Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Myrtle is a small evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean. People use its leaves, its blue-black berries and the oil pressed from them. In Sardinia the berries are steeped in alcohol to make a dark liqueur called mirto.
Folk healers in southern Europe and North Africa used myrtle for coughs, chest colds, wounds and sore gums. The leaves are rich in tannins, which taste dry and bitter. The oil has a sharp, eucalyptus-like smell.
Long use in a tradition is not proof that something works, and it is not proof that it is safe. This page separates the two. The short verdict: human evidence for myrtle is thin, and most of it comes from small, low-quality trials.
The bigger issue with myrtle is the oil. It is a concentrated product with real hazards for babies, children and people with asthma. The food uses, such as a leaf in a stew or a glass of mirto, are a different matter.
No one has shown in good human trials how myrtle works, or that it reliably does.
Most of what is claimed comes from test tubes and animals. In laboratory tests, myrtle extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Whether that happens inside the body, at the amounts people take, is not established.
In cell and animal studies, myrtle compounds appear to damp down markers of inflammation. Animal work also suggests the extract may lower blood sugar. These are early signals, not proven effects in people.
The oil is high in 1,8-cineole, the same compound found in eucalyptus. In people, cineole-rich oils seem to thin mucus and make coughs easier to clear. That evidence mostly comes from a standardised blend called myrtol, which is not myrtle alone.
The tannins in the leaf are astringent. They bind proteins and make tissue feel tighter and drier. That explains the traditional use as a gargle, but it does not show that it heals anything.
Myrtle is sold in several forms. The oil is far more concentrated than the tea. Do not treat the two as the same thing.
You can buy these plant and food forms:
- Dried leaf, loose or in tea bags - Capsules of leaf or berry extract - Mirto, the Sardinian berry liqueur
You can also buy these products for the skin and mouth:
- Essential oil, for scent or diluted skin use - Mouthwash, gargle and gum products - Creams and gels for the skin
There is also myrtol, a licensed medicine in some countries. It is made from a blend of distilled oils.
Myrtle was a sacred plant in ancient Greece and Rome, tied to Venus and used in weddings and wreaths. Writers such as Dioscorides recorded it as a remedy.
European folk practice later used myrtle leaf tea for coughs and chest colds. Washes and poultices were put on wounds, ulcers and piles. Gargles were used for sore mouths and gums.
In Sardinia and Corsica the berries became mirto, drunk as a digestive after meals. In parts of Iran and North Africa the leaf was used for stomach complaints and skin sores. These records tell us what people did, not what worked.
Call emergency services if a child swallows myrtle oil, or if anyone has trouble breathing, a swollen face or throat, or a seizure after use.
Stop using myrtle and see a doctor if you get a rash, wheeze, or lasting stomach pain.
See a doctor rather than treating yourself if you have a cough lasting more than three weeks, a fever, coughing up blood, or a mouth ulcer that will not heal in three weeks.
In the United States, myrtle is sold as a dietary supplement, and the leaf and berry are used as food flavourings. In the United Kingdom and the European Union it is sold as a food, flavouring or supplement. In Germany, a standardised oil blend called myrtol is licensed as a medicine for coughs and sinus problems.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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