Best Herbs to Support Lungs and Respiratory Health

The seasonal challenges and changes, as well as the environmental pollutants, are the main reasons for the lungs to get swollen and it is hard to breathe. Consuming the best herbs for your lungs when you face these problems can help support your respiratory health.

Generally, herbs give a natural and plant-based choice to keep your lungs healthy and maintain the sinus function well. Moreover, natural herbs support a strong respiratory system.

In this article, our experts explained some of the essential and best herbs to make breathing easier.

BEST HERBS FOR LUNGS

There are a number of herbs available and beneficial for lung health. Among them, we’ve listed the following herbs for some reasons. First, each herb contains powerful therapeutic properties that are effective for lung health. Moreover, each herb is simple to use. Those herbs don’t have any complications when using. For all of these essential reasons, we’ve listed some best herbs for lung health.

1. Schisandra

In traditional Chinese medicine, Schisandra has been used to fight against toxins for over hundreds of years. The toxin in our food and the environment are the major reasons for causing cellular damage. Schizandra is used for a variety of health related problems. It is traditionally used for both phlegms and dryness to keep a healthy lung.

2. Yarrow

The native of Yarrow are in Europe and western Asia. It is one of the traditional herbs which is used in herbal medicine. More than 3000 years ago, the ancient Greeks used this yarrow to cure bleeding wounds of the soldiers during the Trojan war. They believed that yarrow could support both lung and respiratory health.

3. Black seed oil

Black seed oil comes under the nigella sativa flower seeds. Its native is around the Mediterranean regions. For more than 1000 years, black seed oil has been used as a medicine for lung, sinus as well as respiratory health. In the ayurvedic tradition, black seed oil is considered as one of the best treatments, as it preserves the natural chemical profile, giving the full- spectrum of constituents. At the same time, they offer many health benefits.

4. Plantain

Don’t confuse plantain herbs with plantain fruits. Plantain fruits come under the banana family and they are often called green bananas or cooking bananas. Throughout Europe and North America, the plantain herb is widely used to support a healthy immune system, a clean respiratory system, and strong lungs. As plantain contains mucilage and moist cooling properties, it will support the health of the mucous membrane naturally by soothing irritation.

5. Licorice

It is one of the best herbs that contain active ingredients like glycyrrhizic acid. It is 50 times sweeter when compared to sugar. It is grown to be a delicious additive for everything from food and chocolate to tobacco and alcohol.

In several traditional medicine systems, licorice has been one of the most widely used herbs and most trusted herbs by traditional botanical practitioners.

The licorice plant has traditional applications that support respiratory strength, lung function, and healthy mucous membranes.

6. Mullein

About 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks recognized the value of mullein herbs for lung health. Dried leaves have traditionally been used as a tea supplement to lung and respiratory function. Mullein is also called the lung boosting plant. It is a keystone of traditional medicine. You can consume it internally to cure dry cough or sore throat.

Mullein is a superior, safe and deep breathing tonic. It helps to open the lungs, ease cramps, tightness, cough, and relieve dryness and irritation. Self-seeding of Mullein is twenty years, and it moves year to year. You can harvest its leaves throughout the season for tea, steam, syrup, or tincture, but be careful when identifying the plant before flowering. Although this is the best time to harvest the leaves, because we could misunderstand mullein leaves with other herbs, including the deadly foxglove.

V. densiflorum and V. olympicum also make large floral candelabras – their leaves and flowers can be used similarly. Mullein has a mild taste and aroma. Do not forget to filter the annoying hair with a cloth or paper filter.

7. Gaia-Grown Nettle

Nettle is a perennial herb; the native of these herbs are Europe, Northern Africa, North America, and Asia. You can grow this herb in a garden or field. But it usually grows in woods, roads, and meadows.

In Ayurvedic medicine, nettle has an essential place. Herbalists use nettle to support the body’s inflammatory response, to contribute a better healthy lung, sinus, and upper respiratory health worldwide.

Once harvested, you can eat the nettle steamed like spinach or drink it vertically in hot water as tea.

However, those methods are labor intensive. And this is a very easy way to add nettle in your diet.

8. Oil of Oregano

For centuries, Ayurvedic professionals have been using oregano to support a healthy immune system. One research found that oregano has volatile oils that can naturally resist harmful foreign substances which causes respiratory problems. Oregano has rosmarinic acid and carvacrol; both are believed to be natural decongestants and antihistamines. Because of this, oregano oil can keep your lung more healthy.

9. Elecampane

At first glance, Elecampane looks like a sunflower. It is one of the members of the same sunflower family and offers many benefits when compared to the common sunflower.

One of the main differences between Elecampane and sunflower is that the former contains a chemical compound called insulin. Insulin generally supports a healthy immune function and maintains a strong respiratory system.

How to take it

Elecampane is very suffocating and bitter. For this reason, it is taken by combining with other herbs. Some herbs that work well with elecampane and can support respiratory health. They are

--> Schisandra
--> Mullein
--> Plantain

10. Bayberry

Native Americans use the bayberry bark plant as a herbal supplement to support the body’s various structures and functions. Ayurvedic experts evaluate papaya for its high tan number and warming properties. This unique combination supports the natural defenses of your body.

How to take it

Due to their high tannin content, bayberry herbs are combined with other herbs to complement delicious taste.

11. Oregon Grape

As its name suggests, the Oregon grape is not a grape. The plant gets its name from the purple fruit that forms from the dense yellow flower cluster.

Those edible fruits were often traditionally ingested with salal berries and huckleberries as a way to support the immune system, digestion, healthy skin, and liver function.

This last benefit is that Oregon grapes are the best way to support lung and respiratory health. When your immune system is 100% working, it is good to fight the challenges of seasonal changes and environmental pollution to keep your lungs clear.

12. Peppermint

It is one of the mint family members, which is a hybrid of spearmint and watermint. For centuries, peppermint has been used as an effective home remedy for several digestive problems, also for respiratory problems as well. This plant can grow up to 2 to 3 feet tall and can be grown easily in the garden.

Peppermint comes with numerous therapeutic properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. The main constituent of peppermint is menthol, which contains cooling properties. You can use peppermint to treat bronchitis, colds, breaking up phlegm, asthma, and other health problems. You can easily add them to your foods or consume them as tea or extract.

13. Thyme

The next best herb that can support your lung health is Thyme. Thyme can be easily grown in your home garden or backyard. It is often used for culinary uses but is a potent medicinal herb that comes with numerous therapeutic properties.
Thyme is one of the mint members’ family and is fairly small, just growing up to 2 feet. Only small fragrant leaves are used to flavor our food, and aerial parts are used to make essential oils.

Thyme can offer many uses, but it is specially thought to be beneficial for lung health, such as coughs, colds, respiratory problems, bronchitis, improves breathing, and breaking the mucus. It also strengthens your lungs.

You can use thyme in many ways that are good for your lung health. Adding thyme generously to your diet is one of the simplest ways. Simply crush some of the dried herbs and add a little honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice to it. Consume this syrup which can help with respiratory illness during the flu and cold season.

14. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is one of the best herbs that can be used for lung health. It is the best remedy for several health problems and also supports the lungs. Eucalyptus trees, originally native to Australia, but now grown all over the world. There are many species of eucalyptus, some of which can grow up to 500 feet in height. Its leaves have powerful volatile oils that are also used medicinally. It is a versatile and effective herb that offers numerous therapeutic properties.

The main component of the eucalyptus leaf is 1, 8-cineole. Eucalyptus is commonly used for coughs, colds, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory problems, and many more. It is thought to be effective in breaking down congestion, aids in inflammation, and is also beneficial in stimulating the immune system with essential oils. You can use eucalyptus to support your lung health in many ways.

Some Ways to Use Herbs for Lung Health

Each herb contains unique compounds that are effective for many health problems. In order to enjoy all the therapeutic properties of an individual herb, it is best to take the herb whole, whenever possible. However, it is not always possible, and the truth is that the beneficial properties of herbs can be used in many ways. Some of those ways are as follows:

 

• 1. Culinary: You can simply add the herbs to your food. It is one of the simplest ways to use the whole herb.
• 2. Tea: Take the fresh or dried plant material in a cup of water, then make tea. It is a fantastic way to intake more liquids at the same time, you can experience the therapeutic properties of the herb.
• 3. Decoction: Take the plant material and boil them for some minutes.
• 4. Extract: By soaking the plant material for a long period, you can make an extract. It is more concentrated when compared to tea or decoction but not concentrated than essential oil.
• 5. Essential oil: It is a highly concentrated volatile oil that is extracted from different parts of the plant. To make a small amount of essential oil, you have to use a large amount of plant material.

What’s Bad for Your Lungs?

It is very challenging to avoid the pollutants, even if you are wearing a mask daily. It may lead to severe lung damage. What you have to do is, find out what is bad for your lungs?

As per the American Lung Association, there are a number of public health problems that affect lung health.

• Tobacco smoke and secondhand smoke
• The smoke and air quality caused by wildfires is low.
• Air pollution
• Climate change
• Exposure to viruses and infectious bacteria
• Indoor smoking
• Radon

These problems can be threatening enough to affect someone with a healthy respiratory system for those with asthma, chronic bronchitis or sleep apnea.

Final Words

There are a lot of ways that herbs can be used for strong lung health. Whether consuming it along with food, drinking as a tea, or inhaling the aroma, are very beneficial to the lungs. Some herbs can improve your breathing, while others may fight against illness or give relief from cough. Most herbs have numerous uses, and needless to say, they can be beneficial for many problems. So if you have a lung related health problem or searching to maintain your lung health, use one of the herbs listed above. Each one is unique in its way and has useful properties that make it an excellent choice for supporting lung health. Using herbs to promote a healthy lung can never be simpler!