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How does it feel?
Hyssop is strongly aromatic, with sweet notes coming through the scent. The taste may not be to everyone’s delight, a warm bitterness with notes of mint, sage and lavender.
It is a true education in the power of turmeric to taste it on its own, not integrated into a complex spicy meal. This is clearly a medicine for the gut, that also warms up the rest of our being.
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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.
It 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.
Externally as a poultice it can be used to help reduce bruising and heal cuts.
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Into the heart of Hyssop
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.
It is a peripheral vasodilator and promotes perspiration, thereby cooling down in feverish conditions.
Useful 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.
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Traditional 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.
It is diaphoretic, (promoting perspiration), especially when taken as a hot tea, so has often been used for feverish colds.
Along 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 “Grateful drink, well adapted to improve the tone of a feeble stomach”.
The green tops of the plant were given as a tea or within soup given to asthma sufferers and It has also been prescribed for anxiety states and hysteria.
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Traditional actions
Anticatarrhal, expectorant, astringent, bitter, antimicrobial, carminative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge (fever remedy), sedative and spasmolytic.
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What practitioners say
Respiratory system: Hyssop 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. It 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.
For 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.
Digestive system: The 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.
Skin: The 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.
In children: Hyssop 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.
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Did you know?
The name hyssop appears as a translation of the Hebrew word Ezov in some translations of the Bible, and refers to its use in ritual cleansing, ‘Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean’, however researchers have suggested that it is not likely to be Hyssopus officinalis, which is not native to Palestine, rather it may have been a species of oregano or the caper plant.
Dried hyssop is sometimes used in the herb blend Za’atar. 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!
Used to flavour liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Absinthe, it is key in providing the green colouring in many version of the latter.
The 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
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Safety
Hyssop is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation. It is advisable to avoid its use in those suffering from epileptic fits.
It is important to stress the difference between taking a medicine made using the whole herb as opposed to the extracted volatile (essential) oils, which are much stronger when isolated from the myriad other beneficial constituents within the whole plant.
The essential oil is subject to legal restrictions in some countries. It is neurotoxic at a dose that can vary amongst individuals when given internally, this is owing to the high levels of volatile oils such as thujone, pinocamphone and isopinocamphone. Excessive doses can cause epileptic fits and death.
The whole-herb use is much safer and the more usual way for hyssop to be taken.
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Dosage
Dried dose for tea: 2-4 g three times daily
1:5 tincture: 2-4 ml three times daily
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Constituents
- Flavonoids: apigenin, quercetin, diosmin, luteolin
- Terpinoids: marrubiin, oleanolic and ursolic acids
- Phenolic compounds: chlorogenic, protocatechuic, ferulic, syringic and caffeic acids
- Volatile oils: pinocamphone, isopinocamphone, pinocarvone, beta-pinene, camphor, thujone
- Resin and tannins

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Recipe
Hyssop and white horehound cough lozenges
This recipe calls for quite a bit of sweetening due to the bitterness of both the herbs, but the white horehound in particular.
Ingredients:
- Fresh hyssop
- Fresh white horehound
- Sugar (or honey)
- Butter or coconut oil
- hyssop/horehound infusion
Method:
- Pop a good handful of equal parts fresh hyssop and white horehound into a pan with a cup of boiling water. Bring to the boil and then remove from the stove.
- Let the herbs Infuse for ten minutes.
- In a large pan put: 2 cups of sugar or 1 and a half cups of honey, 25 g of butter or coconut oil, half a cup of the hyssop/horehound infusion.
- Stir well as it comes to the boil and boil for five minutes or until you can drop a small amount into cold water and it forms a hard ball.
- Pour into a greased baking tray or onto grease-proof paper and as it sets, cut into squares or lozenge-shapes and store in a jar until needed for coughs and colds.