Hello, mole!
A quick internet search will reveal to you that there is a great deal
of debate and controversy surrounding this herb. Fortunately, most of
it is not germane to your question.
Tea is made from the flowers and new-growth tips of Hypericum. A
succinct but informative page at Ohio State University recommends 1-2
teaspoons of the herb steeped in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, and
consumed no more than three times a day. This equates roughly to the
standard dosage of 300mg in capsule form. The link:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5415.html
My well-thumbed copy of Rodale's Herbal Encyclopedia dates from before
the current fad for St. John's Wort. They cite traditional uses of
the herb as a disinfectant, and as a treatment for nausea and
diarrhoea. Bear in mind that the only therapeutic use of this herb
which is backed by up-to-date research is as a mild antidepressant.
On that subject: St. John's Wort acts as a serotonin re-uptake
inhibitor, like Prozac or Paxil. It is effective for MILD depression,
but not serious depression. It should not be consumed if you are on
ANY antidepressant or other prescription medication. Like many herbal
remedies, its interactions with prescription drugs are not yet
thoroughly mapped. Also, if you are a person who burns rather than
tanning, you should be aware that the herb can promote
photosensitivity.
As for the flavour of your tea, you will probably want to mix the St.
John's Wort with more familiar and widely-used herbs such as
lemongrass, mint, chamomile, or maybe even catnip! Many herbal sites
will be happy to recommend individual herbs or blends of herbs which
would work well together. And of course, experimentation is always
fun.
Good luck, and if you plan on drinking this regularly keep up to date
on further research into the toxicology of this substance.
Search strategy:
+tea +"St. John's Wort"
Also: Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, 1987, Rodale Press
(2000 edition currently available in hardcover) |
