Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Possible AIDS Treatment

Family: Hypericaceae; (includes Rose of Sharon)

Genus and Species: Hypericum Perforatum

Also known as: Hypericum

Parts used: Leaves and flowers

St. John’s Wort has been used in herbal Healing for more than 2,000 years, most notably for its ability to speed wound Healing. And only recently scientists have gathered some evidence on the herb’s possible effectiveness as an immune system stimulant.

But its most exciting potential medical use was discovered in 1988, when researchers at New York University and the Weizmann Institute found it has “dramatic” activity against a family of viruses that includes HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since then, some AIDS patients have reported “positive results” with the herb.

Saint’s Beheading

The leaves and flowers of St. John’s-wort contain special glands that release a red oil when pinched. Early Christians named the plant in honor of John the Baptist, because they believed it released its blood-red oil on August 29, the anniversary of the saint’s beheading (Wort is Old English for plant.)

In the first century, the Roman naturalist Pliny prescribed St-Iohn’s-wort in wine as a cure for the bites of poisonous snakes. And the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended it externally for burns and internally as a diuretic, menstruation promoter, and treatment for sciatica and recurring fevers (malaria). The Greeks and Romans also believed the herb was a protector against witches’ spells.

Christians adopted the pagan belief that St.-John’s-wort repelled evil spirits and burned it in bonfires on St. John’s Eve to purify the air, drive away evil spirits, and ensure healthy crops. This poem from around 1400 summed up the popular view:

St. Johns-wort doth charm all witches away
If gathered at midnight on the saint’s holy day.
Any devils and witches have no power to harm
Those that gather the plant for a charm.
Rub the lintels with that red juicy flower;
No thunder nor tempest will then have the power
To hurt or hinder your house; and bind
Round your neck a charm of a similar kind.

“A Most Precious Remedy”

Under the Doctrine of Signatures-the medieval belief that herbs’ physical appearance revealed their Healing value-red plants were believed to be good for wounds, and “the juicy red flower” of St-Iohn’s-wort was no exception. In the 16th century john Gerard recommended it as a “most precious remedy for deepe wounds,” and wrote the herb “provoketh urine and is right good against stone in the bladder.”

The first London Pnarmacopoeia in 16 18 advised chopping St.lohn’s-wort flowers, immersing them in oil, and placing the mixture in the sun for three weeks. The resulting tincture was a standard treatment for wounds and bruises for several hundred years.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called St.-Iohn’s-wort “a singular wound herb; boiled in wine and drank, it healeth inward hurts or bruises; made into an ointment, it opens obstructions, dissolves swellings, and closes up the lips of wounds …. [It] helpeth all manner of vomiting and spitting blood [tubercuiosis].”

Treatment for Wounds

Early colonists introduced St-John’s-wort into North America but found the Indians using the native American herb in much the same way Europeans used the Old World plant-as a tonic and treatment for diarrhea, fever, snakebite, wounds, and skin problems.

Nineteenth-century botanical medicine authority Charles Millspaugh, M.D., touted St-Iohn’s-wort’s value as a wound treatment during the Civil War.

Throughout the 19th century, homeopathy was as popular as orthodox medicine, and homeopaths prescribed the herb for a variety of ailments: wounds, asthma, bites, sciatica, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and certain forms of paralysis. Contemporary homeopaths continue this tradition.

America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians also considered St.-John’s-wort a useful wound treatment and tetanus preventive and advocated the whole herb as a treatment for “hysteria” (menstrual discomforts) because of its “undoubted power over the nervous system and spinal cord.”

A Question about Blisters

Contemporary herbalists are divided on St.-John’s-wort because in 1977 the Food and Drug Administration declared it unsafe. After eating large quantities, cattle often become overly sensitive to the sun (photosensitization) and develop severe sunburn with blistering. Several sources say the same is true for humans, especially those with fair skin.

One recent herbal says: “Internal use of St-Iohn’s-wort should be avoided.” Some herbals say those with fair skin should use St.-John’s-wort cautiously, but that other people don’t have to worry. Meanwhile, most herbals either ignore the issue or dismiss it, saying the plant has been used safely in herbal Healing for more than 2,000 years.

Herbalists unconcerned about the safety issue recommend St.John’s-wort externally for wound treatment and internally for sciatica, insomnia, menstrual cramps, headache, colds, chest congestion, and as a tranquilizer.

St John’s-wort has been intensively researched, mostly in Germany and the former Soviet Union. It contains high concentrations of some potential immune-modulating chemicals, known as flavonoids. St.John’s-wort also contains another substance, hypericin, that has antiviral and anti-depressive action. Other studies show antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects.

AIDS - One of St-John’s-wort’s most exciting effects is hypericin’s apparent activity against the AIDS virus.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows the herb has “dramatic activity and little toxicity” against viruses similar to HIV, the AIDS virus, in testtube and animal tests. Mice were infected with viruses that cause leukemia, then given a single injection of St.John’s wort extract. It “totally prevented disease.” The herb was equally effective when the mice received it orally. Preliminary laboratory tests indicated similar action against the HIV virus. The herb also crosses the blood/brain barrier, which is important in AIDS treatment because the virus often attacks the brain.

