⚠ Banned in at least one country (EC) — see Regulatory alerts by country below.
⚠ DANGEROUS — see overview [1]
🔬 Lab interpreter
ℹ️ No validated blood test. There is no established laboratory test to assess status or guide dosing for this ingredient. Clinical response and symptoms are the practical guide.
⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
Pennyroyal oil is LETHAL — as little as 10 mL can cause fatal liver failure. DOCUMENTED DEATHS from attempted self-induced abortion. Pulegone → menthofuran → glutathione depletion → hepatic necrosis. One of the most dangerous herbal products in existence. Tea form (lower pulegone than oil) is less acutely dangerous but still hepatotoxic with repeated use [1].
1 Safety warning
⚠ This substance is classified as dangerous, banned, or not approved for use as a dietary supplement.
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) oil contains pulegone — a hepatotoxin metabolized to menthofuran, which depletes glutathione and causes centrilobular hepatic necrosis [1]. Pennyroyal has been used as a traditional abortifacient — FATAL CASES of women attempting self-induced abortion with pennyroyal oil are documented. As little as 10 mL of pennyroyal essential oil can cause death from liver failure. It is also marketed as an insect repellent and herbal tea [1].
Do not use this substance. Consult a healthcare professional if you have been exposed to or have consumed products containing this ingredient.
2 Common questions
DANGER ▼
Pennyroyal oil is LETHAL — as little as 10 mL can cause fatal liver failure. DOCUMENTED DEATHS from attempted self-induced abortion. Pulegone → menthofuran → glutathione depletion → hepatic necrosis. One of the most dangerous herbal products in existence. Tea form (lower pulegone than oil) is less acutely dangerous but still hepatotoxic with repeated use [1].
3 Clinical evidence
Strong
See overview [1]. HIGH
Moderate
See overview [1]. MODERATE
Insufficient
See overview [1]. LOW
4 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Absolute contraindications
✕ Should not be used — pulegone causes fatal hepatotoxicity and multi-organ failure; historically misused as an abortifacient with fatalities
✕ Pregnancy
✕ Liver disease
Relative
⚠ The essential oil is especially concentrated and dangerous
🚩 Red flags
● DANGEROUS — see overview [1]
5 Interactions
Drug interactions
See overview Lethal/major
Action: DO NOT USE [1].
6 Regulatory alerts by country
3 regulatory actions on record — 2 with a verified source link, 1 with the official reference being verified.
Banned · 3
🇪🇺
EC — Pulegone restricted in flavoring (max 25 mg/kg). Oil prohibited.
Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, Annex III — substance prohibited/restricted/under EU scrutiny in foods (and related EU food-additive/flavouring limits).
Source ↗ · 2006-12-20
🇺🇸
FDA — Pennyroyal oil banned as supplement.
Listed in the FDA Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory / FDA dietary-supplement ingredient advisories (substance not a lawful dietary ingredient or subject to FDA safety action).
Source ↗ · 2023-03-06
🇨🇦
Health Canada — Prohibited.
Health Canada Natural Health Products Ingredients Database (NHPID): not permitted as a medicinal ingredient in NHPs or subject to specific restrictions.
2024-01-01 · official reference being verified
7 Related articles
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8 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Pennyroyal — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Jun 02]. Available from: https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Pennyroyal — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: December 2026
References: 1 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Pennyroyal — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/ CC BY 4.0.
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Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG