What are the effects of spruce needles?
The essential oil contained in the needles of the common spruce (Picea abies) and fresh branch tips are used internally against catarrh of the respiratory tract (colds). They are also used externally for rheumatic complaints and mild muscle and nerve pain.
The essential oil of spruce needles promotes mucus, stimulates blood circulation and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Important ingredients are for example
- Bornyl acetate
- Pinene
- Phellandrene
- Camphene
Spruce needle oil is extracted by steam distillation from the needles, twig syringes or branches of spruce.
However, there is little scientific evidence to date on the effectiveness of spruce. It has also not been clinically proven that spruce needle oil helps against nail fungus.
In addition to the common spruce, several other representatives of this plant family (pine family, Pinaceae) serve as suppliers for the medicinally used spruce needle oil (Piceae aetheroleum). However, the common spruce is one of the main suppliers.
How is the spruce used?
The essential oil of spruce is used medicinally, as well as the corresponding ready-to-use preparations. There is also spruce needle tea.
Spruce as a home remedy
You can drink a cup of spruce needle tea sweetened with honey two to three times a day. You should not exceed a daily dose of five to six grams of spruce needles. This dosage per day is also valid for children over ten years of age and for teenagers. For the other age groups the following daily doses are recommended:
- one to three years: 1 – 2 grams
- four to nine years: 2 – 4 grams
For a full bath for the common cold, adults can scald 200 to 300 grams of spruce shoots with one liter of hot water, steep for five minutes, then strain and add to the bath water. The recommended water temperature is 35 to 38 degrees Celsius.
The duration of the bath should not exceed 20 minutes. Such a spruce needle bath is also beneficial for rheumatic complaints, muscle and nerve pain.
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limits. If your complaints persist for a long period of time, do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
Spruce in aromatherapy
For colds, you can use pure spruce needle oil for inhalations: To do this, add five to a maximum of ten drops of the essential oil to a liter of hot water and inhale the rising vapors under a towel draped over your head.
A cold bath with spruce needle oil is also recommended. Use up to five grams of spruce needle oil for a full bath. So that the essential oil is better distributed in the water, you should first mix it in an egg cup or shot glass with some cream, condensed milk, salt, honey or lemon juice before adding it to the water.
Bathe in the 35 to 38 degree Celsius water for a maximum of 20 minutes. For rheumatic complaints, this spruce needle oil bath can also do good.
Siberian spruce needle oil has a similar composition to the essential oil of the common spruce. It is obtained from the Siberian fir (Abies sibirica) and can be used in a similar way as the “normal” spruce needle oil.
Ready-made preparations with spruce
There are various ready-to-use preparations based on spruce or spruce needle oil, such as ointments, creams, alcoholic solutions and bath additives. In addition, cough syrups and cough drops often contain spruce needle oil – often together with eucalyptus oil.
To find out how to use and dose these ready-to-use preparations correctly, read the relevant package leaflet or ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What side effects can spruce preparations cause?
Incorrect use or overdose may cause increased irritation of the skin or mucous membranes and bronchial spasms. Therefore, always follow the respective package inserts as well as the recommendations of your doctor or pharmacist for the correct use and dosage.
What you should bear in mind when using spruce preparations
- The following applies to all essential oils: use only 100 percent naturally pure essential oils – preferably those obtained from plants grown organically or collected from the wild.
- Before using spruce needle oil and other essential oils, you should always check their compatibility. The arm flexion test is suitable for this purpose: Put a drop of the essential oil in the crook of your arm and gently rub it in. If the affected skin area turns red in the following hours, starts to itch and even forms pustules, you cannot tolerate the oil. You should not use it then!
- Those suffering from so-called obstructive bronchial diseases such as COPD, asthma or whooping cough should not use spruce needle oil.
- It must also not be used on infants and small children: Here there is a risk of a life-threatening glottis spasm (glottis spasm) with respiratory arrest!
- The essential oil of spruce must generally not be applied in the area of the eyes.
