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Nutritional Supplement

Hyssop

Also indexed as:Hyssopus officinalis

Side Effects

Tea and tincture of hyssop are unlikely to cause adverse effects.9 Although, the volatile oil, particularly its constituent pinocamphone, has been reported to cause seizures in laboratory animals as well as in humans when taking more than 10 drops in a day or a child taking 2–3 drops over several days.10 For this reason, the volatile oil should be used with extreme caution and is not recommended for those with epilepsy or any other seizure disorder. The herb is not recommended during pregnancy.11

References

1. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C (eds). PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics, 2000, 414-5.

2. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council and Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 338-9.

3. Gollapudi S, Sharma HA, Aggarwal S, et al. Isolation of a previously unidentified polysaccharide (MAR-10) from Hyssop officinalis that exhibits strong activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995;210:145-51.

4. Kreis W, Kaplan MH, Freeman J, et al. Inhibition of HIV replication by Hyssop officinalis extracts. Antiviral Res 1990;14:323-37.

5. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 222-4.

6. Castleman M. The Healing Herbs. New York: Bantam, 1991, 323-7.

7. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum and Beaconsfield, UK: Beaconsfield Publishers Ltd, 1985, 206.

8. Hoffmann D. The New Holistic Herbal. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1990, 207.

9. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council and Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 338-9.

10. Tisserand R, Balacs T. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1995, 67.

11. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A (eds). American Herbal Product Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997, 63.

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The information presented by TraceGains is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.