Horehound Herb

Other names by which the horehound herb is known are 'Hoarhound', 'Marrubium', 'Marvel' and 'White Horehound.' This perennial herb of the mint family has its growth in places like open meadows, pastures, waste lands and even on road sides. Its population is distributed in most parts of coastal United States, Canada and Great Britain. Germany, France and the European continent are also the places where the this herb is usually found.

The herb has wrinkled leaves, bearing a rough texture on the top, while a woolly one on the underside of the lamina. Right from being an ingredient in candies to cough drops or syrups, horehound has been a traditional medicinal herb, which was in use since ancient Greek and Egyptian times. Due to its utterly bitter taste, many prefer to take her in the form of a candy or syrup. However, some also prefer to take it in the form of a tea.

Horehound Herb Benefits

Drinking a cup of warm tea prepared from the this herb is good enough to loosen accumulated phlegm in the lining of the throat, lungs and sinuses. Apart from this, the nasty headache that occur due to a sinus infection can also be taken care of by taking some hot sips of this herbal tea. It is known to alleviate pain of a sore throat and soothes inflamed lung tissues caused by cold and flu. Children and adults suffering from wheezing cough, whooping cough, chronic bronchitis, hacking cough, bronchial asthma, etc., can be help with the use of this medicinal herb.

For increasing appetite, improving function of the stomach and the digestive system, the horehound plant is one of the best natural remedies. Irregular contraction of the cardiac muscles is one of the major health problems in most people. The horehound herb helps in improving the regularity of cardiac contraction. Adults and children who come across with respiratory problems can be treated with this herb, which is a pectoral, expectorant and a natural tonic. Not only do medical conditions like all these may be treated with this herb, even bites like those of the rattlesnakes and rabid dogs can be addressed. However, for such purposes, the horehound herb must be used in conjunction with other herbs such as the Plantago lanceolata.

Side Effects and Risks

Reported side effects of the use of this herb in case of an overdose, include diarrhea, hypoglycemia, contact dermatitis, hallucinations, delirium (defined as a state wherein the affected person exhibits violent mental agitation), dry mouth, dilated pupil, restlessness and in some cases, even coma. The herb may cause an increase in the stomach acid in the body and this must alarm people suffering from peptic ulcers or gastritis, regarding its use. Horehound herb seeds may turn out to be poisonous when injected, especially, in case of children. Expecting and nursing mothers must avoid its use and a word of caution goes for people who are suffering from cardiovascular disease and intend to use this herb. It must not be used in conjunction with cold medications and medications which tend to lower blood pressure.

As a conclusion, here is an easy tip on making horehound tea. You probably already know how to do it! Get two and a half teaspoon of fresh dried horehound herb and let it steep in a pint of boiling water. Give it a wait for 40-45 minutes and then strain it. Flavor it with lemon juice, and take the tea in a lukewarm state.