Catnip Oil
Proven Health Benefits of Catnip Oil
- Catnip oil is a strong antibacterial agent.
- Catnip oil produces the effect of profuse sweating, being used to treat colds and flu.
- Catnip oil gives relief against migraines.
- Catnip oil relieves of pain from toothache.
- Catnip oil is potent against morning sickness and may prevent miscarriages.
What is Catnip Oil?
If you asked your cats, they would say catnip is the greatest shrub ever discovered. It is the leaves that are best known for imparting to cats, a sense of euphoria, stupor or “highness”. In that sense, they are generally stuffed into toys to get your cats playing all day. The plant itself is in the family of mint. A perennial herb with square stems and opposite leaves. They are in a rather limited production area in the US and Canada, due the many specific conditions it needs to thrive. On commercial farms, Nepeta cataria L. is usually grown for its essential oils. For us, humans, catnip leaves sometimes features as spices in delicacies, and is used in many herbal preparations. The essential oils derived from catnip leaves also have an array of health benefits.
What is the usefulness of Catnip Oil?
Catnip essential oils are known for the strong antimicrobial character as studies report. As such they are proposed as a natural food preservative, being able to fight against most food-borne pathogens.1 Catnip date back to ancient folk medicine, where it has featured as a stimulant and for tonic properties. It is also used to relax spasms and treat gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders such as diarrhea, flatulence, asthma, cough and bronchitis.2 Not only are the essential oils of catnip strong against bacteria, but they fight against fungi and viruses just as well. The essential oil is also a potent antioxidant and insecticide.
Health Benefits:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Normalize menstrual flow
- Intestinal cramps and gas
- Morning sickness
- Cough
- Asthma
Nutrition
The largest components of essential oils of catnip leaves are nepetalactones, which are known to be responsible for many of its properties. Other components are alpha and beta pinene, sabinene, thymol and trans caryophyllene.3 Together, these possess antibacterial, insecticidal and antifungal activity.
Toxicity:
Catnip oils generally do not leave harmful effects under normal use. However, rare situations of nausea and “feeling sick” may arise on over-consumption of essential oils. No known effects are known for topical use.