Tarragon, or Artemisia dracunculus, as it is botanically known has an interesting meaning. The word dracunculus actually means “Little Dragon” and tarragon literally means that. This is aptly so, because tarragon is an effective agent to combat a wide range of illnesses.

Tarragon essential oil is derived from steam distillation of its leaves and flowering tops. It has a spicy, herbaceous and aromatic fragrance. Not only that, tarragon essential oil has a long history of use, well-known for its therapeutic and health benefits.

For example, the Chinese used tarragon as a traditional medicine for a range of problems due to its antiviral and antispasmodic properties. Not only that, even the ancient Greeks used tarragon to treat toothaches. Prehistoric Iranian healers used it to increase appetite levels and as an anticonvulsant.

As such, its beneficial uses extend to prehistoric and ancient times, which can still be applied today. Therefore, you need to have tarragon essential oil! Read on to find out more in detail about its health benefits and uses!

Health Benefits of Tarragon Essential Oil:

1. Antirheumatic and Antiarthritic

Rheumatism and arthritis is caused by the lack of proper blood and lymph circulation, especially in the limbs. It can also be caused by the accumulation of toxins in the body. Tarragon essential oil, on the other hand, has detoxification and circulatory compounds, thus making it an effective agent to cure one of these painful conditions. It can stimulate proper circulation to the muscles and joints, providing warmth to those areas as well as aid in the removal of toxic substances by inducing urination and excretion.

Therefore, tarragon essential oil is great for providing relief and treatment to arthritis and rheumatism. No longer would you have to depend on prescribed medication that can potentially have unwanted side effects!

How to Use it: You can create a massage blend of 3-4 drops of tarragon essential oil that is blended with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba or olive oil) and gently massage onto your body. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 drops of the oil to a warm compress or add a few drops to your warm bath to treat the pain and inflammation.

2. Prevents Digestive Problems

With its carminative, digestive, stomachic and aperitif properties, tarragon essential oil is great for preventing digestive problems and promoting a smoother digestional flow. This is because it can help to stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes and bile in the stomach, thus increasing the rate of digestion and ensuring that no indigestion results.

It also helps to break down the nutrients within the stomach cavities and stimulates the peristaltic motion which helps to increase the rate of absorption and transport of the food nutrients into the bloodstreams. All these therefore facilitates a much improved and unobstructed digestion, making you free of any problems related to digestion that might result.

How to Use it: Simply dilute tarragon essential oil with a carrier oil and use it as a massage oil on your lower abdominal area. Alternatively, you can put it in a hot compress or dilute a few drops of the oil into your bathing water to promote better digestion.

3. Antibacterial and Germ-Destroying

Tarragon essential oil is also a bactericide which means that it inhibits the growth and spread of various bacteria within the body. In fact, this means that it has vermifuge properties which prevents the growth of tapeworms, hookworms and roundworms in the body. Also, this antibacterial property makes tarragon essential oil a useful remedy for various oral-related problems such as toothaches and gum inflammation.

Furthermore, a 2012 study published in the Iranian Journal of Microbiology indicated that tarragon essential oil prevented the growth and spread of two important pathogenic bacteria, the E.coli and the S.aureus bacteria.

How to Use it: Simply add a few drops of tarragon essential oil to your warm bathing water and soak inside for detoxification and antibacterial effects. To relieve pain arising from oral-related diseases, you can add 2 drops of tarragon essential oil to a glass of water and use it as a gargle mixture, while being careful not to ingest the mixture.

4. Relieves Menstrual Problems

Having emmenagogue properties, tarragon essential oil helps to ease menstrual flows and allows for the smooth passageway of menstrual flows, thus preventing obstruction which can possibly lead to more complications if left unchecked. As such, it facilitates regulation of menstruation and ensures a healthy menstrual cycle.

Not only that, tarragon essential oil is also great for alleviating menstrual cramps, headache, fatigue and mood swings that women may experience as they approach the time of the month.

How to Use it: Simply dilute tarragon essential oil with a carrier oil in a 1:1 ratio to create a massage blend and gently rub it onto your abdominal area.

5. As a Household Cleaning Agent

Additionally, its antibacterial properties make it an excellent agent for household cleaning purposes. It can be used to keep your surrounding internal environment clean and free of pesky bacteria. It is especially effective for getting rid of bacteria that often lingers in the kitchen and bathroom. This thus ensures a proper and clean home/work environment.

Coupled with its aromatic fragrance, tarragon essential oil can leave your home or office smelling very nice!

How to Use it: As a natural cleanser for your environment, you can add a few drops of the oil to a spray bottle of water and proceed to spray it on surfaces.

6. As a Deodorant

With its sweet-smelling and antimicrobial properties, tarragon essential oil makes for an effective, all-natural deodorant. This is the perfect remedy to keep body odours away as the spicy, rich and herbaceous aroma fills the air. Furthermore, it prevents the growth of microbes on your skin, that are the cause of such body odours in the first place.

How to Use it: You can apply diluted tarragon essential oil onto your wrists and neck area as a natural perfume to keep you smelling nice and fresh always!

7. As an Antioxidant

Besides all these health benefits as abovementioned, tarragon essential oil is also an effective antioxidant, thus making it a good agent to potentially treat cancers and various tumors. Its antioxidant properties inhibit the growth and spread of such dangerous cancerous cells in the body.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that tarragon essential oil has antioxidant properties which can fight against free radicals that are cataract-causing and cancer-causing, hence preventing the development of cataracts and certain types of cancer.

However, more research needs to be done in this area to ascertain how exactly can tarragon essential oil be incorporated in anti-cancer and anti-cataract preventive treatments. But since it showed promising preliminary results, it can potentially be an important tool to combat cancer due to its antioxidant properties!

Safety Precautions:

• Tarragon essential oil, no doubt useful and has wide-ranging health benefits, can be toxic when consumed. Therefore, you should always avoid consuming the oil internally.

• Due to the presence of estragole, or methyl chavicol, tarragon essential oil should not be used in large doses. Particularly, pregnant and nursing women, children and individuals who have seizure should avoid tarragon essential oil.

• Do not apply tarragon essential oil directly on open wounds due to its potential toxicity.

• Be sure to dilute tarragon oil well with a carrier oil (such as jojoba, coconut or olive oil) in a 1:1 ratio before applying it topically onto the skin.

• After dilution, ensure that you perform a skin patch test to ascertain for any allergic/sensitive reactions.

• Always consult your doctor first before using tarragon essential oil as a form of treatment, especially if you are taking other prescribed medications as well.

References:

M Raeisi, et al., “Essential oil of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in culture media and Iranian white cheese”, Iranian Journal of Microbiology (2012); 4(1)

Saban Kordali, et al., “Determination of the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oil of Artemisia dracunculus and of the Antifungal and Antibacterial Activities of Turkish Artemisia absinthium, A. dracunculus, Artemisia santonicum, and Artemisia spicigera Essential Oils”, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2005); 53(24)