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Herbal remedies

Coughs and colds are not unusual at this time of year, but gardeners can look to homegrown remedies to alleviate common winter ills.

STORY: JANE WRIGGLESWORTH PHOTOS: ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY

Coughs, colds, sniffles and sore throats are no fun, so it’s no surprise that Kiwis spend millions of dollars each year on cough syrups and lozenges. There’s nothing more irritating than a persistent cough. Which is why I get quite excited whenever family members or friends get one.

Not because I revel in their misery, but because I get to try out my latest herbal concoctions. When cold and flu season hits, I can be found in the kitchen cooking up anything from cough-busting lollipops to immune-enhancing jellies and soups. Many herbs contain natural compounds that help quell a cough and soothe a sore throat.

There are many herbs that help to ease a niggling cough, but to decide on an effective treatment, we need to take a closer look at the type of cough and what might be causing it. Is it dry and irritating (non-productive), or is it a “wet” cough that produces mucus? Is it a smoker’s cough or a reaction to some other irritant (pollution)? Perhaps it’s a response to postnasal drip or acid reflux. Is it acute (the result of a bacterial or viral infection) or chronic and ongoing (the result of allergies, asthma, bronchitis)?

The premise of all these coughs is the same: A cough is an expulsion reflex, your body’s defensive mechanism against foreign bodies or irritants in the respiratory tract. Some coughs are actually beneficial for this reason. But all these types of cough are treated differently.

Liquorice, elecampane, hyssop, white horehound, mullein and thyme are all expectorant herbs – they help to loosen mucus in the respiratory tract, making coughing more productive and thus unclogging the airways.

In Western herbalism, expectorant herbs are divided into three categories: stimulating, warming and relaxing.

Stimulating expectorants work by “exciting” or stimulating the walls of the respiratory tract to increase the expulsion of mucus. They are useful for chronic unproductive coughs, where there is bronchial and tracheal congestion, and bronchitis.

One such herb is elecampane, which is also antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing to the mucous membranes.

Another stimulating expectorant is the native shrub kūmarahou ( Pomaderris kumeraho and P. elliptica), which is found in the top half of the North Island. It was used by early Māori to treat coughs and colds. The flowers and leaves can be dried and infused in hot water and drunk.

Warming expectorants also excite the walls of the respiratory tract, but they do this by increasing blood flow to the respiratory mucosa, which prompts the reflex reaction. These are typically pungent spices such as fennel, aniseed, cinnamon, ginger and garlic. Angelica root is a warming expectorant, as is garlic. These herbs also help to thin the mucus, which makes it easier to move. Because they are warming herbs, they are useful for coughs associated with cold or damp conditions, as well as where there is excess mucus, and for chronic bronchitis. A hot infusion (tea) of cinnamon and ginger is one remedy, and an onion and garlic soup might be beneficial too.

Relaxing expectorants include hyssop, liquorice, marshmallow ( Althaea officinalis), mullein, ribwort (yes, that is a weed – Plantago lanceolata – in your garden ), thyme and white horehound. These herbs have calming properties. Thyme is also antispasmodic, so it helps to relax the spasm of a cough. Liquorice root aids in the expulsion of mucus but also soothes irritated airways and bronchials. Its sweetness means it is added to many commercial

There are many herbs that help to ease a niggling cough, but to decide on an effective treatment, we need to take a closer look at the type of cough and what might be causing it.

cough formulas. Relaxing expectorants are helpful for dry coughs, or where sticky mucus produces an unproductive or irritating cough. They are also helpful for children’s coughs, asthma and acute bronchitis.

If you don’t mind digging up your mondo grass ( Ophiopogon japonicus), you can use the roots as an expectorant. It is especially useful for chronic dry coughs.

Healing horehound

White horehound ( Marrubium vulgare) has been used to treat coughs and bronchitis since Egyptian times. Even New Zealand’s most prominent 19th century herbalist, James Neil, wrote about the herb in the New Zealand Family Herb Doctor, first published in 1891: “This wellknown herb is a great favourite with herbalists. It has several well-recognised virtues, in addition to its expectorant, which is the chief. We need not describe it, as most people are familiar with it. As is said of other common mercies, ‘their abundance causes them to be despised.’ So with hoarhound. It is growing by the acre in some places in nearly every land under the heavens. There are some people who have it growing at their doors, and yet are so ignorant of its virtues that they will go about with a sore throat or cold, or they will give money for medicine that is not so good, when a judicious use of this useful herb would cure them soon.”

He goes on to suggest simmering 2oz (60g) of the fresh herb, or 1oz (30g) of the dried, for 10 minutes in a pint (600ml) of water, straining it, then sweetening it with honey. “Take a wineglassful three to six times a day.”

Horehound is indeed a weed in New Zealand but it is a powerful herbal treatment. Its downside is its bitterness (the botanical name Marrubium comes from Hebrew, meaning bitter juice). Honey or sugar come in handy for disguising the taste.

Homemade cough syrup

Most cough syrups contain a bit of everything – an expectorant to break up and expel the mucus, a demulcent to soothe inflamed and irritated tissues, an antispasmodic to calm things down, an antimicrobial to get rid of the bugs, and something to make it taste good! You can make a simpler version of this if you prefer. Just choose 2–3 herbs according to your cough (wet, dry, etc) and follow the instructions opposite.

