Summer savory
Satureja hortensis
Other names: Garden savory, Bohnenkraut, marzeh
Edible plantPhoto credit: Bogdan / Wikimedia Commons
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: None known as a culinary herb. Concentrated essential oil (carvacrol/thymol-rich) is irritant/mucosa-aggressive and must not be ingested undiluted; avoid EO internal use without professional guidance.
Contraindications: Pregnancy/lactation — avoid medicinal/EO doses (culinary amounts traditionally regarded as fine); EO not for infants/young children or on broken skin.
Interactions: None established at culinary doses; theoretical additive effects with antidiabetic agents (EO hypoglycaemic signals in animals) — monitor if using concentrated forms.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid medicinal/EO doses; culinary amounts traditionally regarded as fine.
Evidence level
Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.
Preparations
infusion · aerial parts
Part used: aerial parts
Traditional use: carminative / digestive (bloating, gas, indigestion)(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)
Proposed mechanism: essential oil (carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene)
edible · aerial parts
Part used: aerial parts
Traditional use: culinary seasoning(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: leaves/flowering tops, fresh or dried, raw or cooked (classic with beans, meat, soups)
Toxic lookalike warning
As a cultivated garden herb confusion is unlikely; when wild-collecting Lamiaceae, verify aroma and square stem and avoid mixing with unidentified mint-family plants
Nutritional notes
Source of dietary fiber and minerals (iron, manganese, calcium) and antioxidant phenolics in typical herb amounts; primarily a flavoring
Healing traditions
Sources (3)
- Satureja hortensis — overview — ScienceDirect Topics (EN)
- Summer Savory herb — Nutrition facts and Health benefits — Nutrition-and-You (EN)
- Summer savory — Wikipedia (EN)