November 1, 2024 • 26 mins
Curious about how age-old herbal remedies can support your respiratory health? Join me, Demetria Clark, as we uncover the secrets of herbal expectorants, time-honored allies in thinning mucus and easing your breath. This episode offers a deep dive into how these natural wonders work—boosting mucus production, reducing its stickiness, and enhancing the natural ciliary action to help you breathe easier. We’ll explore the benefits, uses, and precautions of popular herbal expectorants like licorice root, thyme, mullein, and eucalyptus, ensuring you have the insights needed to incorporate these into your wellness routine effectively and safely.
From licorice root’s soothing properties to thyme’s powerful antimicrobial benefits, we’ll guide you on how to use these herbs for optimal respiratory health. Whether you’re making herbal teas at home or seeking personalized blends from your local apothecaries, this episode is packed with practical tips and expert advice. Discover the multiple roles of mullein for soothing respiratory tissues and the potent congestion-relief offered by eucalyptus. By the end of our discussion, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of how these herbal expectorants can enhance your body’s natural ability to clear mucus and maintain healthy airways. Tune in to enrich your herbal education journey and breathe easy with nature’s help.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, welcome, thank you for listening.
So today we're talking aboutexpectorants.
Hi, I'm Demetria Clark, thedirector of Heart of Her
Observable School, and you'relistening to the Heart of Her
(00:22):
Observ Herbal School podcast.
So today we're talking aboutexpectorants and I'm trying to
add in, along with ourinterviews, some really valuable
and useful herbal informationthat will help you on your
(00:42):
herbal education journey.
These are lectures, but they'rekind of in a shortened like
kind of podcast format.
They're not really academic,they're for fun, but they have
lots of great information inthem.
Remember, this is not to bemisconstrued as medical advice.
I'm not giving you any kind ofadvice.
So if I talk about money, I'mnot giving you financial advice.
If I talk about herbs, I'm notgiving you any kind of advice.
(01:03):
So if I talk about money, I'mnot giving you financial advice.
If I talk about herbs, I'm notgiving you herbal advice.
Use your own common sense andyour own education when it comes
to using anything that you'regoing to stick into your body.
So I'm your host, demetriaClark, and we're going to
(01:25):
explore a group of herbs knownas expectorants.
These natural remedies havebeen used for centuries to help
clear the respiratory system andease breathing.
So come on.
Grab a cup of tea any type,your favorite's fine, or any
other drink for that matter, andlet's sit back and get started,
or any other drink for thatmatter, and let's sit back and
(01:47):
get started.
When you're dealing with astubborn cough, congested chest
or simply want to support yourrespiratory health, expectorants
can be a valuable addition toyour herbal medicine cabinet.
But what exactly areexpectorants and how do they
work?
Expectorants are substancesthat help expel mucus and phlegm
(02:07):
from the respiratory tract.
They work by thinning the mucus, making it easier to cough up
and clear from lungs and airways.
This action not only helps torelieve congestion, but promotes
better breathing and reducesthe risk of secondary infections
.
How do expectorants work?
(02:30):
The primary function ofexpectorants is to loosen and
thin mucus that accumulates inthe lungs and airwaves, and it's
achieved through severalmechanisms.
Number one they increase thesecretion production.
So if you're using expectorants,you're probably going to get a
lot more boogers.
There's no way around it.
(02:50):
If you are working with anexpectorant with a child, you're
going to have booger bubbles.
It's just what's going tohappen.
So if you have a kid who's notold enough or skilled enough yet
to blow their own nose, you'regoing to need to help them with
that and there's tools for that.
But you can also just, you knowencourage them to blow or wipe
(03:10):
their nose a lot, because themucus is going to get thinner
and more fluid and it's going tobe easier to expel.
Bet, you never thought thatyou'd be listening to a podcast
where the host says boogerbubbles, but anyways, if you've
had a little kid, you know whatI'm talking about Reducing mucus
viscosity.
So they also alter the structureof mucus, breaking it down and
(03:33):
making it less sticky, and theyenhance ciliary action.
They promote the activity ofcilia, and cilia is the tiny
hair-like structures in ourrespiratory tract.
So you can see them when youlook up your nose right.
The nose hair is like a goodexample of like cilia, although
(03:56):
what we want to do is encouragethis action, encourage the
ciliary action, because what itdoes is it help move right mucus
in and out of the lungs.
It helps, you know, expel andget rid of stuff.
It really just helps with themovement.
(04:19):
It's kind of like thetransportation system of the
respiratory tract.
Now we're going to take a lookat some of the most popular
herbal expectorants that you canincorporate into your wellness
routine.
