Can you cook with St John's Wort?? Would cooking remove it's benefits??!
Question:
Can you cook with St John's Wort?? Would cooking remove it's benefits??
Hi,
Does anyone know if you can cook with St John Wort? Would cooking remove it's benefit as a mild anti-depressive?
Answers:
Nervousness, Anxiety,
Depression, and Moodiness
KAVA
( Piper methysticum )
Other Names: Kava kava, Kawa.
General Description: Kava is a sprawling Polynesian evergreen shrub. A member of the pepper family.
Parts Used: The large root.
Active Ingredients: kavalactones.
Traditional Uses: Kava is central to many Polynesian ceremonies and has been compared to the use of wine in the west. First brought to the West by Captain James Cook it became known as the "intoxicating pepper".
Current Status: Kava is now used throughout the world as a remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Unlike many traditional sleep remedies Kava does not loose effectiveness with time.
Precautions: No side effects have been reported at recommended doses.
References: 56, 57, 58, 59.
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VALERIAN ROOT
(valeriana officinalis)
Other Names: Capon's Tail, English Valerian
General Description: The Valerian is a tall perennial herb, native to Europe.
Parts Used: The root and rhizome
Active Ingredients: Valeric acid or valerenic acid.
Traditional Uses: Valerian was known to Dioscorides ( A.D. 41-68 ), in ancient Rome and has been used since that time as a mild sedative.
Current Status: Valerian is used extensively in Europe as a mild sleep aid and for anxiety. Several clinical studies on humans have shown it to safely relieve occasional insomnia.
Precautions: Valerian is generally recognized as safe and approved for food use by the U.S.F.D.A.
References: 12, 13, 44, 45, 46, 47.
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ST. JOHN'S WORT
(hypericm perforatum)
Other Names: Goat weed.
General Description: A shrubby European perennial also found in the U.S. It blooms on June 24, the day traditionally celebrated as the birthday of John the Baptist.
Parts Used: The flowering tops.
Active Ingredients: hypericin.
Traditional Uses: The ancient authorities, Dioscorides ( A.D. 41-68 ), Galen ( A.D. 150-200 ), Pliny ( A.D. 23-79 ), and Hippocrates ( 460-377 B.C. ) used St. Johns Wort as a treatment for menstrual disorders. It was used in the Middle Ages for anxiety and depression
Current Status: St. Johns Wort has been featured in Newsweek and on ABC's 20/20. It is approved in Germany for the treatment of mild depression. It seems to act as a mild ( MAO ) monoamine oxidase inhibitor. MAO inhibitors are used worldwide as antidepressants.
Precautions: Depression can be a life threatening illness. If you feel you are depressed you must be evaluated by a health care professional. Those taking St. Johns Wort should avoid tyramine containing foods. Such as aged cheese, beer, wine, ect. St Johns Wort should not be taken with any prescription antidepressants.
References: 35, 36, 37, 38.
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PASSION FLOWER
(passiflora incarnata)
Other Names: Maypop
General Description: The Passion Flower is a climbing vine which grows in tropical North and Central America. It derives its name from the imagined resemblance of its flowers to the crucifixion of Christ.
Parts Used: The flowers are the active part of the herb.
Active Ingredients: isovitexin
Traditional Uses: Passion Flower has been used in Mexico and Central America as a gentle remedy for sleeplessness for centuries. It was formerly approved as a over-the-counter sleep aid.
Current Status: There have not been many large studies of Passion Flower. Several small studies have shown it to have sedative properties and it is used extensively in Europe for anxiety.
Precautions: may cause drowsiness
As far as cooking with it can't find a thing.