3 tablespoons dried white horehound 3 tablespoons chopped dried elecampane root 1½ tablespoons dried thyme

2½ cm (1 n) knob ginger root, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon chopped dried liquorice root

1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed

4 cups water

1 cup honey

Place the horehound, elecampane, thyme, ginger, liquorice and fennel seed in a saucepan and cover with the water. Slowly bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the water has reduced by half.

Allow to cool slightly, then strain the mixture, pressing to get all the liquid from the herbs. Return the liquid to the saucepan and add the honey. Warm on a low heat until the honey is mixed through.

Cool, pour into a bottle and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Dose Take 1 teaspoon every 30 minutes to two hours, as needed.

Note Wild cherry bark ( Prunus serotina) is an excellent herb for soothing night-time coughs, as it is a relaxing expectorant, an antitussive and has mild sedative properties. But it is banned from sale or propagation in New Zealand.

Thyme tea

The easiest cough remedy to make at home is thyme tea. Simply infuse fresh or dried thyme leaves in freshly boiled water for 8–10 minutes.

Try adding some sage and gargling with it if you have a sore throat, or sip on it throughout the day.

Goldenrod cough syrup

Goldenrod is often used as a diuretic, but it’s also good for coughs and sore throats.

2–3 handfuls fresh goldenrod (flowering tops and leaves), wilted overnight – or 4 tablespoons dried goldenrod

Distilled water

Sugar (any sort)

Place the goldenrod in a saucepan, cover entirely with water and bring to a simmer. (If you use dried herb, use 1 litre of water.) Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse overnight.

Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan and add 200g (7oz) sugar for every cup of liquid. Bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup into sterilised jars and label.

Dose 1 teaspoon, 3–4 times a day.

Easy cough-suppressing thyme oxymel

Because they are sweet, oxymels were traditionally used to administer herbs that tasted foul. Like horehound.

As a precaution, note that children younger than 12 months old should not consume honey.

Fresh or dried thyme leaves

Mānuka honey (runny is easier to work with) Apple cider vinegar

If using fresh thyme, pick it the day before and leave it to wilt overnight.

Fill a jar with the chopped fresh thyme leaves, or half-fill with dried leaves.

Add honey to the halfway mark, then top with apple cider vinegar. Stir well, then fit a plastic lid and steep for 3–4 weeks in a warm room out of direct sunlight. Shake the jar gently (turn it upside down a couple of times) daily or every other day.

Strain into a clean, airtight jar or bottle. Keeps for 3–6 months.

Take 1–2 teaspoons when needed.

Ox-eye daisy chest rub

Ox-eye daisy ( Leucanthemum vulgare) is another roadside weed but it’s super useful in herbal medicine, and anyone can put this freely available flower to good use. Historically, ox-eye daisy tea was used to treat whooping cough, asthma and other respiratory ailments.

I think a chest rub is a nice alternative for relaxing the bronchial muscles, though if you prefer a tea, simply steep fresh (1 tablespoon) or dried (1 teaspoon) flowers in a mug of freshly boiled water for 10–15 minutes.

This chest rub can be used on adults (10+ years) with aching muscles, bruises or stubborn coughs.

10–15 dried ox-eye daisy flowerheads

About 1 cup olive oil

20 drops eucalyptus essential oil

20 drops rosemary essential oil

Put the dried flowerheads in a jar and top with the olive oil – enough to cover the flowers. Secure the lid, then turn the jar a couple of times. Sit it in a warm location out of direct sunlight for 4–6 weeks. Turn the jar over every other day to aid infusion.

Strain the oil and add the eucalyptus and rosemary oil, or substitute 40 drops lavender essential oil if you prefer.

For children 3–10 years, my good friend Melanie Harrison, an aromatherapist and founder of Chickweed Apothecary, suggests an essential oil mix of lavender and Virginian cedarwood. Cedarwood has similar properties to eucalyptus.

Don’t use essential oils on children under 3 years.

Mullein tea

A simple mullein tea is great for coughs, and it’s the quickest and easiest way to take mullein. Harvest leaves from first-year or second-year plants before the flower stems appear, bruise them slightly and steep in boiled water for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-weave cloth to remove any stray plant hairs before drinking.

The hairs act as an irritant to some people, on both the skin and mucous membranes. Leaves rubbed on the skin can make it feel warm and tingly. Native Americans used to put mullein leaves in their moccasins to keep their feet warm – the slight irritation helped bring circulation to their feet.

Dried leaves can be used instead of fresh – 1–2 teaspoons to a cup of boiled water.

Mullein tea can be slightly bitter so you might like to add other herbs, and/or honey. The fresh flowers make a slightly sweeter tea. Or try flowers or bruised leaves heated to scalding point in a saucepan with a cup of milk. Turn off the heat and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey if desired.

Mullein cough syrup

Pick flowers on a dry day after the dew has evaporated. Leave them lying in the sun for about an hour, during which time any insects will vacate the flowers. Without washing them, place a layer of flowers then a layer of granulated sugar (about 2cm or ¾in deep) in a sterilised jam jar. Place another layer of flowers and a second layer of sugar on top, then one more layer of flowers.

Screw on the lid and leave the jar on a sunny windowsill for 1 week. At this point, add another layer each of flowers and sugar, and put the jar back on the windowsill for another 3 weeks.

Four weeks from when you started, strain the liquid that will have formed in the jar, pour it into an airtight bottle and store in a dark cupboard.

Take 1–2 teaspoons for coughs.

HERBS

en-nz

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

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