Hyssop is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean; it contains small blue flowers and seed bearing fruit. Hyssop is a member of the mint family and it has been used medicinally for centuries. Today, the leaves, flowers and shoots are sold as herbal extracts and used in folk medicine for a variety of health promoting purposes. As with any herbal product, talk to your health care practitioner before taking hyssop supplements.
Acitve Ingredients
Hyssop contains the vitamin choline and numerous phytochemicals including caffeic acid, camphor and tannins. Phytochemicals are antioxidant compounds found in plants that prevent free radical induced damage in your body and thereby help to prevent and treat disease in humans. The phytochemical caffeic acid found in hyssop demonstrates strong anti-viral activity and the tannins have astringent properties, according to Drugs.com.
List of Benefits
Hyssop is used in folk medicine to regulate blood pressure, dispel gas, relieve nasal congestion, enhance circulation and promote weight loss, according to Phyllis Balch and James Balch, M.D., in their book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." It is also used to help treat anorexia, circulatory problems, colic, digestive problems, dysmenorrhea, epilepsy, fever, gallbladder and liver conditions, gout, intestinal inflammation and urinary tract infections.
Promotes Respiratory Health and Fights Viruses
Hyssop helps to stimulate secretions of mucous from the respiratory tract and bronchial tubes and it is used help treat coughs, the common cold, respiratory infections, hoarseness, sore throats and asthma, states "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database." Due to its antiviral properties, hyssop is also used to help prevent and treat herpes and flu and to manage HIV and AIDS.
Topical Benefits
Hyssop is also used topically, and it is purported to promote wound healing and to help heal cuts, burns, bruises, frostbite and other skin irritations. It is also added to baths to help induce sweating, gargled to promote oral health and applied to the skin as an insect repellant.
Considerations
The typical recommended dose of hyssop is 900 mg capsules or 10-15 drops of hyssop extract in water, taken three times daily. Hyssop is generally recognized as safe and there are no reported adverse effects or drug interactions from herbal extracts of hyssop. Drugs.com warns however that convulsions and death have been reported in rats given large doses of hyssop essential oil and advises against consuming hyssop in essential oil form. Pregnant and lactating women should not take hyssop extract due to a lack of reliable information regarding its safety in this population. Finally, it should be noted that the uses of hyssop extract are based primarily on anecdotal reports and not scientific evidence.
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, MD; 2003.
- Drugs.com: Hyssop
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