Jean Carper
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 Donald Brown of Seattle advises against taking kava in combination with any substances that have an effect on the central nervous system; this includes alcohol, prescription drugs, such as tranquilizers and antidepressants, and botanical medicines, such as st. john's wort and Valerian.
Special caution: Although kava is not addictive as alcohoi, illicit drugs, and some pharmaceuticals are, the possibility of kava abuse is real. In excessive doses kava can cause signs of drunkenness. Recently a man was arrested in Salt Lake City for driving under the influence of kava. |
| John's wort and author of the book Hypericum & Depression, for updates on st. john's wort products and research. The website is http://www.hypericum.com.
Astonishing
Pill
(GINKGO)
It's a potent brain medicine that can save your failing memory, if you take it early enough. Don't wait until it's too late.
When memory seems less sharp, or other signs of impending mental decline set in with age, most people feel helpless and hopeless, caught in humanity's fateful "seventh age"—that relentless march toward "senility" that presumably cannot be halted. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 An investigation of the type of photosensiti-sation caused by the ingestion of st. john's wort (Hypericum perforatum) by calves. J Comp Pathol. 1981; 91:135-141.
27. De Maat Bleeker F. Etiology of hypersensitivity reactions following Chinese or Indonesian meals. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde 1992; 136(5): 229-232
28. Zuskin E, Kanceljak B, Skuric Z et al. Immunological and respiratory findings in spice-factory workers. Environmental Research 1988; 47(1): 95-108
29. Macgregor FB, Abernethy VE, Dahabra S, Cobden I, Hayes PC, Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. |
American Medical Publishing
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| The herb was a very common folk remedy that had been known about and used in Europe for hundreds of year — st. john's wort. "Wort" is just another word for "flower." St, John's flower is a common plant which blooms with a yellow flower typically in the spring. When the flower is dried, crushed and processed into pill form, it taken as a food supplement or medication to treat the blues. |
| Many natural substances may work as well, or better, including st. john's wort.
No 22 - Amoxil - Another penicillin antibiotic.
Biggest danger is allergic reaction, which can be minor, or a serious as death. This drug can counter the effects of oral contraceptives. If you don't want to get pregnant, don't take this drug while you are on the pill. Allergic reactions are made stronger by beta-blockers. May increase the effect of blood thinners, such as aspirin. If you take the drug with fruit juice or a carbonated beverage, it will not be effective. |
| Many natural substances may work as well, or better, including st. john's wort.
But how about a common sense approach to fighting depression, rather than turning to a pill? Maybe it's best to just keep it simple. If you feel bad — that's it then — you just feel bad. Don't go out and pay a psychologist $50 per hour for six months to reach the same conclusion, or experiment with Prozac and its 252 side effects! Just acknowledge it without trying to draw any deep meaning from it. You know how you feel. |
| The report said: "When st. john's wort and the protease inhibitor indinavir are taken together, the levels of indinavir in the blood drop dramatically," said the study's principal investigator, clinical pharmacokineticist Dr. Stephen Piscitelli of the NIH Clinical Center's Pharmacy Department. "When the body eliminates the antriviral drug too quickly," he also said, there can be a loss of therapeutic benefit."
Another AIDS researcher, Dr. Judith Falloon of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), added: "St. |
Jean Carper
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| I could feel the effect of the st. john's wort even faster than Dr. Bloomfield said I would. It was a smooth transition.
"I feel tremendously normal. It sounds so ordinary, but when you've had a history of chronic pain and depression, to feel normal is like feeling high! It's a wonderful feeling. I don't feel drugged; I feel very healthy. I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face, which has not happened in years and years and years, even on the Paxil. It's like my old personality from a long time ago is here again." She is also off painkillers. |
| Tf you suffer from mild to moderate depression, before Xyou opt for the heavy brain artillery of strong antidepressants with hazardous side effects and a hefty price tag, you may want to consider a remedy successfully used and extensively tested in Europe—a plant extract called st. john's wort, or hypericum. It's the drug of choice for common depression in Germany, where it outsells all other antidepressants combined and outsells Prozac by more than seven to one. Every year German doctors write about 3 million prescriptions for St. |
| For example, one chemical in st. john's wort, hypericin, works as an antidepressant, but a broader extract of the plant works even better.
Dr. Rudi Bauer, a leading researcher on echinacea in Dusseldorf, Germany, recently spoke at a London meeting of the Society for Economic Botany on the growing scientific consensus that one constituent of a plant cannot explain its medicinal powers. More likely, he said, the improvement comes from "a synergistic effect of several diverse compounds. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 New London and Colchester, Connecticut, likes combining the soothing, anti-inflammatory properties of calendula and st. john's wort with a simple face lotion such as Eucerin.
Fill a 4-ounce screw-top jar almost to the brim with lotion and squirt in approximately 1 teaspoon of each of the herbal oils. "The exact amount isn't important," says Dr. Miller. Just be sure to mix the lotion well, as the oils have a tendency to separate out.
Jojoba
Apply this gentle oil directly to your face. |
Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S.
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 JOHN'S WORT The oil form of an herb known as st. john's wort has been used by people with arthritis to lessen the pain of this affliction, as well as that of rheumatism.
SPIKENARD The Cherokee Indians make the powdered root of the Aralia racemosa ("spikenard" — also called "Indian root" and "life-of-man") into a tea to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They also pound the root and apply it as a poultice to painful areas of the body.
WlLLOW For thousands of years, the bark of the willow tree has been used to treat arthritis. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 Take 500 milligrams twice a day.
¦ st. john's wort gently alters brain chemistry in such a way as to improve mood and ease depression. Start by taking one 300-milligram capsule of standardized extract containing 0.3 percent hypericin daily. At two-week intervals, you can add another 300-milligram capsule, taken at a different time of day (up to a total of three to four capsules a day), until you achieve the desired effect.
¦ Siberian ginseng improves the balance of important neurotransmitters (including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) in the brain. |
American Medical Publishing
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| Overall, the jury is still out on st. john's wort, and its supposed ability to treat depression.. Most likely, this herb has a small capability to lift the mood of people who are not seriously depressed,and in some cases, it may even be a good choice for people with true clinical depression. |
| This research is important because it demonstrates that a common agent such as st. john's wort may have unsuspected adverse effects on the function of a drug essential to the health of a very vulnerable population."
Indinavir belongs to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors. These drugs are among the most potent agents available for treating HIV infection and have been shown to prolong survival and slow the progression of the disease. Substances in both St. |
Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S.
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| John's wort In oil form, st. john's wort is believed to have antibacterial and astringent properties when used topically to treat cuts.
Sassafras The sassafras root is an effective wound treatment. Boil the root in water and bathe your wound in the steam. The volatile oil in sassafras is both a painkiller and an antiseptic.
DANDRUFF
Dandruff is not a disease. It's a normal function of your skin which occurs when your scalp sheds dead cells. White flakes fall as new cells are pushed up from deeper skin layers. |
| John's wort is now used in Europe as a natural antidepressant. St. John's wort's red color comes from a compound called hypericine, which research has shown to be effective in reducing
Helpful Hints
Researchers have found some simple ways that you can help protect yourself from depression.
¦ Eliminate sugars and refined foods from your diet. Sweeten foods with a limited amount of fructose. And drink fruit juices which have been diluted 50 percent with water.
¦ Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and foods which contain chemical additives like colorings, preservatives or artificial flavorings. |
Dr. John Heinerman
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 Also, administering small doses of st. john's wort tincture or fluid extract (no more than eight drops at a time) helps to control unnecessary provocation. Be sure, though, that the liquid solution you use is alcohol-free.
Manifested Aggression
In his other book, The Dog Who Loved Too Much (New York: Bantam Books, 1997), Dr. Dodman addresses some of the issues that might make a normally friendly dog become mean and ill-tempered. Fear or anger are the main factors for bringing about these changes. An animal "is frightened by loud noises" or can "suffer from separation anxiety. |
| Giving a dog some fluid extract of st. john's wort (10-20 drops daily) or several capsules (3) of valerian root may help to prevent the continuation of this problem. Making sure the animal is happy and never left alone for very long are of equal consideration here. Providing an ample number of chewable toys is another way of alleviating this situation.
So Human an Animal
Scientists engaged in the study of certain species of animals around the world have reported seeing a surprising number of human characteristics in many of them. |
| Tincture of st. john's wort (six drops to one-half cup water) relaxes a feline or torn. Skullcap herb (one capsule emptied into food and mixed) calms the nervous system. Formulas containing valerian and hops or nutrients such as essential amino acids and B-complex vitamins regulate hyperactivity, aggression, and mood disorders in cats. (See Product Appendix under Holistic Animal Care.)
