St. John's wort increases or decreases blood pressure: can it be used for hypertension?

Many people now suffer from high blood pressure, but hypotension (low blood pressure) is no less important. Of course, medicine does not stand still and offers a wide range of drugs for both hypertension and hypotension. But some people prefer to try traditional medicine first. Of the many medicinal herbs, one of the most popular is St. John's wort. It remains to be seen whether St. John's wort increases or decreases blood pressure so as not to harm the body. Because both high and low blood pressure are dangerous for humans. To do this, you need to consider all the medicinal properties of this plant and find out its effect on the body.

Composition and pharmacological capabilities of a natural antibiotic

St. John's wort contains important acids and vitamins for the human body.

St. John's wort has been used for a long time as a medicinal plant. It has always been a favorite remedy among herbalists because it is believed that St. John's wort helps with 99 diseases. Otherwise, this herb is called “bloodgrass”, “red grass” due to its red pollen, which remains on the fingers after rubbing the flowers.

This medicinal plant blooms from July to September, so there is enough time to collect it. The actions of St. John's wort are quite varied:

antiseptic;
antibacterial;
astringent;
painkiller;
choleretic;
diuretic;
regenerating;
wound healing.

St. John's wort has small yellow flowers that have a pleasant scent. The top of the plant is used to brew healing tea. The herb is dried in a dark, dry place, then crushed and brewed as tea. They also make infusions, decoctions, etc. An oil infusion is made from the flowers, which is used externally for skin diseases. Since St. John's wort has antiseptic properties, you can apply a decoction of it as a lotion to sores, ulcers, and boils.

This healing plant has the ability to stop bleeding, improve digestion, elevate mood and even fight depression. There is a well-known medical drug “Negrustin”, which is made from St. John’s wort. St. John's wort tea is also drunk for choleretic disorders and for the formation of stones in the gall bladder and kidneys.

For a long time, St. John's wort has been used as a natural antibiotic for pneumonia, bronchitis, tracheitis, and sinusitis. The decoction can be used to gargle for tonsillitis and stomatitis. If a tooth hurts, the decoction should be kept in the mouth until the pain disappears (in cases where it is temporarily impossible to visit the dentist).

St. John's wort has such healing properties due to its composition. He contains:

essential oils;
flavonoids;
coumarins;
tannins;
saponins;
carotene;
resin;
choline;
alkaloids;
hypericin;
vitamins in large quantities;
microelements, etc.

Among the vitamins contained in St. John's wort, one can highlight: C, E, P. Microelements: calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, etc.

But, of course, it’s impossible to take it uncontrollably. Firstly, because each plant has a number of contraindications and side effects. Secondly, before taking it, you should find out whether St. John's wort increases blood pressure.

Effect on pressure

The most important healing effect of St. John's wort on blood pressure is its antidepressant and sedative effect. The substances that make up the plant have a beneficial effect on the psyche and help relieve nervous tension, so a person’s blood pressure does not increase.

Some ingredients in St. John's wort slow down the absorption of neurotransmitters (including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine), which helps the body protect itself from stress. According to doctors, stress is one of the risk factors for high blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Therefore, by minimizing its effect on the human body, blood pressure is normalized. Doctors' recommendations for taking this plant for hypertension relate to a disease that is caused primarily by psychological reasons.

We recommend that you read the medicinal properties of the herb Mother and Stepmother

St. John's wort and blood pressure

St. John's wort is useful for low blood pressure.
To understand how St. John's wort affects blood pressure, you need to understand its effect on the heart and blood vessels. The healing herb has a tonic effect, therefore, it is more useful for low blood pressure than for high blood pressure. It is known that St. John's wort increases blood pressure if you take strong decoctions and infusions from this herb for a long time. And the effect of St. John's wort on blood pressure itself is minimal.

So you should not take St. John's wort in large quantities for a long time if you have hypertension. For example, for hypertension, you can drink no more than two glasses of St. John's wort infusion per day. And the alcohol tincture of St. John's wort should be drunk no more than 100 drops per day, and the blood pressure will not rise.

In small doses, decoctions and infusions of St. John's wort have a calming effect, reducing anxiety and irritability. Tannins contained in large quantities in this plant help relieve stress, reduce blood clots, dilate blood vessels, and rid the body of excess fluid. Therefore, it can be assumed that St. John's wort in small doses is also useful for high blood pressure.

