St. John's wort

[[File:Common St Johns Wort - geograph.org.uk - 1382488.jpg|thumb|right|165px]]{{altmed}}
'''St. John's wort''', ''Hypericum perforatum'', is a flower which was traditionally used by ancient [[Greeks]] to ward off [[evil]].<ref name="acs">[http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/st-johns-wort American Cancer Society: St. John's Wort]</ref> St. John's Wort can refer to any member of the genus ''Hypericum'', but most often it refers to ''H. perforatum''. While the plant does have some minor medicinal properties, and its extract is effective against some forms of depression<ref name="Lawvere" /> and inflammation,<ref>[http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/307/1/254.full.pdfRegulating Anti-Inflammatory Actions of St. John's Wort: Inhibition of Human Inducible Nitric-Oxide Synthase Expression by Down-Regulating Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-1α (STAT-1α) Activation] by Elisa Tedeschi et al. ''The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics'' vol. 307 no. 1 254-261</ref> the plant is sometimes marketed as a [[Panacea|miracle cure]]. Research is currently being carried out on the flower and its potential use in medicine. In the meantime, unless a [[German]] or [[Chinese]] doctor has prescribed you the drug, St. John's wort is an invasive weed which [[cranks]] effectively market as the cure for any malady their imagination can invent. "That will be $50 for the consultation and $20 for the capsules, please."

==Use in modern medicine==
The German health care system prescribes St. John's wort in some cases of depression as well as for burns and skin lesions.<ref name="acs"/> A [[meta-analysis]] of [[clinical trial]]s found that that St. John's wort extracts are more effective than a [[placebo]] in treating depression and similar to pharmaceuticals used to treat depression but with fewer side-effects.<ref>[https://summaries.cochrane.org/CD000448/DEPRESSN_st.-johns-wort-for-treating-depression. Review: St John’s wort superior to placebo and similar to antidepressants for major depression but with fewer side effects] Linde K, Berner M, Kriston L. St John’s wort for major depression. Cochrane Database ''Syst. Rev.'' 2008;4:CD000448.</ref> In 2000, the [[FDA]] advised against its use with certain drugs, pointing out that it can interfere with some medications.<ref>[http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm052238.htm FDA: Risk of Drug Interactions with St. John's Wort and Indinavir and other Drugs]</ref> It may worsen some mental conditions ([[ADHD]], [[schizophrenia]] and dementia) rather than alleviate symptoms.<ref>[http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/st-johns-wort University of Maryland Medical Center: St. John's wort]</ref>

==St. John's wort and woo==
Sold as capsules, tincture, or tea, St. John's wort is marketed as a mild cure for depression, but also for other diseases. Donnie Yance (a ''certified'' [[nutritionist]]), through a very scientificky-sounding analysis, claims that SJW has clear-cut amazing anti-cancer properties and is an effective cure for depression.<ref>[http://www.donnieyance.com/st-johns-wort-an-ally-against-cancer/ St. John’s Wort: An Ally Against Cancer]</ref> The citations given are for ''in vitro'' experiments (i.e., cells in a dish), which are not very impressive, really. More impressive would be ''in vivo'' (animal studies) or epidemiology (human) studies. However, without an overall analysis of studies, there's not much to conclude. Even known carcinogens can have anti-neoplastic effects in some circumstances.

According to Annie's Remedy, St. John's wort is a tonic for the entire nervous system.<ref>[http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail147.php St. Johns Wort Hypericum perforatum], ''Annie's Remedy''</ref> Dr. Pressman (a highly educated [[chiropractor]]) is absolutely gaga for St. John's wort and is convinced it can help you with fighting [[virus]]es. He even wrote a whole book about its unbelievable neuropathic capabilities.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150413094912/http://www2.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Schizophrenia&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1892 St. John's Wort: The Miracle Medicine by Alan H. Pressman, D.C. Review by David Seaman and Laura L. Post, M.D., for the NAMI Literature Committee] (Published April 1999; Archived April 13, 2015) ''National Alliance on Mental Illness''</ref> Can't find a [[Big Pharma]] chemical cure that works for herpes? You're in luck, because St. John's wort is proven to take care of those too. Tired of pre-menstrual cramps? St. John's wort. Need to sleep after watching a scary Stephen King movie? St. John's wort. Feeling [[Fun:Fart|gassy]] after visiting a Mexican food buffet? St. John's wort. Worried that none of these cures are effective? Don't worry &mdash; keep buying it and taking it, because it may take a really long time before they become effective.<ref>[http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/st-john-s-wort-is-new-herbal-miracle-drug/article_53f1ab3f-a44b-5fa7-9426-0d16b78b9db5.html St. John’s wort is new herbal miracle drug] by Ann Arbor Miller (December 14, 1997) ''Bozeman Daily Chronicle''</ref>

==Side effects and contraindications==
In vitro, St. John's wort was found to interfere with the action of the enzyme CYP3A4,<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC16574/ St. John's wort induces hepatic drug metabolism through activation of the pregnane X receptor]</ref> the same enzyme that grapefruit juice infamously interferes with. 

St. John's wort can dampen the effects of [[birth control]] pills, blood thinners and [[HIV]] and [[cancer]] drugs and heart disease drugs.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/st-johns-wort-can-cause-serious-side-effects/ St. John's wort can cause serious side effects] by Amy Norton (July 29, 2015) ''CBS News''</ref>

St. John's wort may interfere with drugs for contraception, as well as for depression and other diseases.<ref name="Lawvere">[http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Mahoney2/publication/7426926_St._John%27s_wort/links/540d8acc0cf2f2b29a386673.pdf St. John’s Wort] SILVANA LAWVERE, PH.D., and MARTIN C. MAHONEY, M.D., PH.D. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York.</ref> St. John's wort may have other, generally mild, side effects such as sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal upset, increased anxiety, minor palpitations, photosensitivity, fatigue, restlessness, dry mouth, and increased depression.<ref name="Lawvere" />

St John's wort duplicates the negative side effects of traditional anti-depressants, and if taken with traditional anti-depressants can radically increase the severity of those side effects.<ref>Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology: [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1440-1681.12424/abstract A comparison of patterns of spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting with St. John's Wort and fluoxetine during the period 2000–2013] Claire L Hoban, Roger W Byard and Ian F Musgrave.</ref>

==In traditional Chinese medicine==
In [[traditional Chinese medicine]], ''H. chinense'' (''jīn sī táo'' 金絲桃) has been used as an astrigent for "miasmatic" diseases and for snake bites.<ref name=stuart>[https://archive.org/details/chinesemateriame00stuauoft ''Chinese Materia Medica. 1. Vegetable Kingdom''] by G. A. Stuart (1911). Presbyterian Mission Press, revised from F. Porter Smith.</ref>

==See also==
*[[John the Baptist]] — for whom the plant was named among English speakers

==References==
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[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Chinese medicine]]
[[Category:Herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Plants]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Chinese medicine, Herbal medicine, Plants