So listen if you're not up formaking teas yourself, you can
(04:40):
look for teas in the grocerystore, in the health food store,
at your local apothecary.
If you have a local like teashop or herbal apothecary,
definitely go and talk to themfirst because you can say hey,
I'm looking for a tea that hasthese kinds of actions or these
kind of herbs, and if they don'thave something, they can
(05:03):
actually whip it up for you.
And a lot of people say well,there isn't a local blah, blah,
blah.
In my town Sometimes there is,you just don't always know it's
there or they operate out oftheir home or it's a smaller
business.
So definitely keep an eye outfor those kinds of businesses.
(05:26):
Okay, so some common herbalexpectorants are licorice root
and it is an expectorant thathelps to thin and expel mucus
from the respiratory tract.
It's soothing, it soothesirritated mucus membranes and
reduces inflammation and itoffers cough relief for dry,
(05:49):
unproductive coughs andbronchitis.
So you will often find licoriceroot in a lot of herbal teas
because of what it does inrelation to irritated mucous
membranes and coughs, and so youcan kind of see okay, I could
see why that herbs in a lot ofdifferent things.
(06:10):
So you would want to avoidprolonged use more than four to
six weeks due to potential sideeffects such as hypertension and
water retention.
So if you have high bloodpressure, if you have kidney
disease, if you have issues anddisorders where you really
(06:30):
shouldn't be using licorice root, then move on, don't use it.
There's no need to use it.
We've got other ones comingdown the list.
Licorice root can be made into atea.
So basically one teaspoon driedlicorice root and put it in
boiling water 10 to 15 minutes.
Drink three times a day.
If you were making a medicinaldecoction it would be at least
(06:53):
20 minutes that you have it insimmered water.
You can also use licorice roottincture or you can make a syrup
so you could have licorice rootdecoction with honey to make a
soothing cough syrup.
Elekampane is the next one andelecampane is really effective
(07:16):
for loosening phlegm, making iteasier to cough up.
So if you've got like stickyboogers you have thick kind of
boogers this can be a reallygood herb to use to really
loosening that kind of tougherphlegm up, to really loosening
that kind of tougher phlegm up.
So it's commonly used forchronic bronchitis and other
(07:37):
respiratory conditions.
It's an antimicrobial herb soit contains compounds that help
fight respiratory infections.
It has a long historical usefor coughs and colds and
respiratory infections.
So some of the precautions arethat can cause allergic
(08:00):
reactions in individualssensitive to plants in the
asterae family.
So use with caution if you havediabetes as it may affect blood
sugar levels may.
So definitely talk to your careprovider before using If you're
on any other kind of medicine.
You know, really you know, usecaution and care whenever we're
(08:23):
putting anything in our bodies,from drugs to herbs, to new
things that we've never, youknow, experienced before.
You can take it as a tea, atincture or a decoction.
The next one is thyme.
So thyme is a great herb.
(08:44):
Thyme has so much love that itjust has not gotten yet.
Thyme is, you know, we thinkthink of time in the sense of
culinary herbs, and you know, mystudents know that I'm always
saying look, people traveledaround the world for herbs and
spices, right, but what are theherbs and spices they brought
(09:07):
with them?
So a lot of them brought thyme,oregano, basil, garlic.
So those are things thatthey're looking for, those in
their new area after theyimmigrate.
So there's definitely somethingto be said for these culinary
herbs and thinking about them ina way that acknowledges not
(09:29):
just their culinary use buttheir deep, deep medicinal
powers.
So thyme is an expectorant andhelps to loosen and expel mucus
from the respiratory tract.
It's also antimicrobial, so itcan be really effective against
bacteria, fungi and viruses.
It is commonly used forbronchitis and cough relief.
(09:50):
So it's used for respiratoryinfections, cough and bronchitis
.
You can take it as a tea, atincture.
It's also, you know, you canadd it to food, you can.
You know there's all differentthings that you can do with
herbs that have really strongculinary uses too.
So you can combine it and addit right.
(10:11):
Precautions generally safe whenused in culinary amounts.
So some really high dosages cancause digestive upset, and
having a few cups of tea a dayshould not be what is considered
high dosage.
So don't go crazy.
Be, you know, really practicaland smart about how much you're
taking of everything.
(10:32):
So just because something is,you know, culinary doesn't mean
that you can just, like you know, eat three or four bowls of it.
Right, you have to be smartwith everything that you put in
your body.
So you would want to avoidthyme if you were allergic to it
or other limesiae family ofplants.
(10:53):
You are allergic to it or otherlemaceae family of plants.
So if you're pregnant ornursing, outside of culinary use
, you may want to speak to yourcare provider.
