St John’s wort (hypericum) is a short, yellow-flowering, wild-growing plant native to all parts of Britain and the majority of mainland Europe, western Asia and North Africa, growing prolifically in these areas. The name St. John probably refers to John the Baptist, whom tradition said was born on the summer solstice. It was claimed that the red spots visible on the underside of some of the herb’s leaves symbolised the blood of St. John, who was beheaded by Herod.

Hypericum has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. The renowned Greek herbalists of the 1st century – Pliny, Discorides and Hippocrates – all used this herb, while the ancient Greek scholar, Galen, described it as ‘the antidote to intestinal worms.’ Today the herb St John’s wort is made into capsules and other types of preparations and it has recently become an extremely popular natural treatment for depression.

How does hypericum work?

St John’s wort contains many different substances. Some are thought to be the active ingredients. How these chemicals actually work in the body is not clear. It is thought that they may alter the balance of some of the chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin, dopamine, and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Alterations in the balance of these neurotransmitters are thought to play some part in causing depression.

How effective is St John’s wort?

In Germany, where the majority of clinical research has been conducted, it is prescribed 50% of the time for mild to moderate depression. In comparison, Prozac is only prescribed 2% of the time; In the British Journal of Medicine twenty-three separate clinical trials have been published concerning Hypericum; And in the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is planning studies of its own. The general consensus seems to be that Hypericum is a promising treatment for mild to moderate depression. However for severe depression and cases of bipolar disorder Hypericum is not considered effective.

How quickly does St John’s wort work?

Findings suggest that 900 mg of St. John’s wort (450 mg two times daily or 300 mg three times daily) is needed to reduce symptoms of depression. Like prescription antidepressants, it takes 2-4 weeks for the effect of St John’s wort to build up fully.

Is it safe?

Some reported side effects from St John’s wort have been dry mouth, dizziness and increased sensitivity to sunlight.

St John’s wort should be taken with care if you are already on medication. So you should not take it if you are taking warfarin, cyclosporin, oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants, digoxin, theophylline, or certain anti-HIV drugs. This is because it may reduce the effect of these drugs. You should not take it at the same time as taking an SSRI antidepressant (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or a triptan drugs used for migraine (such as sumatriptan). Also, you should not take St John’s wort if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as it has not been proved to be safe in these situations.

The bottom line:

Hypericum is suitable for boosting mood and calming those who are anxious, but it should not be used for anything more than mild to moderate depression or states of anxiety.

(I use a good one in the clinic which contains around 300mg per capsule).

Plants that boost immunity are a crucial part of a medical herbalist’s treatment plan and echinacea is one of those few herbs that no herbalist would want to be without. There’s a good reason why. Increasingly, the benefits of this pretty plant, also known as Purple Coneflower, are becoming clear.

Originally, Echinacea was used by the Native American Indians. It grew on the Prairie and was used specifically for rattlesnake bites. The Indians made it clear to the Colonists that if they wanted to survive a rattlesnake bite, they should learn to identify this plant. Alfred Vogel, studying the medicine systems of the Native American, discovered echinacea and bought it back to Europe, where he used it to excellent effect to boost the immune system in a wide range of ailments.

Since then there have been extensive studies on echinacea, exploring its many actions. It has been shown to be antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory. It has even been used in long-term studies on victims of the Chernobyl disaster, improving the general function of their immune systems. For one thing, it contains echinacoside (a natural antibiotic, comparable to penicillin in effect) that can kill a broad range of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which makes it invaluable in wound healing and the treatment of infectious diseases. Research has also reported echinacea’s efficacy in treating colds, flu, bronchitis, tuberculosis, infections, etc.

Echinacea contains echinacein, a biochemical that protects against germ attack by neutralising the tissue dissolving enzyme, hyaluronidase, produced by many germs. Other studies show that echinacea contains substances that boost the ability of your body’s macrophages (from the Greek to mean ‘big eaters’) to engulf and digest germs. Further studies from the University of Munich have shown that echinacea boosts T-cell production by as much as 30% more than other immune boosting drugs. Despite all this research some have continued to doubt if echinacea really is all that effective at combating the common cold, but at long last it seems that scientists have finally come to the conclusion that it definitely does work.

In June 2007 an American team reviewed 14 studies and published their results in Lancet Infectious Diseases. The review, which combines the results of 14 previous studies, should finally give the seal of approval to the remedy. Doubts over its efficacy led Dr Craig Coleman and colleagues at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy to analyse clinical trials using echinacea for prevention or treatment of colds. They found it cut the chances of catching a cold by 58 per cent on average, including studies where volunteers were exposed to cold viruses under laboratory conditions. It was even more effective when used in real life natural settings, cutting the risk by 65 per cent. Overall, it cut the duration of a cold by 1.4 days among those using it as a treatment.

The length of time for which it was used ranged from a few days to several weeks. Only one of the studies combined echinacea with vitamin C, which showed the two together reduced the incidence of colds by 86 per cent. But the researchers could not definitely conclude whether the two supplements combined are more effective than echinacea alone.

So how does echinacea help us fight colds and flu as winter draws in?

Echinacea can help ward of winter colds by increasing the effectiveness with which your immune system recognises and deals with the bacteria and viruses that enter your body, preventing them from triggering an illness.

