Natural Health Products
Non-traditional solutions to help boost your health and wellness.
Hyssop
General Information
Hyssop is an evergreen perennial plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is thought to have been used as a cleansing agent or an insecticide thousands of years ago. The active ingredients of hyssop come from the aerialaerialplant parts appearing above ground (above-ground) parts of the plant.
Common Name(s)
Scientific Name(s)
How is this product usually used?
The dried herb tops of hyssop are taken by mouth. The usual doses are:
- infusioninfusionthe process of steeping or soaking plant material in hot or cold water to isolate its active ingredient (similar to a tea): 16 g to 31 g of herb per day
- fluid extractextractto get, separate, or isolate a desired active ingredient: 2 g to 4 g of dried equivalent 3 times per day
- tincturetincturea desired active ingredient that is extracted from alcoholic solution (similar to an alcohol extract): 2 g to 4 g of dried equivalent 3 times per day
Your health care provider may have recommended using this product in other ways. Contact a health care provider if you have questions.
What is this product used for?
Hyssop has been traditionally used to:
- help loosen excess mucusmucusa moist and sticky substance produced by the mucous membranes in the airways, making it easier to cough up (expectorantexpectorantan agent that thins mucus (phlegm) so that it can be absorbed or coughed up)
- help relieve intestinal gas
- aid in digestion
Hyssop is frequently used as a fragrance or a flavoring agent. It has also been used to treat sore throat, asthma, cough and cold, reduce kidney inflammation, and manage HIV infections. However, there is little reliable data on the use of hyssop by humans and additional studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of hyssop.
Your health care provider may have recommended this product for other conditions. Contact a health care provider if you have questions.
What else should I be aware of?
Few side effects are linked to hyssop when it is taken in small doses. At high doses, vomiting and seizures have been reported.
Hyssop may interfere with anti-seizure medications.
Do not give hyssop to children under 18 years old due to a risk of seizures. Do not use hyssop if you are allergic to it or to any plants from the Lamiaceae family.
See your doctor before taking hyssop if you are pregnant or breast-feeding or if you have epilepsy or other seizure disorder.
Avoid prolonged use of hyssop oil (around 10 to 30 drops a day for adults) due to increased risk of seizures.
Before taking any new medications, including natural health products, speak to your physician, pharmacist or other health care provider. Tell your health care practitioner about any natural health products you may be taking.
Source(s)
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2020. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
