Pennyroyal's pretty name and mint flavor disguise the fact that it is actually a highly toxic and potentially deadly herb. Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family, but that's where the similarity ends. Pennyroyal in any form is not safe for anyone to use.
Pennyroyal is also known as American pennyroyal, European pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium, Hedeoma pulegioides, mosquito plant, squaw mint, squaw balm and tickweed. Pennyroyal has a long history in folklore medicine beginning in ancient Greece, where it was applied to the skin to repel insects. As the use of pennyroyal spread to Europe and North America, people began ingesting it in an attempt to treat a variety of health conditions. Herbalists continue to recommend pennyroyal and the herb remains available to consumers even though it is known to be toxic.
Uses
Despite the risk of serious health problems, people continue to use pennyroyal for a variety of reasons. Women have used pennyroyal to cause an abortion and ease menstrual problems. Other uses include attempts to treat asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, stomach pain, gas, skin infections, toothaches, headaches and water retention, and to repel insects. There is not enough evidence to support pennyroyal's effectiveness in treating any of these conditions, yet there is much evidence to confirm the dangers associated with its use.
Adverse Reactions
The use of pennyroyal oil, extract or tea can lead to a number of serious adverse reactions. It contains a substance called pulegone, which the body converts into the toxic chemical menthofuran. Pennyroyal can cause nausea, abdominal cramps, blood clotting disorders, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, liver failure, kidney failure, hallucinations, seizures, brain swelling and death. In order to induce an abortion, pennyroyal would have to be taken in lethal doses, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes. The College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University reports that a dog treated with pennyroyal oil to kill fleas began vomiting within two hours and then died a short time later, despite emergency treatment. Oils or ointments containing pennyroyal are absorbed through the skin and should be avoided.
Case Reports
Two infants given home-brewed mint teas that contained pennyroyal to ease colic died from multiple organ failure, members of the Department of Pediatrics at the Davis Medical Center of the University of California reported in the journal "Pediatrics" in November 1996. After regularly drinking pennyroyal tea, a 6-month old boy developed seizures, a sinus hemorrhage and liver damage. A 24-year-old woman who took pennyroyal extract over the course of two weeks developed vomiting, abdominal cramps, failure of several internal organs, heart failure, coma and death. More than 24 cases of pennyroyal poisoning have been documented, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Pennyroyal
- MedlinePlus: Pennyroyal
- "Pediatrics"; Multiple organ failure after ingestion of pennyroyal oil from herbal tea in two infants; J.A. Bakerink, et al.; November 1996
- "Journal of the American Veterinary Association"; Pennyroyal oil toxicosis in a dog; M. Sadekum, et al.; March 1992
- NYU Langone Medical Center: Pennyroyal
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