These findings caused some excitement among AIDS researchers, some of whom launched studies to test St.-John’swort in people with AIDS. As this book goes to press, those studies have not been completed. Since early 1989, however, the newsletter AIDS Treatment News has published case reports and surveys of AIDS sufferers, some of whom have experienced “significant improvement” using St.Johns-wort. including increased immune function, weight gain, improved appetite, and greater energy.

Such reports are heartening, but like all anecdotal information, they must be viewed cautiously. Until the scientific studies have been completed and replicated, St.John’s-wort cannot be considered an AIDS treatment. Nonetheless, preliminary results look promising.

AIDS patients enrolled in St.-John’s-wort studies do not use the bulk herb but rather a “standardized extract.” Standardization is crucial to the scientific acceptability of research results.

Wound Healing - Several studies have supported St.John’s-worts traditional use in wound Healing. The hypericin and other antibiotic chemicals in the herb’s red oil may help prevent wound infection. In addition, the plant’s potential immune-stimulating flavonoids help reduce wound inflammation. One German study showed that compared with conventional treatment, a St.John’s-wort ointment substantially cut the Healing time of burns and caused less scarring. (This product is not available in the United States.)

Anti-depressant - Hypericin appears to interfere with the activity of a chemical in the body known as monoamine oxidase (MAO), making it an MAO inhibitor. MAO inhibitors are an important class of antidepressant drugs. In a small German study, 15 women in treatment for depression obtained significant relief aftertaking St.-John’s-wort including increased appetite, greater interest in life, improved feelings of self-worth, and more normal sleep patterns. But St-John’swort is not an instant antidepressant. According to German medical herbalist Rudolph Fritz Weiss, M.D, the effect “does not develop quickly …. [It takes] two or three months.”

Rx for St.-John’s-Wort

For AIDS treatment, consult a physician for help in obtaining the standardized extracts or in getting enrolled in a clinical trial of the substance.

For wound treatment, apply crushed leaves and flowers to the affected area after you have cleaned it with soap and water.

For an infusion to help treat depression and possibly stimulate the immune system, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. St.-John’s-wort tastes initially sweet, then bitter and astringent.

In a tincture, use ¼ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. St.-John’s-wort should not be given to children under age 2.

For older children and people over 65, start with lowstrength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

In combination with certain foods and drugs, MAO inhibitors may cause dangerously increased blood pressure (hypertensive crisis). Symptoms include headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, and clammy skin. In recommended amounts, St.John’s-wort is not as powerful as pharmaceutical MAO-inhibitors. Nonetheless, those using the herb should follow certain precautions. While using St.John’s-wort. do not take amphetamines, narcotics, the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine, diet pills, asthma inhalants, nasal decongestants, or cold or hay fever medications. In addition, don’t drink beer. wine, or coffee, or eat salami, yogurt, chocolate, fava beans, or smoked or pickled items.

Shun the Sun

In livestock fed St.John’s-wort. the hypericin concentrates near the skin and causes blistering sunburn.

Laboratory animals injected with large doses of hypericin have died after exposure to sunlight.

The scientific consensus is that in recommended doses, whole St-John’s-wort causes little if any photosensitization except in fair-skinned people, who are generally more sensitive to sunlight. Those taking St-John’s-wort (like those taking the antibiotic tetracycline, another photosensitizing drug) should make an effort to stay out of the sun.

AIDS patients report the herb is relatively nontoxic, but some have reported drowsiness, sun sensitivity, nausea, and diarrhea.

Other Cautions

The FDA can’t make up its mind about St.-John’s-wort. After declaring it unsafe in 1977, the agency partially reversed its ruling and now allows the herb in vermouths.

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have hypertension and are not taking MAO inhibitors or any medications that interact adversely with them, St.Johns-wort is considered safe in amounts typically recommended. It should only be used, however, with the consent and supervision of a physician.

St.-John’s-wort should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If St.-John’s-wort causes headache, stiff neck, or nausea, use less or stop using it. If symptoms persist, consult your physician promptly.

Flowers That “Bleed”

St-John’s-wort is a woody, invasively spreading perennial that reaches 2 feet and has an aroma reminiscent of turpentine. Its leaves are dotted with glands that produce a red oil. Its striking star-shaped flowers bloom bright yellow in summer. They also contain the leaf oil, and when pinched, turn red. ‘

St.Johns-wort is best propagated from root divisions in spring or fall, It grows in almost any well-drained soil under full sun or partial shade. Contain the herb to control its spread. Although it is a perennial, St-John’s-wort is not particularly long lived. Replant it every few years.

Harvest the leaves and flower tops as the plants bloom.

Dry them and store in airtight containers.