5 Thuja occidentalis Remedies: Acne, Cold, Mosquitoes

By Dr Renita D’Souza
Thuja occidentalis is a well known decorative garden plant. It is not a classical Ayurvedic herb; but it is abundantly used in therapeutics both by the traditional practitioners and trained healers of various medicinal system. It is used to treat cough, cold, asthma, bronchial catarrh, rheumatism, liver diseases, psoriasis, cystitis, enuresis, amenorrhea, uterine carcinomas and diarrhoea. The plant is known for insect repellent action also. In Homeopathy medicine, it is used as mother tincture or dilution.

Table of Contents

Thuja Essential oil

Essential oil procured from Thuja occidentalis used in insecticides, cleansers, disinfectants, hair care products, soap, room sprays and liniment. It possesses anti-rheumatic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, rubefacient, stimulant and vermifuge effect.

Botanical Description

Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen small or medium sized coniferous tree.
Bark – reddish brown, furrowed and peels in narrow, longitudinal strips.
Foliage – evergreen, forms in flat sprays with scale-like leaves.
Leaves – opposite, scale-like, closely overlapping
Flowers – Monoecious; solitary. Male flowers are yellowish and arise from branchlets near the base of the shoot; female flowers are pinkish and appear at the tips of short terminal branchlets
Fruits – A monoecious conifer with a narrow, almost columnar crown

Distributions

Thuja occidentalis is native to Eastern North America and cultivated in Europe and Brazil as an ornamental tree.

Therapeutic Uses

Delayed menstruation – Thuja occidentalis is helpful in delayed menstruation due to its specific reflex action on the uterus. However, it should be avoided in pregnancy because of this action.
Muscular aches – Arborvitae used as counter-irritant to relieve muscular aches and pain.
Warts – Thuja is applied externally.
Ring worm, Thrush – Used externally due to significant anti-fungal effect.
Constipation, Headache – Twigs of Thuja occidentalis is used in teas.

Part Used

Whole plant

Pharmacological Activities

Thuja occidentalis possess Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anticancer, Protective activity of the gastrointestinal tract, Radioprotection, Antipyretic, Lipid metabolism regulatory activity.

Chemical Constituents

Thuja occidentalis contain essential oil, coumarins, flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidines.
Essential oil obtained from fresh leaves contain-
Thujone – 65%
Isothujone – 8%
Fenchone – 8%
Sabines – 5%
α-pinene – 2%

High contents of thujone in the fresh plant can cause intoxication symptoms.

Symptoms of intoxication

Excess usage or over dose of fresh Thuja plant can cause vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhoea, irritant effect on the gastrointestinal tract and uterus, absorption disorders, headache, nervous agitation, chronic convulsions, symptoms of liver and renal toxicity extending to yellow liver atrophy, arrhythmia and myocardial bleeding.

In infants, ingestion of leaves and twigs of fresh Thuja plant can cause mild gastrointestinal disorders and vomiting.

Research

Anti-bacterial Activity – A research study conducted to evaluate antibacterial activity of three Cupressaceae plants – Thuja occidentalis, Thuja orientalis and Chamaecyparis obtuse, have proved that these 3 plants possess potent antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms.
Anti-viral activity – A review study conducted on Thuja occidentalis have shown that it is an effective immune stimulator and suggests it as an antiviral agent and could be an important prophylactic medicine strengthening the treatment for acute respiratory viral infection and flu-like symptoms such as COVID-19

Formulations

Thuja Ointment – Homoepathic medicine used to treat warts, corns, tubercles, polypi etc

Home remedies

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), PhD

Few important simple remedies and their health benefits are mentioned here below-

As nerve stimulant

1. Thuja oil as nervine stimulant:
Few drops of thuja oil is taken and added to 1 – 2 teaspoons of any oil like – sunflower oil or sesame oil and rubbed over the painful body parts or over the jointOr else it is applied over the area where deep muscular or nervine pain is found. This helps to relieve the pain in marked way.
In case of numbness of the hand and leg also this is quite beneficial.

As insect repellent

2. Leaf as a insect and mosquito repellent:
A fist-full of Thuja leaves or a twig of it is displayed or tied in the entry of the home or in a corner of the house. This acts as an insect and mosquito repellent.

Cough, cold

3. Thuja oil in water inhalation for cough and cold:
Few drops of thuja oil is dropped over the warm water and inhaled. This helps to reduce the repeated episodes of cold, cough, breathlessness, nasal congestion etc.

Sneezing, nasal congestion

4. Leaf paste with ginger juice in sneezing and nasal congestion:
Fully developed white cedar leaf is collected and by adding ginger juice fine paste is made. This is applied over the forehead or to the edges of the nose(maxillary area).This helps to relieve the nasal congestion and sneezing.

Acne, warts

5. Fine paste of the leaf and turmeric in acne and warts:
Both turmeric and Arbor Vitae leaves are taken in equal quantity and fine paste is made. This is applied over the warts,acne,skin scar lesions etc. It has got a significant benefit in these conditions.

Thuja, a plant of highest use in Homoeopathy has multiple therapeutic use in traditional practice as well as a simple home remedy. Awareness regarding planting and judicial use of the plant in selective cases is the skill of learned ones.
Click to consult Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), PhD

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae
Division – Pinophyta
Class – Pinopsida
Order – Cupressales
Family – Cupressaceae
Genus – Thuja
Species – T. occidentalis

Vernacular Names

English Name – Arbor vitae, Northern white cedar, Eastern white-cedar, Swamp cedar, Tree of life
German – abendländischer Lebensbaum, amerikanischer Lebensbaum, Heckenthuja, Lebensbaum
Danish – Livsträ
French – Thuya d’occident
Italian – Thuia
Russian – Tuja
Swedish – Livsträd

Click to consult Dr Renita D’Souza