St. John's Wort Benefits, Uses, Side Effects According to Ayurveda

Metabolic Nature of St. John's Wort

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
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CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

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LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

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TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.

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BITTER

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Bitter taste has cholagogue action - it is cold, clear, light, and stimulating. It increases digestive enzymes and is laxative, and drying.

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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

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DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
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PACIFIES

AGGRAVATES

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
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PACIFIES

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

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PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

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SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

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AGGRAVATES

CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

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Other

Moves Energy:

Upward

UPWARD

Upward-moving substances (Urdvha Gati Marga) include anything stimulating or activating, or that move upward in the body.

SEE ALL 'UPWARD' FOODS / HERBS

Tissue (dhatu):

Nerves

NERVES

Marrow tissue (Majja Dhatu) includes bone marrow and nervous tissue.

SEE ALL 'NERVES' FOODS / HERBS

Affinity:

Mind Stress Sleep

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of St. John's Wort
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

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Cleanse & Detox:

Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

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Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS

Neuroprotective

STRONG NEUROPROTECTIVE

Repairs / restores damaged nerves. Protects nerve health.

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Analgesic

ANALGESIC

Pain reliever, reduces pain without eliminating sensation. Also known as anodyne.

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Antidepressant

ANTIDEPRESSANT

Herbs that lift feelings of depression, benefit the mind and improve mental function.

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Anxiolytic

ANXIOLYTIC

Herbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.

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Boosts Gaba

BOOSTS-GABA

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, reduces nerve excitability. It is the body's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Thus, it promotes relaxation, calm, and sleep.

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Brain Tonic

BRAIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the brain and thereby enhances memory or other cognitive functions and improves mental stamina or stability.

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Dopaminergic

DOPAMINERGIC

Dopamine lifts mood, but also reduces prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and lutenizing hormone (LH).

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Nerve Growth Tonic

NERVE-GROWTH-TONIC

Stimulate neurite / axon growth, promotes regeneration.

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Nervine

NERVINE

Balances the nervous system. They can help with stress, memory, early alzheimer's, and even chronic pain. Often they are aromatic in nature.

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Serotonergic

SEROTONERGIC

The feel-good hormone. Also includes serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

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Energy Vitality:

Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:

Photosensitizing

STRONG PHOTOSENSITIZING

Causes sensitivity to ultaviolet light - useful in psoriasis and cancers.

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Vulnerary

VULNERARY

An herb used for the treatment of wounds (antiulcer, connective tissue tonic).

SEE ALL 'VULNERARY' FOODS / HERBS

Respiratory-Health:

Expectorant

EXPECTORANT

Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.

SEE ALL 'EXPECTORANT' FOODS / HERBS

Immune System:

Antimicrobial

STRONG ANTIMICROBIAL

An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.

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Antiviral

STRONG ANTIVIRAL

Herbs that inhibit the development of viral infections. Antivirals also can be found in essential oils of some herbs, such as eucalyptus oil.

SEE ALL 'ANTIVIRAL' FOODS / HERBS

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

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Heart & Circulation:

Calms Heart

CALMS-HEART

An herb that literally calms the heart. These herbs are helpful in the treatment of anxiety, sadness, depression, or other emotional imbalances in the heart. Related to the Chinese Herbal Category 'calms spirit.'

SEE ALL 'CALMS-HEART' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Thinner

BLOOD-THINNER

Herbs that thin the blood. Helpful for people with heart disease or clogged circulation.

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Vessel Tonic

VESSEL-TONIC

An herb that improves the tone and integrity of blood vessel walls. This is helpful in easy bruising.

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Strength, Muscle Health:

Antispasmodic

ANTISPASMODIC

Herbs that reduce or inhibit muscle spasms or cramping, such as in asthma, menstruation, heart palpitations, migraine, or IBS.

SEE ALL 'ANTISPASMODIC' FOODS / HERBS

Other:

Bladder Qi Deficiency

Constituents:

Tannins,

Flavonoids

FLAVONOIDS

Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect.

SEE ALL 'FLAVONOIDS' FOODS / HERBS

Polyphenols

POLYPHENOLS

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants seen in many fruits and vegetables. There are more than 8,000 types.

SEE ALL 'POLYPHENOLS' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to St. John's Wort

Turmeric

Turmeric has these Actions in Common
Analgesic, Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant, Serotonergic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-thinner, Nerve-growth-tonic, Vulnerary, Antimicrobial, Brain-tonic, Neuroprotective
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Chamomile

Chamomile has these Actions in Common
Analgesic, Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-thinner, Nervine, Antispasmodic, Boosts-gaba, Vulnerary
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Rosemary

Rosemary has these Actions in Common
Antimicrobial, Brain-tonic, Neuroprotective, Analgesic, Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant, Antidepressant, Antiviral, Nervine
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Turmeric Root (Fresh)

Turmeric Root (Fresh) has these Actions in Common
Analgesic, Brain-tonic, Neuroprotective, Anti-inflammatory, Internal-detoxicant, Serotonergic, Antimicrobial, Nerve-growth-tonic, Vulnerary
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Cloves

