Wintergreen Oil Wintergreen leaves have many functions. The leaves have strong anti-inflammatory, antiseptic properties and soothe the digestive system. Wintergreen oil is an effective remedy for healing rheumatic and arthritic problems; Massage with wintergreen oil helps relieve gas and blood circulation.
Wintergreen oil is used for painful conditions such as headache, nerve pain (especially sciatica), arthritis, ovarian pain, and menstrual cramps. It is also used for digestive problems, including stomachache and gas; lung conditions, including asthma and pleurisy; pain and swelling (inflammation); fever; and kidney problems. It is applied directly to the skin in massage methods for joints (rheumatism), sore muscles, and lower back pain.
Some people have used small doses of wintergreen oil to increase stomach juices and improve digestion.
The oil from its green leaves is used as a cream or ointment and is applied externally to relieve pain and spasms. Wintergreen oil relieves irritated, blocked or sore muscles, ligaments and joints in the body. It has been found to be beneficial in treating neurological conditions such as sciatica (a painful pain caused by pressure on a nerve in the lower part of the spinal column) as well as trigeminal neuralgia (pain that irritates the facial nerve). Wintergreen oil is also beneficial in healing cellulitis, an infection caused by bacteria that causes swelling and irritation of the skin. Here, it is effective in conditions such as headaches, sore muscles and sore throats.
People all over the world use wintergreen oil especially for its oil extract which contains high amount of methyl salicylate. Here it is considered that methyl salicylate is the base of aspirin group and thus very effective in reducing pain and inflammation in different body parts. Wintergreen oil is also the main raw material in medical creams made because the herb is a useful medicine in the treatment of rheumatism.
Side effects:
Wintergreen and its oil are safe in amounts found in foods and are also safe for most adults when used as medicine.
It is not safe to take the oil orally in large amounts. It may cause ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain and confusion.
The oil extracted from the green leaves is volatile and therefore the oil from the wintergreen leaves is recommended for external use only. When applied directly to the skin without dilution
Children: Wintergreen leaves and oil can be poisonous to children. Taking 4-10 mL of wintergreen oil by mouth can be fatal. Do not use wintergreen oil on the skin of children, even those under 2 years of age.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Wintergreen leaf is safe in amounts found in foods, but there is not enough information to know if it is safe in larger amounts used as medicine. If you are pregnant, do not take it by mouth or put it on your skin. If you are breast-feeding, do not take wintergreen by mouth or put it on your skin.
Gastroenteritis: Taking oregano by mouth might worsen these conditions.
Salicylate or aspirin allergy, asthma or nasal polyps: Wintergreen may cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to aspirin or other salicylate compounds, or who have asthma or nasal polyps. Use Wintergreen with caution if you have one of these conditions.
