Wintergreen Essential Oil

What could a wintergreen plant be? On the analysis of this word, common sense suggests that it must be some plant that stays green even in winter. And common sense is often right! While there is no such plant known as the wintergreen, it is actually a group of evergreen species of plants that do not shed leaves and stay green even during the winter. The scientific name for the extract of these plants is methyl salicylate which is used as an ingredient in various products. But for simplicity of the people who are using it, methyl salicylate is known as the essential wintergreen oil as it is extracted from the wintergreen plant.

A Look at Wintergreen Oil

Interesting Facts

• Overall wintergreen shrubs enjoyed great popularity, owing to its leaves and berries. It is widely believed that the wintergreen oil was discovered and first used by Native Americans. Its leaves and berries too were used by the Native Americans for a variety of purposes. They used a tea brewed from wintergreen berries to cure various illnesses. Mostly, wintergreen berry herbal tea was used to alleviate physical pain, body aches, rheumatic symptoms, sore throat, fever and headaches.
• Wintergreen oil is extracted from an evergreen shrub that has oval, leather-textured leaves and pretty bell-shaped white flowers. Wintergreen oil is usually pale yellow in color and has a fresh minty fragrance.
• The methyl salicylate is a toxic substance and is secreted by the plant as a pheromone to protect itself from pathogen attacks. Also, when the plant is attacked by herbivorous insects, the methyl salicylate helps attract herb-eating insects to kill them.

Health Benefits

• Following the footsteps of Native Americans, we too use wintergreen oil as a pain relief medication to alleviate arthritis and other muscle and bone joint discomforts. It is also used as a medicine for rheumatism, tendinitis, cramps and headaches.
• It is also considered to be useful in cases of organ trouble such as heart disease. It is also used to stimulate the liver and improve circulation.
• Methyl salicylate is also said to be an important ingredient of aspirins. Hence wintergreen oil is also used for preparing aspirins.
• It is also considered as a aromatherapeutic. So it is used as oil in various massage clinics.

Other Uses

• Owing to its wonderful minty fragrance, it is used in various substances as an odor-masking agent.
• Along with a minty fragrance, methyl salicylate also has a minty flavor and hence it is used in several substances as a flavoring agent. It is used predominantly in chewing gums and toffees. Sometimes it is also used as a flavoring agent for root beer. Being antiseptic is one of the wintergreen oil's properties and hence, along with its minty fragrance, it is used in various toothpastes and mouthwashes.

But while using wintergreen oil for medicinal purposes, keep in mind that you are never to consume it orally. Wintergreen oil is a toxic substance when consumed internally. If it is used in candies as flavoring agent, it should be in a extremely low percentage of around 0.04%. All uses prescribed pertain to wintergreen's use as an external oil medication.