Cloves has these Actions in Common
Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant, Analgesic, Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Antimicrobial, Expectorant, Nervine
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Garlic

Garlic has these Actions in Common
Antispasmodic, Blood-thinner, Vulnerary, Antiviral, Expectorant, Antimicrobial, Anxiolytic, Internal-detoxicant
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Sage

Sage has these Actions in Common
Expectorant, Nervine, Analgesic, Internal-detoxicant, Neuroprotective, Antidepressant, Nerve-growth-tonic, Vulnerary
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Ginger (Fresh)

Ginger (Fresh) has these Actions in Common
Analgesic, Blood-thinner, Nervine, Anti-inflammatory, Brain-tonic, Neuroprotective, Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant
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Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds has these Actions in Common
Brain-tonic, Nervine, Analgesic, Expectorant, Vulnerary, Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant
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Green Tea

Green Tea has these Actions in Common
Antidepressant, Boosts-gaba, Antiviral, Nerve-growth-tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-thinner, Neuroprotective
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Beets

Beets has these Actions in Common
Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant, Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-thinner, Vessel-tonic
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Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to St. John's Wort

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common
Brain-tonic, Nerve-growth-tonic, Analgesic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Anti-inflammatory, Nervine, Antidepressant, Neuroprotective, Antispasmodic, Tonic, Anxiolytic, Vulnerary, Boosts-gaba
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Skullcap

Skullcap has these Actions in Common
Nerve-growth-tonic, Analgesic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Antidepressant, Nervine, Antispasmodic, Neuroprotective, Anxiolytic, Tonic, Boosts-gaba, Brain-tonic, Calms-heart
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Ginkgo

Ginkgo has these Actions in Common
Brain-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Analgesic, Nerve-growth-tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Nervine, Antidepressant, Neuroprotective, Antimicrobial, Vessel-tonic, Blood-thinner, Boosts-gaba
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Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm has these Actions in Common
Brain-tonic, Dopaminergic, Analgesic, Nerve-growth-tonic, Antidepressant, Nervine, Antispasmodic, Neuroprotective, Antiviral, Anxiolytic, Boosts-gaba
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Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh has these Actions in Common
Analgesic, Nervine, Anti-inflammatory, Serotonergic, Antidepressant, Tonic, Antimicrobial, Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Dopaminergic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding
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Motherwort

Motherwort has these Actions in Common
Antidepressant, Vulnerary, Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Dopaminergic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Analgesic, Nervine, Anti-inflammatory, Vessel-tonic
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Dong Quai

Dong Quai has these Actions in Common
Anti-inflammatory, Photosensitizing, Antispasmodic, Vessel-tonic, Blood-thinner, Boosts-gaba, Calms-heart, Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Analgesic, Nervine
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Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common
Anxiolytic, Brain-tonic, Nerve-growth-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nervine, Neuroprotective, Antidepressant, Tonic, Antispasmodic, Vulnerary
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Eleuthero Ginseng

Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common
Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Analgesic, Nervine, Anti-inflammatory, Tonic, Antidepressant
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Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common
Internal-detoxicant, Anti-inflammatory, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Antidepressant, Nervine, Antimicrobial, Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Boosts-gaba, Expectorant
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Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

AYURVEDIC HERB SUPPLEMENTS

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Table of Contents

How Does This Ayurvedic Herb Supplement Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Images of St. John's Wort

Metabolic Nature of St. John's Wort

Metabolic Nature

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

The 6 Tastes

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

The Three Doshas / Body Types

The Four Temperaments / Humors

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Other

UPWARD

NERVES

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of St. John's Wort Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

STRONG NEUROPROTECTIVE

ANALGESIC

ANTIDEPRESSANT

ANXIOLYTIC

BOOSTS-GABA

BRAIN-TONIC

DOPAMINERGIC

NERVE-GROWTH-TONIC

NERVINE

SEROTONERGIC

TONIC

STRONG PHOTOSENSITIZING

VULNERARY

EXPECTORANT

STRONG ANTIMICROBIAL

STRONG ANTIVIRAL

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

CALMS-HEART

BLOOD-THINNER

VESSEL-TONIC

ANTISPASMODIC

FLAVONOIDS

POLYPHENOLS

Foods with a Similar Nature to St. John's Wort

Turmeric has these Actions in Common

Chamomile has these Actions in Common

Rosemary has these Actions in Common

Turmeric Root (Fresh) has these Actions in Common

Cloves has these Actions in Common

Garlic has these Actions in Common

Sage has these Actions in Common

Ginger (Fresh) has these Actions in Common

Fennel Seeds has these Actions in Common

Green Tea has these Actions in Common

Beets has these Actions in Common

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to St. John's Wort

Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

Skullcap has these Actions in Common

Ginkgo has these Actions in Common

Lemon Balm has these Actions in Common

Black Cohosh has these Actions in Common

Motherwort has these Actions in Common

Dong Quai has these Actions in Common

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common

Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Guidelines - Preparation & Dose

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Mind, Stress & Sleep

Skin Care

Digestion

Heart, Blood & Circulation

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of St. John's Wort
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

CONTRAINDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS