Benefit of Hyssop

Hyssop is an herb native to the Mediterranean, but easily adaptable to many other environments and seasonal changes. Like other herbs, it grows very rapidly, almost as fast as common weeds. It flowers with orange-red to purple blooms and is prized mostly for its sweet-smelling leaves.

Hyssop has long been valued as a medicinal plant. Today, people still use it as medicine in the form of tea or essential oil. Hyssop is easy to grow and its dried leaves retain their fragrance for a long time, making it a perfect addition to your garden and your diet.

Antiseptic

• Made from the flowers and leaves of the hyssop plant, hyssop essential oil has many topical benefits. Its antiseptic qualities make it good for disinfecting shallow flesh wounds and cuts; it kills bacteria before the germs have a chance to settle and multiply in the wound. This antiseptic quality also makes hyssop oil beneficial for killing fungal infections, such as athlete's foot and nail fungus.

Astringent

• Hyssop oil also contains astringent properties that help to reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels. This characteristic may also help slow excessive bleeding and reduce wrinkles by tightening the skin. When applied to arthritic joints, it reduces swelling and paint by helping to improve circulation through those areas.

Internal Benefits

• Hyssop tea tastes similar to mint and can easily be enjoyed with a little honey or other preferred sweetener. Hyssop tea contains beneficial flavinoids, tannins and oils that help dispel phlegm from bronchial infections and colds. Its antiseptic qualities help clear up infections in the throat and nasal passages while its astringent nature helps regulate blood pressure, reduce fever and calm tension from high emotions. It can also help to settle the stomach and aid digestion, just like the mint plants it tastes like.

Hyssop Tea

• To make the tea, add about a tablespoon of dried and crushed flowers and leaves to about four cups of boiling water. Let the leaves steep for about 10 minutes before drinking; wrapping the hyssop in cheesecloth before steeping eliminates the need to strain the water.

Warning

• Women who are nursing or pregnant and those diagnosed with epilepsy should not use hyssop oil as it contains nerve stimulants that may be damaging to these conditions.