Wintergreen

Scientific Name(s): Gaultheria procumbens L.
Common Name(s): Boxberry, Canada tea, Checkerberry, Deerberry, Gaultheria oil, Mountain tea, Partridgeberry, Teaberry, Wintergreen

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 21, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

In addition to being used as a flavoring, wintergreen and its oil have been used in topical analgesic and rubefacient preparations for the treatment of muscular and rheumatic pain. However, no clinical data support the use of wintergreen for any condition.

Dosing

Dosing recommendations for oral or topical administration of wintergreen oil are not available. Even small doses of oral wintergreen oil may cause toxicity.

One teaspoon (5 mL) of wintergreen oil is equivalent to approximately aspirin 7 g or 21.5 (325 mg) adult aspirin tablets.

Contraindications

Avoid oral or topical application in children. Avoid use in patients with known hypersensitivity to any components of wintergreen oil and in patients with known salicylate allergy, or GI irritation or inflammation.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used as food. Avoid dosages higher than found in food because safety and efficacy are unproven.

Interactions

Monitor for potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation in patients using methyl salicylate or topical wintergreen oil.

Adverse Reactions

Wintergreen may cause hypersensitivity reactions. Topical administration of methyl salicylate may cause redness and irritation; second- and third-degree burns have been reported rarely with menthol-methyl salicylate formulations.

Toxicology

When ingested, highly concentrated liquid methyl salicylate in the form of wintergreen oil, as with other volatile oils, can induce vomiting and cause severe, often fatal, poisonings.

Scientific Family

• Ericaceae

Botany

Wintergreen is a perennial evergreen shrub with thin, creeping stems and leathery leaves with toothed, bristly margins. It is a low-growing plant native to eastern North America and usually found in woodland and exposed mountainous areas. Its small, waxy, white or pale pink flowers bloom in late summer, developing a scarlet fruit. The aromatic leaves and fruits are edible.Chevallier 1996, Simon 1984

History

American Indians reportedly used wintergreen for treating back pain, rheumatism, fever, headaches, and sore throats.Chevallier 1996 The plant and its oil have been used in traditional medicine as an anodyne, analgesic, carminative, astringent, and topical rubefacient. Wintergreen tea has been used to relieve cold symptoms and muscle aches.Dobelis 1986

Wintergreen oil is obtained by steam distillation of the warmed, water-macerated leaves. It is used interchangeably with sweet birch oil or methyl salicylate (typically no more than 0.04%) for flavoring foods and candy.

Wintergreen berries have been used to make pies.Duke 1985 A tea made from the leaves was used as a substitute for Camellia sinensis tea during the Revolutionary War.Chevallier 1996

Chemistry

Wintergreen oil is an extremely potent liquid form of methyl salicylate (98% methyl salicylate w/w).Chyka 2007 It is produced by macerating wintergreen leaves in warm water, followed by steam distillation.Khan 2010 During the process, gaultherin is enzymatically hydrolyzed to methyl salicylate.Howrie 1985, Simon 1984, Spoerke 1980 The yield of winter...