Active substances

This is one of the most popular herbs used in folk medicine due to its positive effects on the body. The herb is versatile and can be used to solve many health problems. Flowers and greens contain tannins, glycosides (hyperoside, rutin, quercetin), essential oils, and resins. The reddish substance oozing from the flowers is called hypericin. The plant contains some organic acids, vitamins A and C.

Contraindications for treatment with St. John's wort

Despite the fantastic usefulness of this plant, St. John's wort, like other herbs, has a number of contraindications. Infusions and decoctions of St. John's wort are not recommended for:

personal intolerance;
persistent hypertension;
liver enlargement;
lack of appetite;
erectile dysfunction;
constipation;
allergies.

Women who take oral contraceptives should not use St. John's wort because this plant reduces the effect of COCs, and as a result, an unwanted pregnancy may occur. It is also not recommended to drink St. John's wort in the summer for people with fair skin who are prone to sunburn. You should not sunbathe in direct sunlight immediately after using St. John's wort.

Nursing mothers should not drink St. John's wort tea, because breast milk acquires a bitter taste, and the baby may have tummy problems after this. St. John's wort should not be used by those taking antibiotics or heart medications.

Children can drink infusions and decoctions of St. John's wort only from the age of twelve. It can be used externally in children from the age of five, applied to wounds, and added to the bath when bathing.

Men with prostatitis can take St. John's wort only under the supervision of a doctor, because the plant, while increasing testosterone levels, can simultaneously cause problems with potency. After stopping taking St. John's wort, this function is usually restored.

People with mental disorders taking antidepressants are not recommended to take St. John's wort because taking them together may cause hallucinations, loss of consciousness, or coma in rare cases.

The best natural antiseptic

The antimicrobial properties of the plant allow us to call it the best antiseptic created by nature. This quality is used for therapy:

staphylococci;
Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
festering wounds;
abscesses;
gingivitis;
stomatitis;
acute and chronic tonsillitis;
tonsillitis.

To combat pathogenic microbes, it is used as decoctions and tinctures for internal use and mouth rinses. Ointments, concentrated infusions and oil extracts from flowers and leaves are used for external treatment of ulcers and all kinds of inflammation.

Excessive internal ingestion of St. John's wort products can lead to side effects. Therefore, the amount of decoction allowed for use within one day is 500 ml. The maximum volume of alcohol tincture that will not have a negative effect on the body is 100 drops.

Contraindications and side effects

Even with all its beneficial properties, this healing plant can be harmful if used incorrectly. For example, if you drink St. John's wort tea and go sunbathing, sunburn can easily occur.

If you drink an infusion or decoction of St. John's wort while taking antibiotics, you can get the opposite of the therapeutic effect. This is explained by the fact that St. John's wort quickly removes all harmful substances from the body, as well as medications, so there will be no sense in taking medications.

If you drink St. John's wort in large doses, intoxication may occur. It manifests itself in the following symptoms:

nausea;
weakness;
drowsiness;
headache;
vomit;
dizziness;
pain in the stomach or right hypochondrium;
diarrhea.

In this case, you need to stop taking St. John's wort and rinse your stomach, drink activated charcoal or another enterosorbent. In severe cases, medical attention may be required.

If there is a personal intolerance to St. John's wort, then an allergy will occur when taken externally or internally. If you have skin rashes, you should stop taking St. John's wort. If shortness of breath occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

If you exceed the dosage and drink too strong St. John's wort tea, you may experience problems with the stomach and intestines. Therefore, if you experience abdominal pain after taking St. John's wort, you should urgently see a doctor.

And it was already said above that when using St. John's wort in high doses for a long time, blood pressure may rise. So you should be careful when taking St. John's wort, especially for hypertensive patients.

Folk recipes

For a long time, people have noticed the beneficial properties of this plant and actively used it to treat many diseases. It was taken orally as an antibacterial agent when antibiotics had not yet been invented.

Grandmother herbalists valued this plant very highly and used it to treat:

cough;
gout;
diseases of the stomach and intestines;
blues;
joint pain;
back pain;
insomnia, etc.

Many potions necessarily included St. John's wort. Below are several ways to use this healing herb.

