St. John’s Wort has potent wound healing properties and can be applied to promote healing after surgery and minor burns. It can even be helpful in relieving the pain caused by sciatica and shingles.

St. John’s Wort can act as an antidepressant, antiinflammatory and antiviral. It has neuroprotective and restorative properties helping to heal long term nervous exhaustion, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety and improve sleep quality. The antiviral properties in St. John’s Wort helps fight against influenza and hepatitis B and C.

Although St. John’s Wort is generally considered safe and rarely causes side effects, it can interact with medications by increasing the rate at which they’re broken down by the liver. This changes the amount of the medication in your bloodstream and can significantly reduce the effectiveness.

As with all herbal remedies and medications, check with your care provider before use.