Wintergreen is a pain-relieving herb due to its content of a compound popularized by aspirin. Its topical applications are well-known among traditional medicines. But there are other uses for this herb and cautions against its use internally.
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| Wintergreen plant flowering |
Here's a comprehensive overview of its characteristics, traditional uses, potential health benefits, and relevant scientific research.
What is Wintergreen?
Scientifically known as Gaultheria procumbens, wintergreen is an aromatic herb native to North America. It has been used in traditional medicine for its various health benefits.
Wintergreen is a small, creeping shrub with glossy, evergreen leaves that are oval or lance-shaped. It produces white or pinkish bell-shaped flowers in the summer, followed by red berries that persist into the winter.
Wintergreen grows in forests, woodlands, and mountainous regions, preferring acidic soil and partial shade. It is native to North America and can be found in various regions, including eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Primary Compounds in Wintergreen
Methyl Salicylate is the primary active compound in wintergreen. Methyl salicylate is responsible for its characteristic minty scent and analgesic properties. This is a natural form of salicylic acid and is often used as a topical pain reliever.
Other compounds in wintergreen include linalool, phenol, vetispirane, flavonoids, procyanidins, free catechins, caffeoylquinic acids, and simple phenolic acids. These combined give wintergreen its antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Traditional Uses of Wintergreen
Native American Medicine
Indigenous peoples of North America, such as the Cherokee and Iroquois tribes, used wintergreen leaves as a traditional remedy for various ailments, including rheumatism, fever, and respiratory conditions.
American Naturopathic Medicine
In the United States and Canada, naturopathic medicine has used wintergreen herb as a liniment for pain and soreness of joints and muscles. It has also been employed during fevers and respiratory illness when topically applied to the upper torso.
European Folk Medicine
Wintergreen was introduced to Europe by early settlers and was used in traditional European folk medicine for similar purposes, including pain relief and respiratory support.
Health Benefits of Wintergreen
Pain Relief
Wintergreen contains methyl salicylate, which is similar to aspirin in its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It is commonly used topically to relieve muscle aches, joint pain, and headaches.
Anti-inflammatory Properties
Methyl salicylate, the primary compound in wintergreen, has anti-inflammatory effects that may help reduce inflammation associated with conditions such as arthritis and sore muscles.
Antimicrobial Activity
Wintergreen oil exhibits antimicrobial properties, making it useful in the treatment of minor cuts, scrapes, and skin infections.
Stress
The strong, minty aroma of wintergreen oil is often used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation and alleviate stress. It is believed to have calming and mood-lifting effects.
Research on Wintergreen
While wintergreen has a long successful history in traditional medicine, there is limited human clinical research available, especially compared to synthetic pain relievers like aspirin.
Wintergreen’s antimicrobial effects are well founded. Researchers from India’s ACPM Dental College tesed wintergreen oil and eight other essential oils. against Streptococcus mutans – the bacteria also called MRSA. They found that wintergreen had one of the highest levels of antibacterial activity against the staph bacteria.
As far as pain relief, many studies have verified that salicylic acid – the synthesized form of Methyl salicylate found in aspirin – is effective for relieving pain and reducing inflammation and fevers. This is the primary reason wintergreen was no studied in isolation.
How to use Wintergreen
There are three primary uses for wintergreen.
Wintergreen oil
The first is in the form of topically applied wintergreen oil for soreness and pain. This is commonly termed ‘liniment’ as it is known to relieve internal pain when rubbed into the skin.
Wintergreen oil should not be consumed internally as explained below.
Homeopathy
Another use is homeopathic forms of wintergreen is referred to ¬¬Gaultheria. In this form the the methyl salicylate content is very diluated and thus not toxic.
Homeopathic Gautheria can be used at 6X or 6C for joint or muscle pain and headaches. 30C is recommended for nerve pain, joint pain and back pain. 200 C up to 1M has been used for chronic nerve and arthritis pain.
Aromatherapy
The third common use of wintergreen is as in aromatherapy. A few drops of wintergreen essential oil can be put into a diffuser can bring about calm and stress reduction. Anecdotal reports have indicated some reduction in discomfort is possible.
Caution on Wintergreen oil
The literature contains a number of reports of toxicity of drinking wintergreen oil, due to its high levels of methyl salicylate. This salicylate toxicity may be increased for those who are taking warfarin pharmaceuticals, commonly also called a blood thinner. The reason is that methyl salicylate is widely known as a blood thinner in itself. This is why many doctors have recommended aspirin to patients with potential artery damage.
The bottom line is to be careful when ingesting wintergreen, outside of it being dosed by a health professional or a supplement label. This applies to most herbs as well.
Scientific References
Ojha PK, Poudel DK, Dangol S, Rokaya A, Timsina S, Satyal P, Setzer WN. Volatile Constituent Analysis of Wintergreen Essential Oil and Comparison with Synthetic Methyl Salicylate for Authentication. Plants (Basel). 2022 Apr 17;11(8):1090. doi: 10.3390/plants11081090.
Cybulska P, Thakur SD, Foster BC, Scott IM, Leduc RI, Arnason JT, Dillon JA. Extracts of Canadian first nations medicinal plants, used as natural products, inhibit neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with different antibiotic resistance profiles. Sex Transm Dis. 2011 Jul;38(7):667-71. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31820cb166.
Simmons SS. A Proving of Oil of Wintergreen. Homoeopath Physician. 1892 Oct;12(10):462-463.
Chan TY. Potential dangers from topical preparations containing methyl salicylate. Hum Exp Toxicol. 1996 Sep;15(9):747-50. doi: 10.1177/096032719601500905.
Ojha PK, Poudel DK, Dangol S, Rokaya A, Timsina S, Satyal P, Setzer WN. Volatile Constituent Analysis of Wintergreen Essential Oil and Comparison with Synthetic Methyl Salicylate for Authentication. Plants (Basel). 2022 Apr 17;11(8):1090. doi: 10.3390/plants11081090.
Özokan G, Cansız D, Bilginer A, Ünal İ, Beler M, Alturfan AA, Emekli-Alturfan E. Synthesis of salicylic acid from wintergreen oil by green chemistry overcomes its cytotoxicity in keratinocyte cells and teratogenicity in zebrafish embryos. Toxicol Mech Methods. 2024 Feb;34(2):203-213. doi: 10.1080/15376516.2023.2272184.
Oil of Wintergreen. Can Med Assoc J. 1926 Aug;16(8):971.