Top 5 Herbs for Detoxing the Lungs
June 16, 2021
The Lungs are among the most important organs for the overall health of the body, as every system in the body relies on oxygen to function. For example:
- The brain — Uses 20% of the oxygen we consume. When there’s a shortage of oxygen, the brain will work slower, and since the brain regulates a lot of other functions in the body, these are also affected.
- The heart — Constantly active and beating about 100,000 times in a single day, the heart is a massive consumer of oxygen and shortage in supply means the heart can’t pump out blood as efficiently. This leads to bad circulation, and cold hands and feet.
- The muscles — Oxygen shortage makes the muscles go stiff, tense, and tired faster, which naturally has a negative effect on athletic performance.
The liver, kidneys, digestive system, spleen—every organ and cell in your body needs oxygen, and the lungs are the only organ dedicated to providing this oxygen to the body.
Unfortunately, our lung health is under serious attack. Every day we breathe in harmful chemicals through industrial waste, vehicle exhaust, aerosol sprays, chemical fumes, airborne pesticides, and other air pollutants that damage our lungs and affect our overall health. These particles are so small that they often go unnoticed, but the impact they have on our health can be huge.
Air pollution and unhealthy air quality are some of the most detrimental influences on our health. In fact, the World Health Organization has stated that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants, while the UN has affirmed that over 7 million people die as a result of polluted air each year.
When we are constantly breathing in toxins, our respiratory health becomes hindered, and as a result, so does the health of every other organ in the body. To protect your lungs and the health of your body, it is important to detox the lungs from these toxins regularly, especially in our modern world where we are constantly exposed to air pollution.
In this article, we will explore 5 of the best herbs for detoxing the lungs and improving lung health. We put each of these 5 herbs in our Lung Detox Tonic to provide a quick, easy, and effective way to support the detoxification of the respiratory system.
Top 5 Herbs for Lung Health
Below we will share some of the top herbs that detox lungs. The best herbs to detox lungs with include:
Osha (Ligusticum porteri), also referred to as Bear Root, Chuchupate, Colorado Cough Root, Indian Parsley, Wild Celery Root, and Mountain Lovage, is a perennial herb and a member of the carrot family. Osha is a mountain plant, and can be found in deep, moist soils rich in organic matter at elevations between 9,000 –10,000 ft. in New Mexico and other Rocky Mountain regions of the Southwest.
Osha has become a popular plant for its medicinal uses and unfortunately has suffered from overharvesting and is now considered to be an endangered plant. Since osha defies cultivation outside of its unique habitat, commercial osha root is almost entirely harvested from wild stands of the plant.
The Osha root that we at Zuma Nutrition use is sustainably wildcrafted to protect the plant population of this very important and sacred root. Our team replants seeds as we harvest small amounts of this nutrient dense plant to make sure we are adding more to the plant species than what we are taking.
Osha root is incredibly beneficial to respiratory health and can help alleviate various breathing concerns in a number of capacities. Osha root helps clear mucus from the sinuses and lungs by increasing expectoration, which relieves congestion and makes breathing easier. It also increases blood circulation to the lungs, which increases dilation during constriction. For this reason, it is of particular interest as a support mechanism for certain lung conditions, asthma, and allergies.
The bronchodilating effect is compounded by osha root's ability to help the efficacy of the lungs by increasing oxygen utilization and uptake in the body. It is believed the increased blood oxygenation is facilitated by an increase in gas exchange through the alveoli in the lungs. In simpler terms, osha root helps one to take deeper breaths.
Osha root also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and is commonly used as a natural therapy for cold and flu symptoms, as well as for fighting infections. This makes it useful for various infections that can have a negative effect on the lungs.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), is a natural plant that has been used around the world for a variety of respiratory ailments, including coughs, colds, bronchial detoxification and catarrhal concerns.
Lungwort is native to damp habitats and coastal areas in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. It is also known as Common Lungwort, Jerusalem Sage, Jerusalem Cowslip, Sage of Jerusalem, Pulmonaire, and many other common names. Because it’s very sensitive to environmental toxins, the areas in which it is found are typically unpolluted old forests, and thus, the presence of lungwort is often a good indicator of an ecosystem’s health.