Animal Therapy Good for People
A great deal of research has been done with the effects of animal companionship on the elderly. |
Gale Maleskey
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 A Pair of Antiviral Herbs
Medicinal herbs such as echinacea and st. john's wort can also speed healing, lessen the severity, and shorten the duration of cold sores, says Dr. Traub.
Echinacea strengthens the immune system. It also increases the levels of a chemical called properdin, which activates the part of the immune system responsible for shoring up defense mechanisms against viruses and bacteria.
Dr. Traub recommends taking one 300-milligram capsule of echinacea four times a day during a cold sore outbreak. |
| If it's mild, st. john's wort may be all you need."
Making a Comeback
Botanical medicines are making a comeback in America. Before the 1940s, many doctors were still prescribing phytomedicines for health problems, but that all changed with the advent of antibiotics during World War II. Considered "wonder drugs" because of their remarkable ability to fight bacterial infections, antibiotics spawned a whole new generation of pharmaceuticals specifically targeted to mow down bacteria. Plant-based medicines quickly fell out of favor. |
| For thousands of years, people considered st. john's wort a magic herb with supernatural powers, as implied by its Latin name, Hypericum perforatum, which means "over an apparition." Loaded with do-good potency, it was considered powerful medicine against evil spirits and protection against demonic possession. Herbalists called it the Devil's Scourge and prescribed it as a nerve tonic and to relieve depression. |
| Keeping the Good Stuff Flowing
Exactly how st. john's wort elevates mood isn't clear, but the mechanism is probably much like that of prescription antidepressant drugs, says Woodson Merrell, M.D., a specialist in alternative and complementary medicine and assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.
Chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters are used by nerve cells to communicate with one another. When the levels of some neurotransmitters fall, depression can set in. St. |
Andrew L. Stoll
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 Although st. john's wort has little danger associated with its pharmacological activity, one distinct hazard is the risk of self-treatment of major depression. This is dangerous because major depression is a potentially lethal condition due to the risk of suicide. Self-treatment of major depression with suicidal features is a hazardous undertaking. Part of the danger stems from the observation that in some depressed patients who are actually responding to an antidepressant, the early period of recovery is the most dangerous time. |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| If you are taking a prescription drug for depression, ask your doctor about st. john's wort before starting the herb. Also be aware that when taken in large doses for prolonged periods, this herb may cause sun sensitivity, especially in fair-skinned people.
Kava
Kava (Piper methysticum) is nature's answer to tranquilizers and other medications used to treat anxiety. The roots of this plant, which is native to the South Pacific islands, contain unique phy-tochemicals called kavalactones. These work on the limbic system of the brain to produce a sense of calm and peacefulness. |
Jean Carper
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| Much of the high-quality testing of natural remedies used in the United States and throughout the world, including st. john's wort (an antidepressant herb), valerian (an antianxiety herb), and echinacea (an antiviral herb), has been conducted in Germany.
In Germany the scientific-regulatory establishment simply has a different attitude toward the possibilities of natural remedies. While we focus almost entirely on strong pharmaceuticals, German scientists also constantly investigate natural alternatives. |
Gale Maleskey
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| To get the benefits of st. john's wort, Dr. Boggs suggests taking 300 milligrams two or three times a day with meals. Look for a standardized extract containing 0.3 percent hypericin. birth defects
Most people think that conception is the simple, no-planning-necessary part of having a baby. That's not quite right. Doctors say that if you want to ensure a healthy baby, you should start planning months before conception by eating a diet jam-packed with fruits and vegetables.
That little fertilized egg has a long way to go in nine months. It has to grow and divide. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 In another open pilot study, eighteen HIV patients (three classified as CDC [Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA] II, eight as CDC III, four as CDC IV B, and three as CDC IV CI) were treated solely with standardized st. john's wort extract (weekly intravenous injection and daily oral intake) providing a daily intake of 2 milligrams of hypericin.22 The sixteen patients with good compliance showed stable or even increasing absolute helper T cell counts over the 40 months of observation. Also, the helper-to-suppressor T cell ratio showed an improvement in the majority of these patients. |
| In one study, st. john's wort extracts providing approximately 1 milligram of hypericin per day were studied in thirty-one patients.21 Baseline and four monthly measurements, including physical examination, T cell subsets, and other laboratory parameters, were performed. Concomitant use of azi-dothymidine (AZT) and other treatments was permitted. The results of the study were encouraging. In the subgroup of ten patients who took no AZT either before or during the study ("AZT virgins"; none had AIDS), the mean helper T cell count increased 13 percent from baseline after 1 month on St. |
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