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The health benefits of Catnip Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, emenagogue, nervine, stomachic, stimulant, astringent, sedative etc.
Catnip, also known as Cat Mint, is a whitish-grey plant with scientific name Nepata Cataria. As the name goes, this plant with mint like aroma has a lot to do with the cats. Yes! It may sound funny but it is true. It gives the cats a hair rising experience. It stimulates them. Now, this funny purpose is not the sole reason behind the popularity of Catnip. It is a well known medicinal herb, used for treatment of many ailments. These medicinal properties come from the components of Catnip oil, such as Nepetalactone, Valeric Acid, Geraniol, Monoterpene, Nepetalic Anhydride, Citral, Limonene, Dispentine, Thymol, Citronella, Caryophyllene, Nerol, Bio Flavonoids, Nepetalic Acid and Carotenoids.
It can help us with the following properties.
- Anti Spasmodic: It can cure almost all forms of cramps, be it muscular, be it intestinal, respiratory or be it of any other part. It efficiently relaxes muscle pulls and helps cure spasmodic cholera. Since it is anti spasmodic, it cures all other problems related with cramps or spasms.
- Carminative: Carminative, we all know, is a property that helps removal of gases from the intestines. Gas, trapped in intestine and forcing upwards, can be very dangerous sometimes and even fatal. It chokes, gives chest pains, indigestion and uneasiness, raises blood pressure and gives acute stomach aches. Here, Catnip Oil can help you a lot. It effectively removes gases with the downward movement (which is safe) and do not let gases form too. Catnip Oil is very good for those who are suffering from chronic gas trouble.
- Diaphoretic: Being a stimulant, it has diaphoretic properties too. Catnip Oil promotes profuse sweating. Many people hate sweating, because it gives body odor and a wet, uneasy feeling. But let me tell you that odor from sweat results only when the person has some problem inside, such as indigestion, obesity, kidney problems etc. So, odor in sweat is an indication of toxic substances accumulating in your body. A person who is healthy is supposed to sweat reasonably and a regular sweating really drives away body odor (of course, if you take a bath afterwards) because it is an effective way of removal of toxins. Catnip Oil helps you sweat and helps you reduce weight, reduce blood pressure and removes toxins and excess salt from the body, keeps your heart healthy and in cases, drives away fever too.
- Emenagogue: This is yet another side effect (the good one, since all side effects need not be bad) of the stimulating property of Catnip Oil. It stimulates the hormone secretions and helps regulate the menstruations. It is particularly good when someone is suffering from obstructed and irregular menses. It also eases cramps and reduces pains associated with the menstruations.
- Nervine: Catnip Oil acts as a tonic for the nerves and the nervous system. It helps cure many nervous disorders such as shaking hands or limbs, nervousness, vertigo, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and convulsions, sluggishness, lack of reflexes etc. It strengthens nerves and activates them.
- Stomachic: Catnip Oil is stomachic, that is, it keeps the stomach in order and functioning well. It cures stomach disorders and ulcers and ensures proper flow of bile and gastric juices and acids in stomach. Sometimes, the inner lining of stomach is corroded due to prolonged acidity and results in ulcer. This happens due to lack of bile (which neutralizes the acids). Catnip Oil can help you avoid this situation too, as it maintains proper secretions in stomach.
- Diuretic: Catnip Oil is diuretic in nature, that is, it promotes urination. It increases frequency of urination. Thus, it is very beneficial for those who are suffering from accumulation of water in the body, swelling etc. due to chronic renal failure etc. It relieves them by removing extra water from the body through urine. It also helps in losing weight, reducing blood pressure and removing toxins like uric acid from the body.
- Stimulant: It is a well known stimulant. It not only stimulates human but cats too. Catnip Oil can stimulate all the functions or systems operating in the body, like the nervous system, brain system, digestive system, circulatory system and the excretory system.
- Astringent: Catnip Oil has astringent properties. It tightens loosened skin, muscles, gums etc. It can prevent loosening of tooth and tooth-fall for a long time, if used regularly.
- Sedative: It has remarkable sedative properties. It is very effective in curing insomnia, tension, anxiety etc. In short, it relaxes body and mind.
- Other Benefits: It helps curing dyspepsia, colic, migraine, flatulence etc. Nepetalactone has insect repellant properties and keeps away cockroaches, mosquitoes and other insects. Thymol, a component of Catnip Oil, has antiseptic properties.
Few Words of Caution: It is not recommended for pregnant ladies.
Blending: It blends well with Lemon, Lime, Mint, Eucalyptus and Myrrh oil.
This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee
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