{"id":4728,"date":"2021-07-08T14:11:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T13:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=4728"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:33:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T09:33:35","slug":"hyssop","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/hyssop\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyssop"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":4744,"parent":0,"menu_order":-214,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"434b247b-ee62-4027-97e9-b78562c1401b","beyondwords_preview_token":"64c5bb49-7ea4-46b1-8522-464ba0a00105","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[398,103,43,179],"conditions":[685,696,695],"sustainability":[1576],"sense":[17,18,16],"western_action":[1010,992,993,994,1003,1007,1011,1019],"chinese_action":[],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1498,1487,1497,1380],"region":[1893],"class_list":["post-4728","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bronchitis","tag-cough","tag-indigestion","tag-nervous","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-nervous-system","conditions-respiratory-system","sustainability-green-sustainability-status","sense-aromatic","sense-bitter","sense-hot","western_action-expectorant","western_action-anti-inflammatory","western_action-antimicrobial","western_action-antioxidant","western_action-carminatives","western_action-diaphoretic","western_action-febrifuge","western_action-sedative","energetics_action-bitter","energetics_action-dry","energetics_action-pungent","energetics_action-warm","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20210708","herb_author":null,"banner_text":"Hyssop is an ancient medicine with relevance for modern applications","latin_name":"Hyssopus officinalis<\/em> L.","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Lamiaceae","herb_summary":"Very much favoured by bees, beautiful spikes of deep blue flowers adorn this herb which has aromatic, bitter, tonic and expectorant properties.","key_benefits":"Coughs and bronchitis\r\nFeverish conditions\r\nNervous exhaustion\r\nDigestive remedy","how_does_it_feel":"Hyssop is strongly aromatic, with sweet notes coming through the scent. The taste may not be to everyone\u2019s delight, a warm bitterness with notes of\u00a0mint<\/a>, sage and\u00a0lavender<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThis is clearly a medicine for the gut, that also warms up the rest of our being.","hdif_image_1":4744,"hdif_image_2":4734,"hdif_image_3":12883,"hdif_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sQXYz7SJ7xM","sense":[17,31,18],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"Hyssop is useful internally for upper and lower respiratory tract infections characterised by congestion and coughs. Used in feverish illnesses in children and as a carminative for a sluggish digestion, wind and colic. It is useful for a tonic action where there is exhaustion.\r\n\r\nIt is often given in combination with other herbs providing a well-rounded remedy for the specific issue in question, whether it be bronchitis, nasopharyngeal catarrh, anxiety states or as a digestive tonic.\r\n\r\nExternally as a poultice it can be used to help reduce bruising and heal cuts.","into_the_heart_of":"Hyssop has a long history of use as a prime remedy for respiratory conditions. However, the active constituents within it afford a range of uses, being as they are anti-inflammatory, expectorant, bitter, calming and antimicrobial.\r\n\r\nIt is a peripheral vasodilator and promotes perspiration, thereby cooling down in feverish conditions.\r\n\r\nUseful for perking up the digestion and easing cramping and bloating, in Ayurvedic medicine it is sometimes given in the form of a fresh juice for such presentations.","tradtional_uses":"\"\"Hyssop has a long history of use, both as a kitchen herb, flavouring food and drink, and within the medicine chest. Commonly used for conditions of the respiratory system in such presentations as coughs, chronic catarrh, asthma and bronchitis.\r\n\r\nIt is diaphoretic, (promoting perspiration), especially when taken as a hot tea, so has often been used for feverish colds.\r\n\r\nAlong with these applications it has a reputation as a tonic herb on other areas, such as the urinary tract, digestive and nervous systems. Grieve describes Hyssop tea as a \u201cGrateful drink, well adapted to improve the tone of a feeble stomach\u201d (4).\r\n\r\nThe green tops of the plant were given as a tea or within soup given to asthma sufferers (4) and It has also been prescribed for anxiety states and hysteria (5).","what_practioners_say":"

