Lovage
In short
Summary of findings for quick reference
Lovage is best known as a strongly flavoured soup herb. It has long been cultivated in Europe and appears in medieval garden sources. Its leaves give soups and stews a savoury flavour; a small amount is enough, so season to taste.
Medicinal use concerns the root, not culinary leaves. EMA lists root tea for adjunctive urinary flushing in minor complaints, meaning an increase in urine output. Adequate fluid intake matters, and the appropriate amount also depends on your health.
Clinical evidence for lovage root alone is limited. Laboratory findings or herbal-combination results do not prove the efficacy of single-ingredient root tea. Urinary flushing is inappropriate when a condition requires fluid restriction. EMA does not recommend medicinal use during pregnancy or breastfeeding or below age 18.
Clinical evidence ↔ Historical significanceWe display two separate evidence categories: clinical evidence from modern trials and historical significance from documented healing tradition. Both are valuable, but they answer different questions.Read more
In every encyclopedia entry we evaluate two distinct categories of evidence. Clinical evidence as used in trials meets a narrower but scientifically essential bar. At the same time, the hundreds of thousands of plant species worldwide have only partially been captured and tested in modern studies.
Alongside the trial picture our researchers compile a comprehensive overview of where and since when a plant has been used across different traditions of natural medicine. When a plant has been used as a medicinal plant in many cultures across many generations, that historical significance deserves to be visible too.
Our position: a truly informative overview emerges only when both categories sit side by side. We communicate transparently what counts as what.
Overview
Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a tall perennial of the carrot family. Its strongly savoury leaves flavour beef broth, stews and other savoury dishes, and it is a familiar Austrian garden herb. The nickname Maggikraut refers to its resemblance to the seasoning sauce. The Maggi brand is named after its founder Julius Maggi, not the plant.
The dried root is the medicinal part. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) describes root tea as a traditional medicine intended to increase urine volume as an adjunct for minor urinary complaints. This classification rests on long-standing use rather than proof of reliable clinical efficacy. It does not apply to the leaves used as a culinary seasoning.
History
Lovage has a long European garden history. The Capitulare de villis, a Carolingian estate ordinance from around 800, includes levisticum in its plant list. Walahfrid Strabo’s ninth-century garden poem Hortulus describes lybisticum. These texts document garden traditions but do not establish exactly when or how lovage first reached Austria.
Lovage is valued in Austrian gardens as a strongly flavoured soup herb. Herbals also describe medicinal uses, including digestion and promoting urine. These historical uses should be distinguished from the current EMA classification of the root for traditional adjunctive use in minor urinary complaints.
Mechanism
Lovage root essential oil contains ligustilide and butylidenephthalide, among other compounds. These phthalides contribute to the characteristic odour. Individual constituents have shown antispasmodic properties in laboratory research. This explains scientific interest but does not establish the same effect for tea in people.
The effect of lovage root on urine volume in people is not adequately established. Older animal experiments discussed in the EMA report had differing results. They do not prove increased renal blood flow without electrolyte loss. The plant also contains furanocoumarins, compounds capable of promoting skin reactions under UV light; practical relevance depends on preparation and exposure, including skin contact.
The EMA monograph covers comminuted lovage root as tea. Its adjunctive use in minor urinary complaints is based on long-standing tradition. The 2012 assessment found no controlled clinical studies supporting well-established medicinal use of the root alone. The 2021 review found no reason to revise the monograph.
Laboratory and animal experiments are distinct from human trials. Findings for a medicine combining several plants cannot be attributed to lovage alone. Root tea therefore remains a traditional-use preparation and does not replace medical assessment or necessary treatment of urinary complaints.
