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Why herbs for depression? Firstly, the time from autumn to spring is a period of increased depression. This is mainly due to cloudy weather, i.e. reduced intensity of the sun and the predominance of night over day.
Secondly, depression has become a disease of civilization and you have to look this truth straight in the eye. More and more people are suffering from this terrible disease, to a greater or lesser extent.
After seeing a doctor, common antidepressants are prescribed. I'm not a doctor to judge whether it's good or bad. However, I know that the effective treatment of depression and depression was known before the appearance of today's common medications. Numerous testimonials testify to this. I assume that if something natural, in this case a specific plant, can help, then why not try it?
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As I have already indicated above, I am not a specialist in academic medicine. For many years, I have been interested in natural medicine as a hobby, i.e. the first one. The one that was long before the academic one and as you can see from us - still living people - it had to be effective.
Of course, I realize that in many cases, academic medicine is of key importance and only it can help - I'm not going to argue with this fact.
My entries in "herbal pharmacy" are informative rather than scientific. They are intended to interest the recipient so that he starts looking for the truth and explores the topic.
However, these are not empty entries, devoid of facts or merely theoretical. I used a lot of herbs, vegetables and fruits on myself, which I will describe here. In addition, I know people personally who have used drugs from a herbal pharmacy and, as they say, will use them for the rest of their lives. Apart from - for the moment of course - very important scientific research, long-term observations and people who have devoted their entire lives to this subject, because I simply do not know them privately. From books, interviews, etc.
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The following information is taken from the books whose titles are given at the end of the entry.
St. John's wort was already known in antiquity. Its beneficial effect on the state of mind and body was described by Hippocrates, who lived in the 4th century BC. Another ancient physician, Dioscorides, who was a physician, among others, Nero and Vespasian also described this plant and its effects.
The main antidepressant compound in St. John's wort is hypericin.
According to the latest clinical research, it is this compound that inhibits the breakdown of neurotransmitters. However, the smaller their amount in our body, then we are more susceptible to feeling depressed, changing mood, fear, deepening sadness, reluctance to live and act, dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and sudden attacks of despair.
When St. John's wort began to be studied for its hypericin content, it was discovered that the plant also contains other antidepressant compounds. Similar effects were obtained when St. John's wort extract was deprived of hypericin. Researchers suggest that St. John's wort, e.g. xanthones, hyperphotin or flavonoids, may also help in relieving depression.
In order to more precisely determine the usefulness of St. John's wort in alleviating and treating depression, scientists conducted dozens of clinical trials in Germany and the United States.
Preparations containing St. John's wort extract were compared with the effects of various known antidepressants. Comparative studies were conducted between St. John's wort extract and fluoxetine - it is a well-known antidepressant, this compound is contained in preparations with various trade names, eg Prozac.
The studies were conducted on people with moderate to mild depression. Observations after 6 weeks showed that the extract of St. John's wort shows more than 80% effectiveness of the aforementioned fluoxetine. The advantage for St. John's wort was negligible side effects, which were confirmed by 3% of the respondents, which cannot be said about the other drug.
In Germany, a comparative study was conducted between St. John's wort and a drug called imipramine, in which case the results in favor of St. John's wort were even better. The studies were conducted on people with mild to moderate depression. After two months, results were published showing that treatment with St. John's wort was almost indistinguishable from treatment with imipramine. Both drugs brought relief of depressive states, however, imipramine gave side effects in the form of dry mouth, for example.
It has also been observed that the mechanism of antidepressant action is effective due to the synergy of compounds contained in St. John's wort. If one of the medicinal compounds was isolated and used individually, it would not give such an effect as their entire complex contained in the plant.
The big advantage of St. John's wort is that its use is not addictive, unlike synthetic antidepressants.
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The results of research conducted on St. John's wort and its positive effects meant that in Germany it is prescribed by doctors 2 times more often than the well-known fluoxetine. In the US, St. John's wort is currently one of the most commonly anticipated antidepressants.
St. John's wort extracts cannot be used with all other drugs without exception.
It is not recommended to use St. John's wort together with contraceptives, because they weaken their effect. It is not recommended to take St. John's wort with antiviral medicines, e.g. for the treatment of HIV, and with anticancer medicines for the reasons as above. Similarly, when someone is using antiepileptic drugs, and St. John's wort treatment should not be combined with taking fluoxetine-based antidepressants.
From the curiosities I've read, farmers in Austria in the old days gave St. John's wort in a slice of bread and gave it to eat to cattle to protect them from diseases.
John's wort can be used in many ways. For the purposes of combating malaise, the best will be: alcoholic extracts (e.g. easily available and cheap Intractum Hyperici, you can buy it in a pharmacy without a prescription or herbal shops), dried herb and dry extracts in the form of tablets or capsules, lemon balm wine (for which I am trying on, I will describe to you when I have done them), honey with the addition of St. John's wort extract (preferably linden, buckwheat or acacia honey) or simply as an infusion, however, the substances responsible for treating depression are poorly soluble in water.
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Summing up, St. John's wort brings positive effects in the treatment of mild and moderate depressive states, sleep disorders, reduces headaches and anxiety attacks. It restores the willingness to work and act, and relieves internal anxiety. In addition, St. John's wort fights diarrhea, relieves muscle overload (lifting), and even helps in the treatment of speech disorders, sleepwalking and bed-wetting. Carob oil has been highly valued and known for a long time. It is mainly used for open wounds, fresh wounds, hematomas, as a skin care agent for dry skin, relieves back pain, lumbar myalgia, sciatica, rheumatism. Relieves pain in sunburn.
Bibliography:
Zbigniew T.Nowak " Herbal remedies for depression and bad mood".
Maria Treben "God's Pharmacy - Tips and practical uses of medicinal herbs".
A few words about the authors of the books.
" Zbigniew T. Nowak an expert in medicinal plants, for over 30 years a popularizer of knowledge in the field of herbal medicine and apitherapy. Author of several dozen books and over 1,500 press articles on this subject. He worked and published with a well-known herbalist, Franciscan father Grzegorz Sroka, assistant to father Czesław Klimuszki He also collaborated with the doyen of Polish herbalism - Prof. Aleksander Ożarowski."
"Maria Treben took the place of one of the most important pawns of herbal medicine in history. Revered almost as a saint by many, she was in fact a woman who dealt with medicinal herbs all her life and all she wanted was to share her experiences with as many people as possible.
Over the years, the popularity of herself and her achievements has not lost its significance. On the contrary, thanks to the growing interest in alternative medicine, her books are becoming relevant again.
In her main work, The Lord's Pharmacy, she described in detail the therapeutic properties of 31 medicinal herbs. She presented the possibilities of taking them in the form of teas, tinctures, fresh juice, as well as using them as components of medicinal systems and bath additives.
The Lord's Pharmacy was published in the following languages:
Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Dutch, Japanese, Lithuanian, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Hungarian, Italian. "
Photo by me.