The anti-viral action of echinacea is one of its most exciting aspects, making it an ideal remedy for flu. Flu viruses tend to mutate very quickly, and the traditional medical response has often been antibiotics, which fight bacteria rather than viruses. Over-exposure to antibiotics has caused an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria but using echinacea to fight off a cold builds the immune system’s response to any virus, not just the challenge presented by this year’s virus. In other words, you’re less likely to catch the next bug doing the rounds.

Being anti-bacterial as well, it will also deal with any bacterial infections that complicate the disease picture. In addition, you can’t become resistant to echinacea in the same way that you can to antibiotics.

To sum up: Research has suggested that echinacea can boost immunity and help defeat colds and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as ‘flu. It is also anti-inflammatory, which makes it particularly effective against unpleasant winter sore throats, swollen glands and earache. With its ability to clear unfriendly micro-organisms from the system echinacea is also helpful to those whose asthma worsens in the cold weather.

Given the amount of evidence to suggest Echinacea’s immune boosting powers, without unpleasant or unsafe after effects, in my opinion it may be one of the best ways to build your defence against winter disease and whatever the chilly winds and rain throw down on you!

Directions for use: There are three common species of echinacea recognised for their medicinal value. These are the flower, stem and root of Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida and Echinacea purpurea, with the latter most often used in herbal remedies bought over the counter.

Echinacea is available in capsules, tinctures or as tea (not the most pleasant tasting). Tinctures are probably best for respiratory infections. For a sore throat, gargle with a dropperful (straight or diluted) and then swallow it. (Click here for vitamin C).

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were swift, effective, natural pain-relieving remedies so that you didn’t have to constantly resort to over the counter drugs or medications? Potentially, the repeated use of such drugs could damage your stomach lining, your liver and your kidneys, not to mention the fact that overdoses can be lethal.

For example, aspirin will tear up the lining of your stomach and you may not even know it is doing it until it is too late and painkillers containing paracetamol can damage the liver and kidneys after prolonged use. Fortunately, if you’re reluctant to take drugs or worried about the side effects or becoming too reliant on them you don’t have to just live with the pain: there are plenty of safe and pleasant herbal alternatives. Let me, therefore, review some of the best.

Let’s begin with herbs for headaches and migraines which are increasingly common as allergies and general tensions in our everyday lives increase. Regular doses of the herb feverfew may ease or prevent them altogether, especially if they are caused by stress. Feverfew dilates the blood vessels in the head, reversing the constriction that results from tensing the neck and shoulders when under stress. Taking it regularly may help stop you getting tension headaches; but you can also keep it on hand to take at the first warning sign of a migraine, as the tincture can get into the bloodstream fast enough to stave it off.

Chamomile is known to be a good headache helper. It is naturally relaxing and can help with the upset stomach and nausea that migraines can cause. Because it is a mild sedative it can help a person relax during a headache, which often helps to ease the pain. There are different kinds of Chamomile, English and German being the most common; with the German variety being used the most often. It can be taken in pill form or drunk as tea. Chamomile is considered one of the safest herbs we use and is also great for easing menstrual aches and pains.

Sciatica, shingles, trapped nerves and general nerve pain all respond to the action of Hypericum (St John’s wort). The oil or tincture can be applied topically to the affected area and the tincture can be taken internally. Not only does it calm nerve pain quickly, but it can boost your mood at the same time as studies show that St John’s Wort is an effective antidepressant. For shingles, it has the added advantage of working against the virus that causes this painful condition. If you are prone to cold sores, it will help protect you against those too.

There are further remedies for specific types of pain. For many years Harpagophytum (Devil’s Claw) has been used as an anti-inflammatory. Additionally, there are no side effects connected to this remedy; it does not harm the stomach lining as many conventional anti-inflammatories do. Devil’s Claw, in both tincture and capsule form, is used for arthritic and rheumatic pains, being especially effective for rheumatoid arthritis as well as repetitive strain injury.

Another herb that is helpful for arthritis pain as well as back pain is ginger. Ginger is a delicious flavouring spice with warming effects. It increases circulation of the blood and lymph fluid. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used as a general pain killer, due to its ability to move “qi,” or energy. Ginger contains several chemical constituents which make it useful for pain, including zingabain. Ginger can help by taking it internally or using it externally as a compress on the painful area. Scientific studies have found that ginger is an extremely useful herb to ease pain and reduce swelling.

If you are looking for something to rub on the outside as well or instead of Devil’s Claw, try Arnica in gel form, made of organically grown flower heads from a sustainable source. Known for its effects on bruising for centuries, recent research has highlighted its effectiveness in reducing pain and inflammation in arthritic joints.

Finally, you can also use the good old earth’s natural “aspirins” for the pain of a headache and other general aches and pains. Willow bark and meadowsweet are the two most common herbs used instead of aspirin and won’t irritate the stomach like aspirin. In fact meadowsweet is used for the pain of stomach ulcers.

White willow bark can be used to relieve both chronic and acute pain and is therefore helpful in easing conditions from lower back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and neuralgia to headaches, toothache and menstrual pain. It is also effective in reducing fever, related to colds and influenza. The helpful ingredient in these herbs is salicin that turns into salicylic acid in the stomach that helps with the pain. It reduces the pain and/or eliminates the pain by reducing pain producing prostaglandins. (A good combination of anti-inflammatory herbs is Boswellia Plus).