Wellness Blog

The leaves and flowering tops of Nepeta cataria are harvested between June September for use in the preparation of catnip products. Iridoids, tannins, and the volatile oil nepetalactone are the major active ingredients. Catnip essential oil has sedative, carminative, and antispasmodic effects. It’s a good source iron, selenium, potassium, manganese, and chromium.

Catnip may also have diaphordcand astringent effects. It may help relieve flatulence and colic. Catnip is available capsules, dried leaf, tea, and tincture.

Benefits And Uses of Catnip

Catnip is used to treat colds, cough, fever, migraines, and hives. Dry leaves are smoked to treat bronchitis and asthma, It has also been used internally for menstrual cramps, dyspepsia, and colic because of its smooth muscle relaxant properties. Catnip has been used for insomnia, diuresis, and diaphoresis and for children with diarrhea. A topical poultic: of catnip is used to relieve swelling.

Administration

• Decoction: 1 cup three times a day; prepared by steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons of tea in 6 to 8 oz of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, or boiling it in 6 to 8 oz of water, then simmering at low heat for 3 to 5 minutes .
• Infusion: 1 cup three times a day; prepared by infusing 2 teaspoons of dried herb in 8 oz of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Tincture: 2 to 4 ml three times a day.

Side Effects of Catnip

Adverse effects associated with catnip include malaise, headache, sedation, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. Benzodiazepines and catnip may cause additive central nervous system (CNS) depression. Herbal products prepared with alcohol may cause a disulfiram-like reaction.

Pregnant and breast-feeding patients should avoid use.

Clinical considerations

• Children and geriatric patients should start with weak preparations and increase the strength, as needed.
• Catnip abuse involves either smoking. The dried leaves, similar to smoking marijuana, or making a volatile oil or extract of the herb, soaking tobacco in the extract, and then smoking the tobacco. If abuse is suspected, watch patient for. signs of mood elevation, such as giddiness.
• If patient is pregnant or is planning pregnancy, advise her not to use catnip.
• Caution patient about potential sedative effects and impairments of cognitive ability. Instruction him to avoid activities requiring mental alterness (such as driving) until CNS effects are known.
• Extract may contain alchocal and may be usuitable for children, patients with a history of alchoal abuse, or those with liver disease.
• Instruction patients that liquid from needs to be shaken well before each use.
• Warn patient to keep all herbal products and drugs away from children and pets.
• Instruct patient not to drink alcohol when using catnip.
• Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
• Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Research summary

Outside of your cat fancy subscription, the concepts behind the use of catnip and the claims made regarding its effects have not yet been validated scientifically.

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Doing a detox diet isn’t quite as simple as you might think. What detox actually means to you really depends on where you are with your diet now. If you’re drinking lots of alcohol, simply eliminating the booze for a few days might constitute a detox diet. To someone who already has quite a pure diet, however, eliminating wheat and dairy might be a detox. Taking stock of where you are is important because if you detox too quickly you could experience a number of unpleasant symptoms, such as headaches, lack of energy and generally feeling unwell. Don’t think of doing a detox when you have an important week at work, as you might have a bit of a fuzzy head.

Don’t Make Me

Why should we put ourselves through a detox? Isn’t it really hard work? Our bodies are in a constant state of renewal at cell level, but if there’s an overload of toxins either from food or environmental sources our bodies struggle to deal with them, effectively putting a strain on the kidneys and liver and taking away energy that could otherwise be used for living. A detox diet allows us to stop overloading the body with harmful substances and, if we give the body plenty of the right nutrients, it can speed up the elimination of toxins and promote cell renewal.

Warm-up

If you’re afraid of becoming Mr or Mrs Fuzzy potatohead, then the thing to do is to start slowly over a period of one month. Choose in the first week to eliminate coffee, chocolate and caffein drinks (cola drinks), replacing them with lots of water and herbal teas. In the second week, try eliminating wheat products (cakes, biscuits, pasta) and substitute them with rye bread or other grains such as brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat or millet. In the third week, try substituting dairy products for sheep and goat products. And in the fourth week, increase your water intake up to at least 2 litres (3.5 pints) of water a day, whilst avoiding alcohol.

You might want to take into consideration environmental toxins too and try to avoid them during this period. Are you a smoker? Do you regularly use aerosol sprays? Do you take lots of over-the-counter medication (for example, for headaches)? What about your exposure to traffic fumes? If you’re a cyclist, consider wearing a mask to filter fumes.

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