The Health Benefits of Horehound

For centuries, people all around world have used horehound to naturally treat respiratory conditions. Top makers of herbal cough drops, and cough syrup include horehound, which is no surprise since it is said to be one of the oldest known cough remedies! This is just one of many impressive horehound benefits. Horehound is a perennial plant. This means once it is planted it will return year after year. The horehound plant (M. vulgare) is native to Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern and central Asia. It has small white flowers. The flowers as well as all the plant’s parts are used for medicinally. Horehound is an ingredient often found in herbal lozenges and syrups used for the natural treatment of coughs. There’s a good reason why this herb is employed in cough remedies. Horehound can help people get rid of that nasty mucus that is clogging up their airways. Research has also shown that horehound has both antispasmodic and analgesic properties, which are more commonly known as pain-relieving effects. These are two good reasons as to what makes horehound a great natural cough remedy. Along with foods like horseradish, horehound is believed to be one of the Bible’s bitter herbs. Its bitter flavor makes it an excellent choice for improving digestion since plants that taste bitter have been shown to help in managing indigestion or upset stomach. Bitter foods like horehound are a great choice if you struggle with poor digestion. When your food is broken down in optimal fashion, you’re much less likely to suffer from digestive issues such as indigestion and gas. For some people, symptoms of motion sickness can result from the movement of travel by car, boat or plane. Motion sickness will typically go away usually when the motion stops.

But many people who commonly suffer with motion sickness are curious about natural ways to improve their queasy feelings. Horehound has been used as a traditional remedy for motion sickness. The recommended dosage is one to two milliliters as a tincture. Or use one to two teaspoons of leaves steeped as tea, taken three times per day. As an expectorant herb, horehound could be a helpful remedy when it comes to the intense congestion caused by bronchitis. When you have bronchitis, the bronchial tubes that carry air to your lungs become inflamed. This inflammation causes a cough, which can often be uncomfortable.

Horehound can be helpful since it has been found to not only act as an expectorant, but also to promote vasodilatory effects. Vasodilation is when the smooth muscle within the blood vessels relax and widen. This results in a better flow of blood filled with oxygen. Sometimes people struggle with a lack of appetite for different reasons including stress, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, metabolic problems, liver disease and more.

Bitter herbs like horehound have a long history of use as a digestive tonic as well as an appetite stimulant. Horehound’s ability to improve saliva and gastric juice output makes it helpful for increasing appetite.