Thyme can be used as a teatincture or if you wanted to use
the essential oil, you couldadd the essential oil to a hop
(11:14):
for a steam inhalation and thatwill help as an expectorant also
.
The next herb is mullein.
So mullein is great.
I love it.
I love the flowers for earinfections and the leaves for an
expectorant and loosen up mucusand you know all that fun stuff
(11:35):
right.
So you definitely want to keepmullein around for lots of
different things, like helpingwhen people are quitting smoking
.
It's really good at looseningmucus and helping it be expelled
from the respiratory tract,which I think is great.
(11:58):
Especially if you're quittingsmoking, you definitely wouldn't
mind getting some of that gunkout of there.
It soothes irritated tissues inthe respiratory tract, in the
respiratory system.
It offers particular relief fordry, harsh coughs.
(12:20):
You can use it as a tincture.
It's generally considered verysafe.
The fresh leaves sometimes cancause skin irritation for
individuals if for some reasonthey're, you know, getting the
fine hairs are coming intocontact with your skin a lot.
(12:43):
Also, you know you can strainthose fine hairs really well
when you make tea, so you don'thave any potential risk of
irritation.
So when I say things like this,remember everything has a side
effect.
Because something may take justa few seconds extra work to
make it part of a formuladoesn't mean there's something
(13:06):
wrong with it.
We don't eat apple seeds, weeat around the core.
That's an extra step.
Right, we peel orangesgenerally.
That's an extra step.
There's things that we do tomake things safe and easier to
consume, and so straining themullein really well is just
(13:26):
another way of doing that.
So you can do mullein tea,mullein tincture or syrup.
You combine mullein tea withhoney to create a soothing syrup
for coughs.
The next herb that we're goingto talk about as far as an
expectorant is eucalyptus, andeucalyptus helps to clear mucus
(13:49):
from the lungs and airways.
It's a decongestion, so itrelieves nasal congestion and
sinus pressure.
So that's really nice.
If you're having sinus issues,you definitely wouldn't, you
know, be amiss having someeucalyptus on hand.
It is also antimicrobial andeffective against a variety of
(14:11):
pathogens, including bacteriaand viruses.
So eucalyptus is one of thosethat more commonly, even in
herbal medicine, it's used inits essential oil format as an
expectorant or anything else.
So it's definitely one of thosethose.
This would cross over into therealm of aromatherapy.
(14:34):
So you definitely don't want toingest eucalyptus essential oil
.
It can be very toxic in largeamounts.
You don't want to also have itcome in contact with eyes or
mucous membranes or use withanyone under two years old.
Typically you would use it asan essential oil for steam
(14:58):
inhalation or topicalapplication.
So for steam inhalation, youcan add a few drops of essential
oil to a bowl of hot water,cover your head with a towel.
We've all seen that steaming.
That way you can use a diffuser.
You can use shower inhalation,having some on the washcloth in
(15:18):
a really hot shower and youcould put it at your feet or on
another place where the water ishitting.
You can dilute essential oillike eucalyptus with a carrier
oil and for eucalyptus you couldapply it to the chest and
(15:39):
throat to relieve congestion.
Make sure that you are properlydiluting and if you don't know
how to do that, make sure youlook it up.
Each essential oil is differentbut basically I always tell you
know people look start with oneor two drops and like a
tablespoon of oil.
If it's not strong enough, addanother drop, but you can't take
(16:03):
the drops away but you canalways add another drop.
Same with if you make ahomemade chest rub.
We have a recipe on the podcastor on the website.
I will see if I can get a linkto that in the podcast for you.
But basically it's making a allnatural Vapo type rub that you
(16:24):
can use on your chest or yourneck or the back of your neck,
depending upon where yourcongestion is.
Some people find it reallyhelpful to.
You know, do inhalation.
You know sticks which arebasically like they look like
lip balm tubes and they have alittle hole in it and a lid and
(16:46):
you breathe in through the hole.
You can make those with rocksalt.
You could also put a littlerock salt in a container and add
a few drops of essential oiland breathe that in if you're
congested.
And you could use eucalyptusessential oil, thyme essential
oil, so you could use both ofthose if you wanted.
You know to make it work betterfor you and how to use
(17:14):
expectorants.
So how to use expectorants.
So teas and infusions.
Many expectorant herbs can bebrewed into a soothing tea.
Simply steep the dried herb inhot water for about 20 minutes,
strain and drink, or you canmake as a decoction, which means
you add the herb.
Usually hardier pieces of theherb are decocted like roots and
(17:37):
seeds.
Usually hardier pieces of theherb are decocted like roots and
seeds.
You would add the herb tosimmering water.
