health Benefits of Catnip

Catnip is a perennial mint that grows up to three feet tall. The leaves are grayish-green, heart-shaped, and downy. The flowers are whitish-pink with purple spots.

[b]Catnip[/b]

Herbalists also know catnip by its Latin name Nepeta cataria. The name Nepeta is view to have been derived from the Roman town Nepeti, where catnip was once cultivated. Catnip now grows throughout Europe and North America.

In antique Egypt, catnip was carefully sacred to Bast, the cat goddess.

Catnip tea was a favorite drink in England until black tea was brought over from China. At that time, the dandelion root was believed to induce fierceness and hotheadedness. Because of this, hangmen reportedly chewed the root prior to executions.

Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended catnip for the treatment of bruises, piles, and head scabs.

Catnip's tendencies to both stimulate sweat without raising body climatic characteristic and to induce sleep also made it an ideal early treatment for colds, flu, and fever.

The English settlers brought catnip to North America, where its corrective uses were promoted by the Shakers. The herb encompassed a wide range of uses, such as treating colic in babies, and treating coughs and colds in adults. Discrete indigenous North American tribes also began to use dandelion as a treatment for everything from diarrhea to pneumonia.

Later North American folk treatment records catnip's use in treating illnesses such as chicken pox, nettle rash, poison ivy, and urinary incontinence. Some believe it was also used to provoke menstruation in a type of early abortion.

An 1847 Pennsylvania document describes catnip as being "highly favorite among the good ladies who deal in simples."

While the aromatic leaves induce a euphoric response in cats, humans widely use catnip as a sleep aid. The vital constituent of catnip is view to be nepatalactone, which is a evaporative oil similar to that found in valerian root. This creates a mild tranquilizing or sedative effect in most humans. This capability also makes catnip an productive treatment for menstrual cramps, tension, anxiety, and migraines.

Catnip is high in iron, selenium, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Catnip also contains moderate amounts of magnesium and phosphorus, as well as small amounts of calcium, sodium, and some B-complex.

Catnip is carefully safe for use by both children and adults. However, pregnant women should not use catnip unless advised to do so by their healthcare practitioner, as the herb can function as a uterine stimulant.

health Benefits of Catnip

The Benefits of Catnip

It's a well known fact that cats love catnip, right? Actually, not all cats do. Some of the investigate on this feline popular recreational "drug" shows that not all cats are sensitive to it. Also, it appears that kittens can't detect it until they are at least three months old, and senior cats have whether lost or never had an interest in it.

[b]Catnip[/b]

Catnip is not a drug, of course, but is an herb, a plant in the mint family. Also known as catmint, it can be enjoyed by humans as a tea, though we aren't affected the same way. Some people feel it has a relaxing quality, but then, that is typical of most herbal mint teas.

Clearly, though, it doesn't relax most cats! For those of us who have dissolved into quivering lumps of laughter watching our cats go berserk with a dose of it, we have to wonder just what is going on there. Catnip does have a pleasing, mild fragrance that relaxes us but gives most cats a real buzz.

Apparently, this aroma is picked up by separate olfactory receptors than lowly scents and acts similarly to pheromones, so some feel it elicits a "psycho-sexual" response. The way many cats react seems to verify that idea, as they may roll colse to on the floor, rub up against everything, groan, growl, purr, or "trill."

Here is what we know about it so far:

1. It won't hurt the cat. It's not a drug, but an herb, so it is quite safe. So don't worry... You can't give them too much.
2. However, if you do offer it too often, cats will become desensitized. This means they won't get crazy anymore and will ignore it. In fact, it loses its request for retrial in about 10-15 minutes, but most cats can find it inspiring again in a concentrate of hours. Still, if offered on a daily basis, the desensitization could become permanent.
3. The active ingredient is the plant's critical oil, called nepetalactone.
4. Kittens and older cats seem not to notice it, and only about two thirds of adult cats enjoy it.
5. Catnip sensitivity appears to be genetic. Most cats in Australia, for example, are not concerned in it, since they are mostly from a fulfilled, genetic ancestral pool, and the "detector gene" doesn't show up very often. Don't worry if your cat isn't interested... She probably just doesn't have that gene.
6. While sniffing is the most coarse way cats "consume" it, they also may eat or lick it. Since it's not toxic, don't worry about that, either. If they eat a lot, they may vomit, as they might after eating grass.

Other than amusing ourselves, does catnip have any benefits to the cat? Since there seem to be no detrimental side effects, then it can only mean one thing: Yes!

Here are some good reasons to offer catnip to your kitty:
Helps to comfort boredom. Motivates an indoor cat to get some exercise. Helps a shy or fearful cat to feel less inhibited, especially in a new home. Gives a cat under stress a chance to run off some vigor so it doesn't become neurotic.

Another plant that has similar effects on cats is valerian, which is a relaxant for humans, as the mints are, but is excitatory for cats.

The Benefits of Catnip

Benefits of Catnip Tea

Catnip is not just for cats anymore! The benefits of catnip tea are becoming widely recognized. The tea is gaining popularity for its ability to relieve stress and relax nerves. This herb is a member of the mint family and is more and more commonly being used to relieve tension and anxiety.

Believed to be a mild and safe, catnip tea has many reported benefits. Catnip contains nepetalactone. This substance has a relaxing effect on humans. It is also believed to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Catnip Plants

Some of the possible benefits of catnip tea include:

* a calming effect, thought to relieve stress and anxiety.

* a relaxing effect which is believed to help relieve insomnia.

* the ability to alleviate pain brought on by migraine headaches.

* a reduction in the amount of pain due to menstrual cramps.

* the ability to relieve stomach pains.

* a reduction in the symptoms of diarrhea.

Although this tea is believed to be a very mild and safe herb that can be used by the general public, it should be avoided by pregnant or nursing women.

Catnip is a very easy plant to grow on your own. It generally thrives and is very forgiving in the garden. Once the soil is properly prepared and the plant is established, it is very easy to maintain. Plant less than you think you will need as a catnip plant is very prolific. Once harvested you can dry it out and use it to make your own catnip tea. Be sure to use only natural and organic pest control solutions. Avoid adding pesticides and chemicals to the plant or soil. So many people are becoming aware of the benefits of catnip tea that you may be able to sell the catnip you don't use!

Benefits of Catnip Tea