign chemical profiles. This St. Johns Wort Leaf is of the highest quality and it has been given Indigo Herbs seal of approval.

Essential oil, containing caryophyllene,methyl-2-octane, n-nonane, n-decanal, a and b-pinene, and traces of limonene and myrcene. Hypericins, prenylated phloroglucin derivatives, hypericin, pseudohypericin and hyperforin, flavonoids, epicatechin.

Hypericum extract contains numerous active compounds that together create the antidepressant and antianxiety effects. Hypericum is the first known substance to enhance three key neurotransmitters- serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Preliminary research suggests that St. John's Wort also lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and enhances the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally occurring tranquilizer in the brain. It is a very mild, clinically insignificant monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor.

The mechanism by which St. John's Wort acts as an antidepressant is not fully understood. Early research indicated that this herb mildly inhibits the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). MAO is responsible for the breakdown of two brain chemicals - serotonin and norepinephrine. By inhibiting MAO and increasing norepinephrine, St. John's Wort may exert a mild antidepressive action. The antidepressant or mood elevating effects of St. John's Wort were originally thought to be due solely to hypericin, but hypericin does not act alone. St. John's Wort relies on the complex interplay of many constituents such as xanthones and flavonoids for its antidepressant actions. St. John's Wort may also block the receptors that bind serotonin.

Taking herbal remedies in a Tincture or Fluid extract preparation is simple and easy. The tincture can be measured out into the small ml measuring cup that comes with each bottle. (A medicine cup or spoon could also be used) and the tincture can be taken directly.

However some people do find the bitter tincture taste to be too strong, so it may be a good idea to dilute the drops in water or fruit juice. For children, the elderly, those with a sensitive constitution or those avoiding alcohol, the alcohol can be evaporated from the tincture. This can be done by putting the drops in boiling water and leaving for 10 minutes to evaporate. For full instructions go to our How to take Herbal Tincture page.

St. Johns Wort Tincture can be added to water or fruit juice.

Serving:

St. Johns Wort Tincture:
Traditionally Taken: Take 2-4 mls up to 3 times per day.
or as directed by a Herbal practitioner.

20 drops from the glass dropper equals approximately 1ml.

• Produced to GMP standards.
• Quality Assured by Indigo Herbs.
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
• Gluten free.
• 100% pure botanical ingredients, absolutely nothing added.
• Packaged in a pharmacoepial grade brown glass bottle with dropper.

Manufacture Process

St. Johns Wort Tincture is manufactured in the UK where the pure flower tops are prepared to undergo a process of cold percolation in order to extract the active constituents into tincture form. The cold percolation method employs a gradient circulation of the solution which keeps the plant ingredients in perpetual contact with the blend. This technique is faster and more efficient than maceration and ensures there is less waste of precious plant materials. This premium quality product is 100% pure botanical ingredients, completely free of synthetic ingredients with absolutely nothing added. It is manufactured to GMP standards and Quality Assured by Indigo Herbs.  

Side effects can be experienced, such as fatigue, stomach upsets, and headaches. Not to be taken together with the contraceptive pill, anti-epilepsy treatments, 5-htp, and a number of other medications including anti-depressants. St John's wort should not be combined with a MAO inhibitor antidepressant such as Nardil (phenelzine) or Parnate (tranylcypromine). This combination can produce a dangerous rise in blood pressure or hypertensive crisis, along with severe anxiety, fever, muscle tension, and confusion. After stopping a MAO inhibitor, one should wait at least four weeks before taking other antidepressants, including Hypericum. If you are taking any medication consult your doctor before starting St John's Wort.

It should not be taken together with foods that contain tyramine i.e. cheese, red wine, preserved meats and yeast extracts. This is due to a MAO inhibition effect.

There are some recent reports that suggest that St. John's Wort may interfere with medications given during organ transplant (such as kidney and liver.) Do not take this herb if you have undergone or plan to undergo a transplant operation.

Do not use St. John's Wort during pregnancy or lactation.

St. John's Wort makes the skin more light sensitive. Persons with fair skin should avoid exposure to strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light, such as tanning beds. These individuals may suffer a dermatitis, severe burning, and possibly blistering of the skin. The severity of these effects will depend on the amount of the plant consumed and the length of exposure to sunlight. Some experts suggest that all individuals avoid sunlight when using St John's wort, especially when taking large quantities.

St John's wort has a good safety record over centuries of folk medicine. In contrast to synthetic antidepressants, there have been no reports of Hypericum related deaths. Drug monitoring studies on over 7000 patients and twenty-seven double-blind research studies confirm its safety. The extensive use of Hypericum by millions of people has not resulted in reports of serious side effect