Make sure that the water is ona very low simmer and you
continue to let it simmer for 20minutes and then you could let
it cool for another 20 minutesbefore you strain it.
Herbal tinctures are a great wayto take herbs and herbal
(18:01):
expectorants.
So herbal tinctures areconcentrated liquid extracts can
be taken directly or added towater or tea.
You're going to want to followthe dosage instruction on the
tincture.
Steam inhalation, so we'retalking about how you can do
that.
With essential oils.
You can also use herbs in yourinhalations.
(18:24):
It doesn't have to only beessential oils.
And then herbal syrups.
These can be made by simmeringherbs in water, then adding
honey to the strained liquid.
This can be a tasty andeffective way to make
expectorants, especially forchildren over the age of two,
and a lot of adults don't liketo taste the herb that they're
(18:48):
using.
They would prefer it to tastelike something like honey.
So you can definitely do that.
So safety and precautions.
So while herbal expectorantscan be beneficial, it's
important to use them in everyherb safely.
Part of the problem in ourculture around herbs is we
(19:13):
probably have like a gazillionpeople who use herbs safely and
practice herbalism safely, andthen we have a few that just go
out there and thinking, you know, they're better than everyone
else, holier than that, whatever, right, and then they start
making these ridiculous claimsand they start, you know, making
(19:38):
promises about products andthen they are.
They get in trouble, right,because their salve doesn't cure
cancer.
They get in trouble and thenthey act like everyone's out to
get them.
So most responsible herbalpractitioners or anyone else who
works in herbs and aromatherapyare not going to be asking you
(20:02):
to do things that aren't safeand they're not going to be
making promises to you aboutwhat you're using.
So always consult aprofessional.
A trained herbalist is a greatplace to start.
You can contact herbal schoolsto find like so we have people
who are like hey, I live in suchand such place, I'm looking to
hire an herbalist.
Do you, you know?
(20:23):
Do you have, you know, a listof students I can contact, or
whatever?
Can you pass on the informationand we'll pass on the
information and then they'll getyou know the connected with
someone who's looking for alocal herbalist.
So schools can do that.
You can find herbalists.
You know, when you searchherbalist location on the
(20:45):
internet there's always tons andtons of people that come up.
There's local apothecaries,there's health food stores.
Definitely you can find aprofessional.
Just look, find out where theywent to school.
A professional just look, findout where they went to school,
if they finished.
That's really important Ifsomeone is saying that they went
to school, like it's good toknow that they finished the
(21:06):
school.
Not all herbalists areclassically or traditionally
trained.
Some of them are trained, youknow, from other herbalists or
through history, or you knowreading and self-education.
Those are great and viableoptions too, but you know they
should be really clear with youhow they learned, what they
(21:28):
learned.
Also, as a person, a user, ifyou are talking to an herbalist
or a healthcare provider, letthem know any other issues that
you're having or any othermedication.
So when I work with clients,you know, sometimes I have to
ask people three or four timesbefore I find out that they're
(21:49):
on kind of a serious oh, I'm ona statin or oh, I'm on this, I'm
on that.
I'm like, well, I've asked youlike three or four times now.
Are you on anything?
And I'm not trying to be, youknow, mean here or anything like
that.
It's just we forget sometimes.
Like if someone asks me, whatdo you take every day?
Like I wouldn't necessarilyremember always, especially in a
(22:09):
new situation, and I'm feelingsomeone out.
So definitely be patient withyourself and be patient with the
questions.
Follow the dosages.
So avoid any potential issuesby following the dosage.
A lot of people are like, oh,herbs are natural, they're safe.
I'm going to use as much as Iwant and that's not how we want
(22:30):
to do it.
Sometimes a lot less is a wholelot more.
So you know, if I'm workingwith someone and they can get
their desired effect from fivedrops, why would I want to give
them 45?
You know what I'm saying.
Just like, hey, this is whatcan work.
Let's be grateful that we canwork with a small amount.
(22:51):
And some people's bodies justneed a little kick in the right
direction and their body takesover.
And other people need morelong-term support and care.
So understand that aboutyourself and understand that you
know about the work that you'redoing.
Be aware of any potentialallergies to specific herbs.
(23:13):
So if someone says that they'reallergic to I don't know
dandelion or they're allergic tolavender or they're allergic to
anything, find out what thatplant family is right, so you
can say, oh, we're going to keepaway from herbs that are from
this family, especially if theycause like anaphylaxis or
(23:35):
something like that.
You know you wouldn't want togive someone who has, you know,
severe allergies to somethinglike peppermint, spearmint or
potentially lemon balm.
They're, all you know, in thesame family, so you definitely
want to be aware of things likethat.