\"\"<\/strong>Respiratory system<\/h3>\r\nHyssop combines well with mullein or liquorice for stubborn coughs. Taken in combination with more antimicrobial lung herbs such as thyme, garlic or elecampane it is excellent in cases of bronchitis. \u00a0It is a herb that fell out of favour in some traditions, however, it deserves to be back in the limelight for its excellent ability to induce sweating in fevers, provide a powerful expectorant activity and act as a tonic assisting in convalescence.\r\n\r\nFor the common cold it combines well in tea form with elderflower, boneset, peppermint and yarrow and it can be beneficial for asthma, being anti-inflammatory and relaxing smooth muscle constriction.\r\n

Digestive system<\/h3>\r\nThe bitter terpenoid marrubiin has a stimulating effect on the digestive tract, increasing motility and secretions, including those of the liver. The oils contribute to the carminative activity helping in bloating, wind and lack of appetite. It has a tonic activity which has a beneficial effect on the whole body.\r\n

Skin<\/h3>\r\nThe flowering tops have been made into poultices or infused in oil and used for cuts and bruises. This application can also be of use for joint and muscle pain.\r\n

In children<\/h3>\r\nHyssop can be given for feverish colds and persistent coughs in children in combination with other appropriate herbs such as lime blossom, elderflower, calendula and chamomile. It has a calming action which adds to its use here.","research":"\"\"In vitro, whole extract of Hyssop has shown antimicrobial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria along with an antioxidant activity (2).<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nExtracts of the essential oils of hyssop have been evaluated for their antimicrobial activities and findings showed the pink-flowered form as having equal amounts of the essential oils pinocamphone and isopinocamphone and demonstrating more activity against gram positive bacteria than the white-flowered form, which has primarily pinocamphone (6).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe essential oils have also demonstrated antifungal properties against drug-resistant strains of fungi from Candida and Aspergillus species (7,8).<\/span>\r\n\r\nAntiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1<\/span> (SF strain) in HUT78 T cell line and primary cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells<\/span> has been observed using an isolated polysaccharide extract from Hyssop (MAR-10) (9).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are currently no human studies on the whole plant extract.\u00a0<\/span>","did_you_know":"\"\"The name hyssop appears as a translation of the Hebrew word\u00a0Ezov<\/em>\u00a0in some translations of the Bible, and refers to its use in ritual cleansing, \u2018Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean\u2019, however researchers have suggested that it is not likely to be Hyssopus officinalis<\/em>, which is not native to Palestine, rather it may have been a species of oregano or the caper plant.\r\n\r\nDried hyssop is sometimes used in the herb blend Za\u2019atar. The leaves and young shoots can be eaten raw in salads or used as flavouring in soups and stews, but use sparingly as they are strong in taste!\r\n\r\nUsed to flavour liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Absinthe, it is key in providing the green colouring in many version of the latter.\r\n\r\nThe essential oil of hyssop is highly valued by perfumers and the honey produced from hyssop flowers is considered to be of excellent quality with a wonderful aroma.","additional_information_right":{"illustration":8691},"additional_information_left":{"botany":"Not to be confused with hedge hyssop (Gratiola officinalis<\/em>) or anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum<\/em>), Hyssopus officinalis<\/em> is a perennial herb, native to central and Southern Europe, Western Asia and northern Africa. It grows up to a height of around 2 feet with a similar spread. A member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family, it possesses the characteristic tubular, lipped flowers and square stems. It responds well to trimming and may flower twice in a year if this is timed well. It has small, dark-green, slender pointed leaves and dense spikes of flowers. It is usual to see beautiful deep purple-blue flowers, however there are plants which produce white or pink flowers. It is an excellent attractor of bees and butterflies, tolerates droughty conditions well and likes scrubby, sunny, well-drained soils.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nHarvested when in flower, the whole plant has a pleasant scent, the leaves as well as the flowers being richly aromatic. <\/span>","common_names":"