Summary
Schizonepeta Tenuifolia is a herb that is commonly called Japanese Catnip of Jing Jie and is a traditional asian remedy (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) for the common cold, headcolds, and allergic skin eruptions.
It has a fair bit of animal and in vitro evidence investigating possible roles in the immune system, and although it appears to be anti-inflammatory overall (a moderate level and anti-inflammation, with one study finding it comparable to Indomethacin and two studie concluding it less effective than Dexamethasone) it appears to have some selective anti-inflammatory effects. It is for these reasons Japanese Catnip is known as an immunomodulator, but currently more evidence would be needed (with some human interventions) to ascertain its role as an immune system modulator.
It currently does not have any other scientifically supported uses.
What are other names for Japanese catnip
- Japanese Catnip
- Schizonepeta
- Jing Jie
- Hyung-gae
- Schizonepeta Tenuifolia
- True Catnip (the Genera Nepeta
- rather than Schizonepeta)
- Uncaria Tomentosa
- Actinidia polygama (Silvervine
- has similar catnip-like effects)
Dosage information
Traditional usage of Japanese Catnip, for fighting colds and reducing skin eruptions, was 3-10g of a decoction. There are no human studies to confirm if this is the optimal dosage range, and the animal studies (200-500mg/kg in rats) suggest dosage ranges of:
- 2,200-5,400mg for a 150lb person
- 2,900-7,200mg for a 200lb person
- 3,600-9,000mg for a 250lb person
Which are the estimated human dosages for inflammation. They appear to parallel traditional recommendations somewhat.