Expectorants are a valuable toolin natural respiratory health,
(23:56):
so by incorporating these herbsinto your wellness routine, you
can also help support yourbody's ability to clear mucus
and maintain clean and healthyairways.
So this wraps up today'sepisode of the Heart of Herbs
Herbal School Podcast, wherewe're talking about expectorants
.
If you also want to hear otherones about herbal actions, go
(24:18):
and check out all of ourdifferent episodes.
We have other ones in there andwe have a lot more coming.
So thank you so much forlistening and have a wonderful,
wonderful day.
Hi, welcome, thank you for listening.
So today we're talking aboutexpectorants.
Hi, I'm Demetria Clark, thedirector of Heart of Her
Observable School, and you'relistening to the Heart of Her
(00:22):
Observ Herbal School podcast.
So today we're talking aboutexpectorants and I'm trying to
add in, along with ourinterviews, some really valuable
and useful herbal informationthat will help you on your
(00:42):
herbal education journey.
These are lectures, but they'rekind of in a shortened like
kind of podcast format.
They're not really academic,they're for fun, but they have
lots of great information inthem.
Remember, this is not to bemisconstrued as medical advice.
I'm not giving you any kind ofadvice.
So if I talk about money, I'mnot giving you financial advice.
If I talk about herbs, I'm notgiving you any kind of advice.
(01:03):
So if I talk about money, I'mnot giving you financial advice.
If I talk about herbs, I'm notgiving you herbal advice.
Use your own common sense andyour own education when it comes
to using anything that you'regoing to stick into your body.
So I'm your host, demetriaClark, and we're going to
(01:25):
explore a group of herbs knownas expectorants.
These natural remedies havebeen used for centuries to help
clear the respiratory system andease breathing.
So come on.
Grab a cup of tea any type,your favorite's fine, or any
other drink for that matter, andlet's sit back and get started,
or any other drink for thatmatter, and let's sit back and
(01:47):
get started.
When you're dealing with astubborn cough, congested chest
or simply want to support yourrespiratory health, expectorants
can be a valuable addition toyour herbal medicine cabinet.
But what exactly areexpectorants and how do they
work?
Expectorants are substancesthat help expel mucus and phlegm
(02:07):
from the respiratory tract.
They work by thinning the mucus, making it easier to cough up
and clear from lungs and airways.
This action not only helps torelieve congestion, but promotes
better breathing and reducesthe risk of secondary infections
.
How do expectorants work?
(02:30):
The primary function ofexpectorants is to loosen and
thin mucus that accumulates inthe lungs and airwaves, and it's
achieved through severalmechanisms.
Number one they increase thesecretion production.
So if you're using expectorants,you're probably going to get a
lot more boogers.
There's no way around it.
(02:50):
If you are working with anexpectorant with a child, you're
going to have booger bubbles.
It's just what's going tohappen.
So if you have a kid who's notold enough or skilled enough yet
to blow their own nose, you'regoing to need to help them with
that and there's tools for that.
But you can also just, you knowencourage them to blow or wipe
(03:10):
their nose a lot, because themucus is going to get thinner
and more fluid and it's going tobe easier to expel.
Bet, you never thought thatyou'd be listening to a podcast
where the host says boogerbubbles, but anyways, if you've
had a little kid, you know whatI'm talking about Reducing mucus
viscosity.
So they also alter the structureof mucus, breaking it down and
(03:33):
making it less sticky, and theyenhance ciliary action.
They promote the activity ofcilia, and cilia is the tiny
hair-like structures in ourrespiratory tract.
So you can see them when youlook up your nose right.
The nose hair is like a goodexample of like cilia, although
(03:56):
what we want to do is encouragethis action, encourage the
ciliary action, because what itdoes is it help move right mucus
in and out of the lungs.
It helps, you know, expel andget rid of stuff.
It really just helps with themovement.
(04:19):
It's kind of like thetransportation system of the
respiratory tract.
Now we're going to take a lookat some of the most popular
herbal expectorants that you canincorporate into your wellness
routine.
So listen if you're not up formaking teas yourself, you can
(04:40):
look for teas in the grocerystore, in the health food store,
at your local apothecary.
If you have a local like teashop or herbal apothecary,
definitely go and talk to themfirst because you can say hey,
I'm looking for a tea that hasthese kinds of actions or these
kind of herbs, and if they don'thave something, they can
(05:03):
actually whip it up for you.
And a lot of people say well,there isn't a local blah, blah,
blah.
In my town Sometimes there is,you just don't always know it's
there or they operate out oftheir home or it's a smaller
business.
So definitely keep an eye outfor those kinds of businesses.
