Evidence supporting the use of: Ravinsara
For the health condition: Cough (damp)
Synopsis
Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2
Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora ct. 1,8-cineole), often confused with Ravensara, is primarily recognized in traditional aromatherapy and herbal medicine for its use in respiratory conditions, including coughs, especially those characterized as “damp” (productive, with mucus). The tradition stems mainly from practices in Madagascar and France, where Ravintsara essential oil is included in remedies for colds, coughs, and bronchial congestion. The main constituent, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), is known for its mucolytic and expectorant properties, and this has influenced its use for “damp” coughs in folk and integrative medicine. However, direct scientific evidence specific to Ravintsara oil for cough is limited. Most research on 1,8-cineole references eucalyptus oil and not Ravintsara per se. There are some clinical and preclinical studies supporting the efficacy of 1,8-cineole in improving mucociliary clearance and reducing cough frequency, but extrapolating this to Ravintsara essential oil is indirect. Therefore, the use of Ravintsara for “damp” cough is mostly justified by tradition, with a modest theoretical basis from its main chemical constituent. No high-quality clinical trials have directly validated Ravintsara oil for cough treatment.
Other ingredients used for Cough (damp)
aloe verablack currant
black pepper
radish
chen pi
clove
cowage seed
turmeric
elderberry
garlic bulb
ginger
glehnia root
green tea
licorice root
oregano
parsley
pear
perilla
phellodendron amurense
platycodon root
pomegranate
quercetin
rhizome
thyme
zhejiang fritillary
zinc
hyssop
atractylodes
alpinia galangal
ferula assafoetida
inula racemosa
anise
pistacia integerrima gall
fritillaria
coltsfoot
eucalyptus
horehound
Anamarrhena
Asarum heterotropoides
Asafoetida
Asam gelugor
Adenophora
Allium tuberosum
Asarum sieboldii
Atractylone
Bael
Butternut
Balloon Flower
Cineole
Common madia
Chekiang Fritillary
Chondrus
Dichrostachys glomerata
Galangal
Ivy
Other health conditions supported by Ravinsara
Allergies (respiratory)Asthma
Bronchitis
Cold Sores
Colds (antiviral)
Colds (decongestant)
Colds (general)
Congestion
Congestion (bronchial)
Congestion (lungs)
Congestion (sinus)
Cough (damp)
Cough (dry)
Cough (general)
Cough (spastic)
Infection
Infection (viral)
Influenza
Laryngitis
Pneumonia
Rhinitis
Sinus Infection
Wounds and Sores