Evidence
| Outcome | Class | Grade | Effect | Studies | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irrigation therapy of the urinary tract in mild urinary complaintsEMA describes root tea as a traditional medicine for adjunctive flushing in minor urinary complaints. This classification rests on long-standing use, not controlled clinical proof, and does not automatically cover tinctures, extracts or culinary leaves.Adults using lovage-root tea | TraditionalTraditional use. Long-standing folk practice or EMA HMPC traditional-use monograph. | DEvidence quality grade D. Preliminary signal. A single small trial, pilot result, or laboratory or animal model. Clinical relevance unclear. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Traditional Use | [1] | |
| Effect of the root on urine volumeThe EMA report describes older experiments with differing urine-volume results. These do not establish a reliable effect in people or a proven renal-blood-flow mechanism. A blanket claim of no increased electrolyte excretion is also unsupported.Older animal experiments | TraditionalTraditional use. Long-standing folk practice or EMA HMPC traditional-use monograph. | DEvidence quality grade D. Preliminary signal. A single small trial, pilot result, or laboratory or animal model. Clinical relevance unclear. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Mixed animal findings | [2] | |
| Culinary Suppenkraut and Maggikraut (Austrian Hausmannskost)The leaves are a strongly flavoured seasoning for soups, stews and other savoury foods. This is culinary use, not a measured medicinal benefit.General population using lovage leaves as a kitchen herb | TraditionalTraditional use. Long-standing folk practice or EMA HMPC traditional-use monograph. | IEvidence quality grade I (Insufficient). Not enough evidence to draw a conclusion. More research needed. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Traditional Use | ||
| Photosensitivity: distinguish skin contact from oral useFuranocoumarins can promote skin reactions under UV light. EMA did not find clinical data or pharmacovigilance signals supporting these concerns for recommended oral lovage-root use. Contact with the plant or its oil is a different exposure. Harm at the usual tea dose is not demonstrated here.Different preparations and exposure routes | TraditionalTraditional use. Long-standing folk practice or EMA HMPC traditional-use monograph. | IEvidence quality grade I (Insufficient). Not enough evidence to draw a conclusion. More research needed. This is an evidence rating, not a product endorsement. | Exposure-dependent concern | [2] |
Usage
Forms and preparation
Use finely chopped fresh leaves for soup, stews or beef broth. Start with a small amount because lovage has a strong flavour. It can be cooked with the dish or added towards the end. Dried leaves are also used as a seasoning. Medicinal tea instead uses dried root; follow the particular tea product’s dose and preparation instructions and strain the infusion before drinking. Lovage root can be an ingredient in urinary herbal teas with other traditionally used herbs. EMA assesses specified tea combinations separately. Their composition and instructions matter; monographs for individual plants do not establish arbitrary blending recipes. Precautions for all ingredients still apply.
Dosage
For adults, EMA specifies an infusion of 2–3 g comminuted dried lovage root in 150 ml boiling water, twice daily, equivalent to 4–6 g root per day. The monograph limits use to no more than two to four weeks. Seek advice if symptoms persist or worsen during treatment rather than waiting until that period ends. This medicinal dose does not apply to culinary leaves. Maintain adequate fluid intake during urinary flushing treatment. The appropriate amount also depends on your health. If heart or kidney disease requires restricted drinking, such treatment is inappropriate. With other kidney diseases, seek medical advice beforehand. Tinctures, extracts and combination products are not equivalent to the specified root tea; follow their own product information.
Safety
Look-alikes
Similar plants and look-alikes
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is highly toxic and also belongs to the Apiaceae. Its leaves are more finely divided, its flowers white, and reddish-purple stem markings may be visible. Smell or individual markings are not sufficient identification tests. Do not crush or taste unknown plants as a test. Gather Apiaceae only with reliable identification; clearly labelled cultivated lovage is the simpler kitchen option.
Water hemlock (Cicuta virosa)
Water hemlock (Cicuta virosa) is highly toxic and grows in wet sites such as watersides and marshes. Confusing its roots with edible plants has caused fatal poisoning. Habitat alone does not reliably distinguish Apiaceae species. Use reliably identified cultivated lovage for cooking and labelled medicinal-quality root for medicinal tea.
FAQs
Why is lovage called the Austrian Suppenkraut?
Lovage gives soups and stews a strong, celery-like flavour, making it a familiar soup herb in Austrian gardens. A little goes a long way. Its nickname Maggikraut arose from the resemblance to Maggi seasoning. The brand is named after its founder Julius Maggi, not the plant.
Can I take lovage during pregnancy?
Leaves in ordinary culinary amounts should be distinguished from medicinal use. Lovage root tea and other medicinal preparations are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding because safety has not been adequately studied. Urinary complaints during pregnancy require medical assessment rather than self-treatment with lovage.
Can lovage be combined with goldenrod in a Blasen- und Nierentee blend?
Yes, lovage root can be combined with other plants in traditional urinary teas. EMA describes specified combinations, including ones with goldenrod. This does not establish equal parts of arbitrary herbs as an assessed blend. Follow an appropriate tea product’s instructions or seek pharmacy advice. Composition, age limits, duration and precautions can differ from those for single-ingredient root tea.
Should I avoid sun exposure when taking lovage?
Lovage contains compounds capable of promoting skin reactions under UV light, but exposure matters. EMA found no clinical data or pharmacovigilance signals supporting these concerns for recommended oral root-tea use. This is not reassurance for concentrated oil on the skin or extensive contact with plant material. Follow the relevant medicinal product information.
2 sources.
Legal notice: The depiction of historical significance and traditional use is context within our encyclopedia and not a health claim for any product, not a treatment promise, and not a substitute for medical advice. What may be stated on product labels, product pages, or in advertising is governed by the applicable legal requirements.