(05:26):
Okay, so some common herbalexpectorants are licorice root
and it is an expectorant thathelps to thin and expel mucus
from the respiratory tract.
It's soothing, it soothesirritated mucus membranes and
reduces inflammation and itoffers cough relief for dry,
(05:49):
unproductive coughs andbronchitis.
So you will often find licoriceroot in a lot of herbal teas
because of what it does inrelation to irritated mucous
membranes and coughs, and so youcan kind of see okay, I could
see why that herbs in a lot ofdifferent things.
(06:10):
So you would want to avoidprolonged use more than four to
six weeks due to potential sideeffects such as hypertension and
water retention.
So if you have high bloodpressure, if you have kidney
disease, if you have issues anddisorders where you really
(06:30):
shouldn't be using licorice root, then move on, don't use it.
There's no need to use it.
We've got other ones comingdown the list.
Licorice root can be made into atea.
So basically one teaspoon driedlicorice root and put it in
boiling water 10 to 15 minutes.
Drink three times a day.
If you were making a medicinaldecoction it would be at least
(06:53):
20 minutes that you have it insimmered water.
You can also use licorice roottincture or you can make a syrup
so you could have licorice rootdecoction with honey to make a
soothing cough syrup.
Elekampane is the next one andelecampane is really effective
(07:16):
for loosening phlegm, making iteasier to cough up.
So if you've got like stickyboogers you have thick kind of
boogers this can be a reallygood herb to use to really
loosening that kind of tougherphlegm up, to really loosening
that kind of tougher phlegm up.
So it's commonly used forchronic bronchitis and other
(07:37):
respiratory conditions.
It's an antimicrobial herb soit contains compounds that help
fight respiratory infections.
It has a long historical usefor coughs and colds and
respiratory infections.
So some of the precautions arethat can cause allergic
(08:00):
reactions in individualssensitive to plants in the
asterae family.
So use with caution if you havediabetes as it may affect blood
sugar levels may.
So definitely talk to your careprovider before using If you're
on any other kind of medicine.
You know, really you know, usecaution and care whenever we're
(08:23):
putting anything in our bodies,from drugs to herbs, to new
things that we've never, youknow, experienced before.
You can take it as a tea, atincture or a decoction.
The next one is thyme.
So thyme is a great herb.
(08:44):
Thyme has so much love that itjust has not gotten yet.
Thyme is, you know, we thinkthink of time in the sense of
culinary herbs, and you know, mystudents know that I'm always
saying look, people traveledaround the world for herbs and
spices, right, but what are theherbs and spices they brought
(09:07):
with them?
So a lot of them brought thyme,oregano, basil, garlic.
So those are things thatthey're looking for, those in
their new area after theyimmigrate.
So there's definitely somethingto be said for these culinary
herbs and thinking about them ina way that acknowledges not
(09:29):
just their culinary use buttheir deep, deep medicinal
powers.
So thyme is an expectorant andhelps to loosen and expel mucus
from the respiratory tract.
It's also antimicrobial, so itcan be really effective against
bacteria, fungi and viruses.
It is commonly used forbronchitis and cough relief.
(09:50):
So it's used for respiratoryinfections, cough and bronchitis
.
You can take it as a tea, atincture.
It's also, you know, you canadd it to food, you can.
You know there's all differentthings that you can do with
herbs that have really strongculinary uses too.
So you can combine it and addit right.
(10:11):
Precautions generally safe whenused in culinary amounts.
So some really high dosages cancause digestive upset, and
having a few cups of tea a dayshould not be what is considered
high dosage.
So don't go crazy.
Be, you know, really practicaland smart about how much you're
taking of everything.
(10:32):
So just because something is,you know, culinary doesn't mean
that you can just, like you know, eat three or four bowls of it.
Right, you have to be smartwith everything that you put in
your body.
So you would want to avoidthyme if you were allergic to it
or other limesiae family ofplants.
(10:53):
You are allergic to it or otherlemaceae family of plants.
So if you're pregnant ornursing, outside of culinary use
, you may want to speak to yourcare provider.
Thyme can be used as a teatincture or if you wanted to use
the essential oil, you couldadd the essential oil to a hop
(11:14):
for a steam inhalation and thatwill help as an expectorant also
.
The next herb is mullein.
So mullein is great.
I love it.
I love the flowers for earinfections and the leaves for an
expectorant and loosen up mucusand you know all that fun stuff
(11:35):
right.
So you definitely want to keepmullein around for lots of
different things, like helpingwhen people are quitting smoking
.
It's really good at looseningmucus and helping it be expelled
from the respiratory tract,which I think is great.
(11:58):
Especially if you're quittingsmoking, you definitely wouldn't
mind getting some of that gunkout of there.
It soothes irritated tissues inthe respiratory tract, in the
respiratory system.
It offers particular relief fordry, harsh coughs.
(12:20):
You can use it as a tincture.
It's generally considered verysafe.
The fresh leaves sometimes cancause skin irritation for
individuals if for some reasonthey're, you know, getting the
fine hairs are coming intocontact with your skin a lot.
(12:43):
Also, you know you can strainthose fine hairs really well
when you make tea, so you don'thave any potential risk of
irritation.
So when I say things like this,remember everything has a side
effect.
Because something may take justa few seconds extra work to
make it part of a formuladoesn't mean there's something
(13:06):
wrong with it.
We don't eat apple seeds, weeat around the core.
That's an extra step.
Right, we peel orangesgenerally.
That's an extra step.
There's things that we do tomake things safe and easier to
consume, and so straining themullein really well is just
(13:26):
another way of doing that.
So you can do mullein tea,mullein tincture or syrup.
You combine mullein tea withhoney to create a soothing syrup
for coughs.
The next herb that we're goingto talk about as far as an
expectorant is eucalyptus, andeucalyptus helps to clear mucus
(13:49):
from the lungs and airways.
It's a decongestion, so itrelieves nasal congestion and
sinus pressure.
So that's really nice.
If you're having sinus issues,you definitely wouldn't, you
know, be amiss having someeucalyptus on hand.
It is also antimicrobial andeffective against a variety of
(14:11):
pathogens, including bacteriaand viruses.
So eucalyptus is one of thosethat more commonly, even in
herbal medicine, it's used inits essential oil format as an
expectorant or anything else.
So it's definitely one of thosethose.
This would cross over into therealm of aromatherapy.
(14:34):
So you definitely don't want toingest eucalyptus essential oil
.
It can be very toxic in largeamounts.
You don't want to also have itcome in contact with eyes or
mucous membranes or use withanyone under two years old.
Typically you would use it asan essential oil for steam
(14:58):
inhalation or topicalapplication.
So for steam inhalation, youcan add a few drops of essential
oil to a bowl of hot water,cover your head with a towel.
We've all seen that steaming.
That way you can use a diffuser.
You can use shower inhalation,having some on the washcloth in
(15:18):
a really hot shower and youcould put it at your feet or on
another place where the water ishitting.
You can dilute essential oillike eucalyptus with a carrier
oil and for eucalyptus you couldapply it to the chest and
(15:39):
throat to relieve congestion.
Make sure that you are properlydiluting and if you don't know
how to do that, make sure youlook it up.
Each essential oil is differentbut basically I always tell you
know people look start with oneor two drops and like a
tablespoon of oil.
If it's not strong enough, addanother drop, but you can't take
(16:03):
the drops away but you canalways add another drop.
Same with if you make ahomemade chest rub.
We have a recipe on the podcastor on the website.
I will see if I can get a linkto that in the podcast for you.
But basically it's making a allnatural Vapo type rub that you
(16:24):
can use on your chest or yourneck or the back of your neck,
depending upon where yourcongestion is.
Some people find it reallyhelpful to.
You know, do inhalation.
You know sticks which arebasically like they look like
lip balm tubes and they have alittle hole in it and a lid and
(16:46):
you breathe in through the hole.
You can make those with rocksalt.
You could also put a littlerock salt in a container and add
a few drops of essential oiland breathe that in if you're
congested.
And you could use eucalyptusessential oil, thyme essential
oil, so you could use both ofthose if you wanted.
You know to make it work betterfor you and how to use
(17:14):
expectorants.
So how to use expectorants.
So teas and infusions.
Many expectorant herbs can bebrewed into a soothing tea.
Simply steep the dried herb inhot water for about 20 minutes,
strain and drink, or you canmake as a decoction, which means
you add the herb.
Usually hardier pieces of theherb are decocted like roots and
(17:37):
seeds.
Usually hardier pieces of theherb are decocted like roots and
seeds.
You would add the herb tosimmering water.
Make sure that the water is ona very low simmer and you
continue to let it simmer for 20minutes and then you could let
it cool for another 20 minutesbefore you strain it.
Herbal tinctures are a great wayto take herbs and herbal
(18:01):
expectorants.
So herbal tinctures areconcentrated liquid extracts can
be taken directly or added towater or tea.
You're going to want to followthe dosage instruction on the
tincture.
Steam inhalation, so we'retalking about how you can do
that.
With essential oils.
You can also use herbs in yourinhalations.
(18:24):
It doesn't have to only beessential oils.
And then herbal syrups.
These can be made by simmeringherbs in water, then adding
honey to the strained liquid.
This can be a tasty andeffective way to make
expectorants, especially forchildren over the age of two,
and a lot of adults don't liketo taste the herb that they're
(18:48):
using.
They would prefer it to tastelike something like honey.
So you can definitely do that.
So safety and precautions.
So while herbal expectorantscan be beneficial, it's
important to use them in everyherb safely.
Part of the problem in ourculture around herbs is we
(19:13):
probably have like a gazillionpeople who use herbs safely and
practice herbalism safely, andthen we have a few that just go
out there and thinking, you know, they're better than everyone
else, holier than that, whatever, right, and then they start
making these ridiculous claimsand they start, you know, making
(19:38):
promises about products andthen they are.
They get in trouble, right,because their salve doesn't cure
cancer.
They get in trouble and thenthey act like everyone's out to
get them.
So most responsible herbalpractitioners or anyone else who
works in herbs and aromatherapyare not going to be asking you
(20:02):
to do things that aren't safeand they're not going to be
making promises to you aboutwhat you're using.
So always consult aprofessional.
A trained herbalist is a greatplace to start.
You can contact herbal schoolsto find like so we have people
who are like hey, I live in suchand such place, I'm looking to
hire an herbalist.
Do you, you know?
(20:23):
Do you have, you know, a listof students I can contact, or
whatever?
Can you pass on the informationand we'll pass on the
information and then they'll getyou know the connected with
someone who's looking for alocal herbalist.
So schools can do that.
You can find herbalists.
You know, when you searchherbalist location on the
(20:45):
internet there's always tons andtons of people that come up.
There's local apothecaries,there's health food stores.
Definitely you can find aprofessional.
Just look, find out where theywent to school.
A professional just look, findout where they went to school,
if they finished.
That's really important Ifsomeone is saying that they went
to school, like it's good toknow that they finished the
(21:06):
school.
Not all herbalists areclassically or traditionally
trained.
Some of them are trained, youknow, from other herbalists or
through history, or you knowreading and self-education.
Those are great and viableoptions too, but you know they
should be really clear with youhow they learned, what they
(21:28):
learned.
Also, as a person, a user, ifyou are talking to an herbalist
or a healthcare provider, letthem know any other issues that
you're having or any othermedication.
So when I work with clients,you know, sometimes I have to
ask people three or four timesbefore I find out that they're
(21:49):
on kind of a serious oh, I'm ona statin or oh, I'm on this, I'm
on that.
I'm like, well, I've asked youlike three or four times now.
Are you on anything?
And I'm not trying to be, youknow, mean here or anything like
that.
It's just we forget sometimes.
Like if someone asks me, whatdo you take every day?
Like I wouldn't necessarilyremember always, especially in a
(22:09):
new situation, and I'm feelingsomeone out.
So definitely be patient withyourself and be patient with the
questions.
Follow the dosages.
So avoid any potential issuesby following the dosage.
A lot of people are like, oh,herbs are natural, they're safe.
I'm going to use as much as Iwant and that's not how we want
(22:30):
to do it.
Sometimes a lot less is a wholelot more.
So you know, if I'm workingwith someone and they can get
their desired effect from fivedrops, why would I want to give
them 45?
You know what I'm saying.
Just like, hey, this is whatcan work.
Let's be grateful that we canwork with a small amount.
(22:51):
And some people's bodies justneed a little kick in the right
direction and their body takesover.
And other people need morelong-term support and care.
So understand that aboutyourself and understand that you
know about the work that you'redoing.
Be aware of any potentialallergies to specific herbs.
(23:13):
So if someone says that they'reallergic to I don't know
dandelion or they're allergic tolavender or they're allergic to
anything, find out what thatplant family is right, so you
can say, oh, we're going to keepaway from herbs that are from
this family, especially if theycause like anaphylaxis or
(23:35):
something like that.
You know you wouldn't want togive someone who has, you know,
severe allergies to somethinglike peppermint, spearmint or
potentially lemon balm.
They're, all you know, in thesame family, so you definitely
want to be aware of things likethat.
Expectorants are a valuable toolin natural respiratory health,
(23:56):
so by incorporating these herbsinto your wellness routine, you
can also help support yourbody's ability to clear mucus
and maintain clean and healthyairways.
So this wraps up today'sepisode of the Heart of Herbs
Herbal School Podcast, wherewe're talking about expectorants
.
If you also want to hear otherones about herbal actions, go
(24:18):
and check out all of ourdifferent episodes.
We have other ones in there andwe have a lot more coming.
So thank you so much forlistening and have a wonderful,
wonderful day.
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