Lungwort’s high mucilage content is known to be useful in respiratory conditions, namely asthma and, in particular, chronic bronchitis. In traditional medicine, Lungwort was used to treat lung diseases such as cough, grippe, catarrh, hoarseness, cold, asthma and even tuberculosis.
Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) is a medicinal herb that has been used for centuries for respiratory ailments and issues affecting the lungs. The common name Mullein is a derivation of the Latin word ‘Mollis’ which means soft and refers to the texture of the leaves. The plant is native to Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and Asia and has been widely naturalized in North America and Australia.
The first documented medicinal use of mullein can be ascribed to Dioscorides 2000 years ago who wrote about its use for pulmonary conditions. The leaves of the plant are traditionally used as medicine and made into a tea, tincture, or powder, though the flowers and roots have been used medicinally as well.
A number of pharmacological activities have been attributed to mullein, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, antihepatotoxic and anti-hyperlipidemic activity.
The use of mullein plant has primarily been associated with the respiratory tract. It has been used for many respiratory conditions and has been shown to be especially effective at relieving asthma, which causes your airway to swell and results in symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
The effectiveness of mullein is largely contributed to its many active compounds, such as:
- saponins, which have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and antitumor properties
- flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
- phenylethanoid glycosides, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties
- iridoids which have anti-inflammatory properties
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is an aromatic herb in the mint family that is a cross between watermint and spearmint. Native to Europe and Asia, it has been used for thousands of years for its pleasant, minty taste and health benefits. Peppermint leaves contain several essential oils including menthol, menthone and limonene. Menthol gives peppermint its cooling properties and recognizably minty scent.
Research demonstrates that menthol — one of the active compounds in peppermint — improves the perception of airflow in your nasal cavity. Therefore, steam from peppermint tea may help you feel as though your breathing is easier.
Peppermint also contains rosmarinic acid, a plant compound found in rosemary and plants in the mint family. Rosmarinic acid is linked to reduced symptoms of allergic reactions, such as runny nose, itchy eyes and asthma. In one randomized 21-day study in 29 people with seasonal allergies, those given an oral supplement containing rosmarinic acid had fewer symptoms of itchy nose, itchy eyes and other symptoms than those given a placebo. In another study involving rats, peppermint extract reduced allergic symptoms, such as sneezing and itchy nose.
Plantago major (Broadleaf Plantain) and Plantago lanceolate (Narrowleaf Plantain) are species of flowering plants in the plantain family Plantaginaceae that are commonly used as herbal medicines. Plantain (not to be confused with the green banana-like fruit with the same name) is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia, but has widely naturalized elsewhere in the world, including across North America. The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten.
The medicinal benefits of plantain have been acknowledged around the world for hundreds of years. This plant contains a number of effective chemical constituents including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic acid derivatives, iridoid glycosides, fatty acids, polysaccharides and vitamins which contribute to its exerting specific therapeutic effects.
Correspondingly, studies have found that Plantago major is effective as a wound healer, as well as an antiulcerative, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antinociceptive, antibacterial, and antiviral agent.
Plantain has a long history of use for treating respiratory ailments as it reduces mucus secretion in the airways, which makes it helpful in treating colds, catarrh, sinusitis, lung and bronchial allergic conditions such as hay fever and asthma.
Detox Your Lungs with All Natural Herbal Ingredients
In a world that is exposed to countless toxic chemicals, detoxification is essential, especially for our lungs, as the lungs supply oxygen to the blood and are essential for all physical processes. The 5 herbs listed above are among the most beneficial for detoxing and supporting the respiratory system.
We combined these 5 ingredients into a single lung formula. Our Lung Detox Tonic helps to increase circulation in the lungs, making it easier to breathe, promoting lung and respiratory health, and clearing congestion. The herbal extracts in this tonic support the detoxification of the lungs through the elimination of toxic build up in the respiratory tract, and also helps to thin mucus, relax the airways and muscles of the respiratory tract and promotes free breathing.
Each of the herbs in this formula are well-researched for their ability to improve and protect respiratory health. This tonic was also formulated with a unique extraction method that offers therapeutic doses, making it far more potent and effective than simply consuming these herbs as tea or powders.