St. John's wort tea

St. John's wort decoction has calming properties and is an excellent stress reliever.

This healthy drink is used for the following diseases:

depression;
nervous disorders, anxiety;
hypertension of the first and second degrees;
insomnia;
indigestion, etc.

It is very easy to prepare:

Before brewing, the kettle is rinsed with boiling water.
For ten grams of dried flowers and leaves, take a glass of boiling water.
Pour boiling water over and leave for five minutes.

It is recommended to drink only freshly brewed tea, because over time it loses its beneficial properties and pleasant taste. You can add other herbs to this tea, for example: oregano or mint. Honey is also added to tea for taste.

St. John's wort tea is drunk in courses, with a break between them. It is best to drink it before meals three times a day.

Alcohol tincture

In the initial stages of hypertension, alcohol tincture of St. John's wort is sometimes used. To do this you will need a bottle of vodka or homemade moonshine, you can also use alcohol.

For 100 grams of dry grass you will need half a liter of alcohol or vodka. The medicine is infused for 21 days; it is important to place the tincture in a dark place.

There is also another way to prepare an alcohol tincture: a three-liter jar is filled to the top with flowers and leaves of St. John's wort, then filled with alcohol or vodka.

Close the jar with a lid and place it in a warm place. After 2 weeks, when the tincture turns red, you need to remove and squeeze out the herb, strain the tincture and pour into another container, which is tightly closed and placed in a cool place.

Oil infusion

Oil infusion has a beneficial effect on hypertension

The oil tincture is drunk at the initial stage of hypertension. There are several ways to prepare it. The most common way:

You need to take 3 tbsp. spoons of grass.
Pour a glass of vegetable oil.
Infuse for three weeks, shaking the container every day.
When the infusion appears red, strain and close tightly with a lid.

The dose of this infusion should be prescribed by a doctor.

Foot bath

This method is used for hypertensive crises simultaneously with antihypertensive drugs. Take 100 grams of grass for 5 liters of water and add hot water. After the water has cooled a little, you need to lower your feet there. If you start to feel dizzy, take your legs out and measure your blood pressure.

St. John's wort decoction

This method is used to treat the initial stage of hypertension, it strengthens blood vessels, prevents strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots. You can add other herbs to it (chamomile, immortelle, oregano, etc.)

To prepare the decoction you will need a thermos. You need to take a tablespoon of each herb, chop it, mix it, then put one spoonful of the mixture in a thermos and pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for an hour, then strain. Take a glass before bedtime.

Medicines based on it

St. John's wort lowers blood pressure if you follow the recipe rules:

Tincture. To prepare, take 1 tbsp. spoon of chopped herbs and add 1 cup of boiling water. Heat in a water bath for 10 – 15 minutes. Let sit and cool. Strain the resulting solution. Take 1/3 of a glass half an hour before meals 3 times a day.
Tea. To prepare tea, take 1 tbsp. spoon of the plant and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Heat in a water bath for 10 - 15 minutes. Let cool and strain the resulting liquid. Drink 1/3 of a glass after meals.
Ointment. To make the ointment you will need 10 g of fresh plant leaf and 10 g of sage leaf. The plants are finely chopped and ground with lard (50 g). Then squeeze through cheesecloth and store in the refrigerator in a closed container.
Oil. For 5 cups of fresh St. John's wort leaf and flower, take 200 ml of vegetable oil. The oil is infused for 3 weeks, after which it is pressed and filtered.

Preparation and storage of St. John's wort

The grass is collected during its flowering period; for this purpose, the top is cut off to about 20 cm. It is dried in a place protected from light; you can spread the grass under a canopy or hang it from the ceiling. The temperature in the room where St. John's wort is dried should not be higher than 40 degrees. When the grass becomes brittle and acquires a peculiar smell, you need to remove it and put it in cotton bags. St. John's wort can be stored for no more than three years.

Of course, before using any of these recipes, you should consult your doctor. Self-medication has never benefited anyone!

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St. John's wort and preparations based on it are not used specifically for the treatment of low or high blood pressure. It is much more effective to take it for the treatment of nervous system disorders, elimination of purulent processes, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, kidneys and gall bladder. If you have hypertension, it is better to refuse treatment with this medicinal herb, choose another remedy, or take infusions of medicinal herbs strictly under the supervision of a doctor.