Health Benefits Of Using Catnip Oil

Cat lovers are probably familiar with how crazy their feline friends go for catnip. It's an amazing cat drug, as it stimulates them and makes them a bit loopy, which is always amusing for the family and has allowed owners to make some well-loved online videos. If you look at the view count of these videos, it's clear that people love watching cats go wild and bounce around the house frantically while playing excitedly. However, catnip is not just for cats.

Unlike the experiences of a cat, catnip (also called catmint) has sedative and calming effects on humans, much like the related hemp plant. Scientifically known as Nepeta cataria, the catnip plant is native to Europe and specific regions of Asia. However, it spread quickly across the globe once it was domesticated, as it can thrive almost anywhere.

1Repels Mosquitoes And Other Bugs

Catnip oil does more than effectively treat the mind and body. It is also useful when diffused to purge a home of mosquitoes and other bugs. There is legitimate scientific research into the catnip plant's effectiveness in chasing away insects, and it is used in numerous commercial insect repellents and pesticides.

If you lack a good diffuser, it is still possible to make a good mosquito spray by dropping a few drops of catnip oil into a spray bottle filled with water. Adding sandalwood oil to the mix can achieve even better results. Nepetalactone also has insect repellent properties that can chase away cockroaches and other insects as well. That said, this essential oil should not be used around pregnant or nursing women.

2Promotes Heavy Sweating

Since catnip is a stimulant, it has diaphoretic properties, which can promote heavy sweating. For most people, sweating is unpleasant because it creates an uneasy feeling and body odor. That said, sweat typically creates body odor only when a person is afflicted with some sort of problem in their body, most typically indigestion, kidney problems, or obesity. Thus, a scent in sweat is indicative of toxins that have built up in the body.

A person who is reasonably healthy should sweat a bit; regular sweating purges body odor if one bathes immediately after since it's an excellent way to remove toxic substances. Catnip oil can help one sweat more and make the process of weight loss, blood pressure reduction, and toxin and excess salt removal from the body easier and can also help the heart and sometimes even help with fevers. Body odor refers to the scent emitted from a human body, which can become noticeable if it turns foul, typically making the person nervous and conscious of their smell, which usually induces more sweating and making the problem worse.

3Relaxes The Body And Mind

Catnip essential oil has very impressive sedative properties. It is quite effective in easing tension and anxiety as well as treating insomnia since it relaxes the mind and body. Insomnia is also called sleeplessness and comes from many possible sources that can add up, such as bedroom behavior, medications, chronic conditions, daily stress, hormonal imbalance, depression, irregular activity, food, excess stimulation, among others. The clinical definition of insomnia is when a person cannot fall asleep and stay asleep long enough to get a restful and restorative sleep more than twice in a week for three weeks.

The exact effects of anxiety will vary between individuals, but everybody can be affected by this affliction. It's considered one of the physiological states of the human mind, which includes different components like cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and somatic elements. Many people these days have anxiety disorders of some kind, with varying severity between individuals. One survey held that around 19 million adult Americans, aged between 18 and 54, have some type of anxiety disorder. Thus, it has become crucial for people to seek out ways to soothe their anxiety.

4Stimulates Hormone Secretion

While studies are still ongoing, catnip essential oil shows quite a bit of promise in stimulating the secretion of hormones. This can aid women who have difficulties with menstruation by causing their system to stimulate the appropriate hormones. It has also shown signs of helping ease the normal pain from cramps; however, extreme pain should be seen by a medical professional.

While this isn't the intended effect of catnip essential oil, it's an incredibly beneficial side effect! Anything that can help regulate menstruation is practically a miracle drug. Again, if you're having severe menstrual pain, then you should see a medical professional. But for minor pain or irregularities, catnip essential oil can help quite a bit!

5Reduces Stomach Issues

Catnip oil can help settle down the acid that a stomach builds up, which can help alleviate heartburn and nausea. While catnip oil alone won't cure ulcers and other stomach diseases, it does a reasonably good job of neutralizing bile and acid. Since many stomach issues come from acid burning the inner stomach lining, this can prevent many problems before they start.

This is particularly useful if you have an issue creating bile, which is what usually helps neutralize stomach acid. Catnip oil can keep your stomach from developing problems and thus keep your stomach's health stable. And of course, with stable stomach health comes smoother digestion. This is why catnip essential oil is said to treat multiple stomach issues.

6Relieves Spasms And Cramps

Since catnip oil can help relax muscles, it helps if you need to manage spasms or cramps. While it's not a treatment for chronic pain, it can help soothe the discomfort of spasming muscles. Since it has these antispasmodic properties, it can help treat other disorders that have spasms as a symptom.

If you're looking for help to deal with health issues, such as dehydration, muscle strain, other illnesses, or disorders that cause spasms, then catnip essential oil can be a part of your treatment plan. It can also help relax muscle cramps, which can occur for seemingly no reason at all. While cramps are often harmless, they can sometimes be a symptom of a much deadlier disorder. If you experience cramping on a regular basis, you should see a medical professional.

7Calms The Body And Mind

While catnip is known to energize cats, it does not have that effect on humans. Nepetalactone, the chemical compound that acts as a drug for kitties, doesn't affect humans at all. However, since the plant is related to marijuana, it can have calming effects when used by humans.

While it doesn't have the same chemical makeup as marijuana, the fact that they're related means that they do have some similar properties - that said, you should never rely on catnip essential oil to have the same effect as marijuana. The two plants are not the same, which means that it's unlikely to help much in acute insomnia or anxiety. However, it still has sedative effects, so it is still useful as part of a treatment plan. Lack of sleep can cause anyone to have difficulties with focus and memory, and many people have found their lives in ruins after a simple mistake that could have been avoided with enough sleep.

Catnip has a long history of use in herbal medicine. European countries have been using it for centuries due to its calming properties. Many dishes in French cuisine use leaves of the catnip plant as part of stews and sauces to ease digestion.

While you can find catnip tea on plenty of store shelves, most people prefer using catnip essential oil. The oil is derived from the leaves of the plant, which means that it has the same properties. Unlike tea, it can be used both topically and in aromatherapy, thus making it a more versatile substance.