Hyssop

Western Bulk Herbs – Hyssop

Historically, hyssop was once thought to be used as a cure-all tonic. It is used nowadays to treat coughs, congestion, asthma, and pleurisy. It has also been used as a sleep aid and a digestive soother for indigestion and colic. Not used as much today, it’s still a powerful healing herb for purging the system of toxins. As it states in the bible, “Purge me with hyssop and I will be clean.”. It’s added to some liqueurs for flavor.

Latin Name:
Hyssopus officinalis

Common Names:
Holy Herb, Hastipippili, Hisopo

Parts Used:
Above-ground parts of the plant

Properties:
Expectorant, diaphoretic, stimulant, pectoral, and carminative.

Traditional Uses:
Teas but works just as well in capsules and as an extract.

Topical Uses / Applications:
N/A

Culinary Uses:
Hyssop has a mint-like flavor and gives a nice added flavor to salads, soups, and stews.

Chemical Properties:
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, thujone, phenol, essential oil.

Cautions:
Do not use Hyssop if you are pregnant.

Folk Lore:
Hyssop has been used for millennia as a holy herb, consecrated for cleaning holy places. It was considered an aphrodisiac when combined with ginger, thyme, and pepper. Hyssop has been hung in homes to provide protection from the evil eye, and from witches. It has also been planted frequently on graves as protection for the dead from the living.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.
The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.
A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)
Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.
Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.