Arborvitae, hackmatack, swamp cedar, Thuja occidentalis, tree of life, white cedar
Thuja is obtained by steam distillation of leaves and twigs of Thuja occidentalis. It contains glycoproteins and polysaccharides, which have antiviral and immunostimulating properties. It also has uterine-stimulant activity. Thuja also contains the neurotoxin thujone. Thuja is available as oil, extract, ointment, and homeopathic products.
Reported uses
Thuja is used orally as an immune stimulant, expectorant, and diuretic. It’s also used as an abortifacient. Other uses include treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, strep throat, gout, pruritus, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, otitis media, pertussis, tracheitis, kidney and bladder complaints, psoriasis, enuresis, amenorrhea, and cardiac insufficiency.
Thuja is used topically as an insect repellent and a treatment for skin diseases, infected wounds and burns, joint pain, arthritis, rheumatism, condylomata, warts, and cancers. It’s also used as a fragrance in personal care items and as a flavoring; however, thuja is used in food items in the United States only if it’s certified thujone-free.
Safety Risk Thuja preparations intended for oral or topical use shouldn’t contain the neurotoxin thujone. Some thuja and thuja oil preparations are said to be thujone-free. If thujone toxicity is suspected, call a poison control center immediately.
Administration
- Extract 0:1 in 50% alcohol, 1:10 in 60% alcohol): 1 to 2 ml by mouth three times a day
- Tincture (mix 100 parts thuja powder into 1,000 parts diluted spirit of wine).
Hazards
Thuja may cause seizures, neurotoxicity, hypotension, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, uterine stimulation and cramping, fetal loss, and mucous membrane hemorrhaging.
There’s an increased risk of toxicity when thuja is combined with other herbs that contain thujone, such as oak moss, oriental arborvitae, sage, tansy, tree moss, and wormwood. Additive central nervous system (CNS) effects may result when thuja is combined with alcohol.
Pregnant or breast-feeding women shouldn’t use thuja. It shouldn’t be used by transplant patients or those with a history of seizures or immune related diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) because it may accelerate the disease.
Clinical considerations
- Thujone is considered safe for oral use in concentrations up to 1.25 mg/kg of body weight.
- For homeopathic thuja preparations, patient must not eat or drink for 15 minutes before and after taking the remedy to prevent its dilution.
- Monitor patient’s response to thuja; monitor patient for adverse effects.
- Don’t confuse this Thuja species with T. orientalis, the Oriental arborvitae.
- Caution patient not to take thuja if he has a history of seizures.
- Warn patient that thuja leaf oil taken orally should be certified thujone-free.
- If patient takes a form that contains alcohol, caution to avoid hazardous activities until full CNS effects of the herb are known.
- Advise patient about signs of thujone toxicity and advise him to contact a poison control center or seek emergency treatment immediately if he becomes ill after taking thuja orally.
- Warn patient to keep all herbal products away from children and pets.
- Tell patient to remind pharmacist of any herbal and dietary supplements that are being taken when obtaining a new prescription.
- Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a conventional treatment with proven efficacy may be available.
Research summary
The concepts behind the use of thuja and the claims made regarding its effects have not been validated scientifically.