Other Ways to Care for Lung Health
While using natural herbs to detox the lungs is an excellent way to support respiratory health, it is still important to care for your lungs in other ways if you truly want to be holistic in your approach to respiratory health.
The first and most important step to take is to avoid air pollution in the first place. This means to avoid ingesting aerial pollutants like cigarette smoke, aerosol sprays with toxic chemicals, car exhaust fumes, and other forms of air pollution.
Additionally, it is important to limit your exposure to indoor air pollution and to improve the quality of the indoor air that you breathe. You can do this by:
- Opening windows and allowing fresh air in the space
- Buying house plants that help to purify the air
- Buying a high-quality HEPA air filter to purify indoor air
- Cleaning and vacuuming often to get rid of dust and pet dander
- Avoid polluting the air with toxic chemicals and fumes from personal care or cleaning products—opt for healthier alternatives
- When cooking, turn on the stove fan and open a window if possible
- Make sure not to leave any water on surfaces, walls, or carpets as they can form mold—mold spores are one of the greatest forms of indoor air pollution
Other ways to improve your respiratory health include:
- Getting fresh air. Spend time in nature whenever possible and allow yourself to take in the fresh, unpolluted air of natural environments.
- Practice deep breathing and other breathwork exercises that cleanse the respiratory system and oxygenate the body.
- Notice how you naturally breathe—do you take in shallow, short breaths, or do you breathe deep and full breaths? Practice breathing deeper in a relaxed way to regularly supply your body with more oxygen.
- Breathe in through your nose, as your nostrils help filter air better than your mouth can.
- Eat a healthy, whole-foods diet to give your body the nutrients that it needs to function properly.
- Stay hydrated and well-rested.
Summary
In many places around the world today, we are being bombarded by pollutants that negatively affect our respiratory health, limiting our ability to breathe and receive the oxygen we need to thrive. These pollutants can have serious impacts on our health, and detoxing them from the system is crucial if we wish to protect ourselves from these toxins.
We designed our Lung Detox formula as a modern solution to the unhealthy air quality so many of us are exposed to. With the help of this carefully formulated blend of natural medicinal herbs, we can protect our lungs from toxins and can clear our respiratory tracts of pollutants so that we can breathe healthy, free and easy.
The herbs included in our formula are concentrated and water-soluble making them much more effective than taking these herbs on their own in teas, powders or capsules. Regardless, these herbs are very potent remedies for a wide variety of respiratory ailments.
Osha root helps clear mucus from the sinuses and lungs by increasing expectoration, which relieves congestion and makes breathing easier. It also increases blood circulation to the lungs, which increases dilation during constriction.
Mullein has been used for many respiratory conditions and has been shown to be especially effective at relieving asthma, which causes your airway to swell and results in symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The effectiveness of mullein is largely contributed to its many active compounds.
Peppermint contains menthol, which improves the perception of airflow in your nasal cavity and can help you feel as though your breathing is easier. Peppermint also contains rosmarinic acid, a plant compound found in rosemary and plants in the mint family. Rosmarinic acid is linked to reduced symptoms of allergic reactions, such as runny nose, itchy eyes and asthma.
Plantain has a long history of use for treating respiratory ailments as it reduces mucus secretion in the airways, which makes it helpful in treating colds, catarrh, sinusitis, lung and bronchial allergic conditions such as hay fever and asthma.
Together, these herbs make a one-of-a-kind respiratory detox formula that can help to clear the lungs of toxins and excess phlegm, reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract, and can open the airways to receive deeper, fuller breaths.
In a world that is becoming increasingly polluted, we can turn to nature to provide us with the remedies that we need. These natural herbs have wonderful detoxing properties, and can help us remove the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis and can help our lungs stay in good health, so the rest of our body can too.
It is especially important for those living in cities and spending a lot of time indoors to consider their respiratory health and make proactive steps to keep their lungs healthy. With the use of these respiratory-supporting herbs, and by following the other recommendations in this article, you can make a drastic difference in your health.
References:
https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/sgsm19607.doc.htm
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16222647/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5424556/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5910643/
https://www.livescience.com/22616-respiratory-system.html
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