How to Use Mullein for Lungs
Benefits of Mullein for lungs
Mullein can help relieve chest congestion, soothe lung irritation caused by both illness and pollutants, and provide antibacterial and antiviral benefits. It is a popular herb for lung detoxification, cold and flu relief, smoking, and more. For both throat dryness and thick mucus, mullein can be a beneficial herbal ally.
How Can Mullein Be Used for the Lungs?
Mullein leaves can used for lung support in a wide variety of ways – mullein tea, tinctures, infused oils, and cough drops are all common. Some research suggests that the antibacterial effects of mullein leaves may be the most potent when prepared as a water extraction, such as an herbal tea. Most often, the leaf of the mullein plant is used in herbal medicine, although some medicinal preparations do include mullein flowers as well.
How to Use Mullein Leaf Tea for Lungs
Mullein leaf can be combined with other herbs, such as in our Lung Revitalizing Tea, or it can be used as a single-ingredient herbal tea for lung health.
If you are using mullein leaf to make a lung supporting herbal tea blend at home, we suggest that you combine your mullein with other expectorant herbs such as licorice root, hyssop leaf, or plantain leaf.
Making a single-ingredient tea using mullein leaf is another effective way to help support your lungs. Below is a simple recipe for mullein leaf tea.
Recipe:
1-2 tsp dried mullein leaf
1 cup of boiling water
Instructions:
Measure your mullein leaves and add them to your teapot or tea strainer.
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over top of the mullein, making sure that all of the leaves are fully submerged.
Allow your mullein leaf tea to infuse for 10-15 minutes.
Strain your tea, add any sweetener that you like, and drink your tea while it is warm. If you choose to add sweetener, we suggest using honey for its additional throat soothing benefits.
For the most benefit to your lungs, we suggest drinking 3-6 cups of mullein leaf tea daily, or as needed. There is no known toxicity to mullein leaf, and consuming it in larger quantities, especially short-term, is safe for most people.
How to Use Mullein Tincture for Lungs
Mullein leaf tincture can be used both short-term and long-term for lung support. When taken for lung health, mullein leaf tincture is most commonly used in dosages of 12-18 millilitres, or about 2-3 teaspoons, per day.
Mullein leaf tincture can be prepared at home by infusing an alcohol of your choice with dried mullein leaves. If you haven’t done this before, we have several articles to guide you on how to make tinctures at home:
How to Choose the Best Alcohol for Tincture Making
Dried mullein leaf is incredibly fluffy. When preparing mullein leaf as a tincture, it is often used in a 1:5 ratio. This means that 1 part mullein leaf is used for every 5 parts of alcohol. If you are making a mullein tincture at home, it isn’t necessary to use this exact measurement, but do be sure to adjust your tincture recipe to ensure that all of the dried mullein leaves are fully submerged in alcohol. If your mullein leaves are not fully submerged in liquid when you prepare your tincture, you are at risk of growing mold in your herbal remedy.
How to Use Mullein Infused Oil for Lungs
Mullein leaf infused oil can be used as a topical remedy for the lungs. Mullein leaves are most commonly infused in a base of olive oil, although mullein oil can be made using any base oil. Mullein leaf oil can be applied to the chest and throat. We suggest adding a few drops of decongesting essential oils, such as peppermint, black pepper, or eucalyptus, to help further benefit your lungs.
How to Use Mullein Cough Drops for Lungs
Mullein leaf can be used as an ingredient in herbal cough drops made for sore throats and lung congestion. If you are making cough drops at home, we suggest using ingredients such as wild cherry bark, honey, and osha root for additional lung benefits.
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References
This blog post has been compiled from reliable sources to ensure the veracity of the mentioned details. Any reference to scientific studies, historical data, or culinary information has been thoroughly cross verified.
Turker, A. U., & Camper, N. D. (2002). Biological activity of common mullein, a medicinal plant. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 82(2-3), 117-125.
Turker, A. U., & Gurel, E. (2005). Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.): recent advances in research. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 19(9), 733-739.