BT-055 · Lamiaceae

Pennyroyal

Mentha pulegium
Evidence: TraditionalHigh risk

Andean muña and Anatolian pennyroyal carry the same molecule, pulegone; two mountain cultures use similar-smelling herbs for similar complaints.

Other names
Poleo, yarpuz (Turkish)
Part used
Leaves
Region
Anatolia and the Mediterranean
Andes
Use
Healing, Poisonous
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium): balls of purple flowers
Photo: Raffi Kojian · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In short

What is Pennyroyal?

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a plant of the Lamiaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean, Andes. Part used: leaves.

What is Pennyroyal used for?

Traditional use: Gathered by streams and brewed for colds and the stomach; added to dishes instead of mint. Scientific evidence: traditional. The essential oil is high in pulegone, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys; deaths have followed drinking the oil.

Is Pennyroyal safe?

Safety label: high risk. Even small amounts of the oil can cause fatal liver damage. Never use in pregnancy. Do not drink the tea heavily or for long.

Traditional use

Anatolia

Gathered by streams and brewed for colds and the stomach; added to dishes instead of mint.

Europe and Latin America

Long used to bring on menstruation and to induce abortion; this use has caused deaths.

In nature

Where it grows
Stream banks, wet meadows and ditches throughout Türkiye.
Harvest season
Picked in flower, July–September.
Local names
yarpuz, yabani nane, filiskin, puleyotu

Mix-up risk

Can be confused with garden mint. Pennyroyal smells sharper and its flowers sit in whorls at the leaf joints.

Preparation

Steeped in very small amounts. The essential oil must never be drunk.

What science says

The essential oil is high in pulegone, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys; deaths have followed drinking the oil.

Safety

High risk

Even small amounts of the oil can cause fatal liver damage. Never use in pregnancy. Do not drink the tea heavily or for long.

Drug interactions

Medicine or substanceWhy it matters
Drugs that burden the liver (such as paracetamol)Pulegone increases liver damage.
Iron supplementsIts tea may reduce iron absorption.

This list is not complete. If you take regular medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor before trying Pennyroyal.

Similar plants

Muña (Minthostachys mollis): flowering sprig
BT-036

Muña

Minthostachys mollis
Lamiaceae
Evidence: TraditionalCaution
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): stems with pale purple flowers
BT-013

Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus
Lamiaceae
Evidence: TraditionalGenerally safe
Rue (Ruta graveolens): yellow flowers
BT-002

Rue

Ruta graveolens
Rutaceae
Evidence: TraditionalHigh risk

Sources

  1. ResearchPennyroyal toxicity: measurement of toxic metabolite levels in two cases and review of the literature
  2. ResearchToxicities of Herbal Abortifacients
  3. BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
  4. Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Mentha pulegium
  5. Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.

Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe

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