Effectiveness
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
The effectiveness ratings for PENNYROYAL are as follows:
Insufficient evidence to rate effectiveness for…
- Causing abortion. The large doses needed to cause an abortion can kill the mother or cause her irreversible kidney and liver damage.
- Reducing spasms.
- Intestinal gas.
- Pneumonia.
- Stomach pains.
- Weakness.
- Fluid retention.
- Killing germs.
- Skin diseases.
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of pennyroyal for these uses.
Dose
Safety Concerns
Repeated use of an alcoholic pennyroyal leaf extract over a period of 2 weeks has been linked to a death.
Not enough is known about the safety of using pennyroyal leaf as a tea.
Special precautions & warnings:
Pennyroyal is LIKELY UNSAFE for anyone to use, but it is especially unsafe for children and people with the following conditions.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, it is LIKELY UNSAFE to take pennyroyal by mouth or apply it to your skin. There is some evidence that pennyroyal oil can cause abortions by causing the uterus to contract. But the dose needed for this effect could kill the mother or cause her life-long kidney and liver damage.
Pennyroyal leaf tea seems to be able to start menstruation, which could also threaten a pregnancy.
Children: It is LIKELY UNSAFE to give children pennyroyal by mouth. Two infants developed serious liver and nervous system injuries after taking pennyroyal, and one infant died.
Kidney disease: The oil in pennyroyal can irritate the kidney and make existing kidney disease worse.
Liver disease: The oil in pennyroyal can cause liver damage and might make existing liver disease worse.
Interaction with medication
- It is not known if this product interacts with any medicines.
Before taking this product, talk with your health professional if you take any medications.
