The role of the lungs is vital to the human body in order for it to operate properly. The lungs bring in oxygen, which our cells need to function, and carry away carbon dioxide, a gas produced when our bodies metabolize food and released from the blood stream. The lungs can become clogged with mucous and receive damage from chemicals and irritants in the air we breathe. There are herbs that have been traditionally used to clear out the lungs.
Horehound
If your lungs are clogged with phlegm, horehound is an excellent herb to try. It has been used effectively in folk medicine to loosen phlegm from the lung walls and aid in its transport from the lungs. Horehound is used in cough drops and you can also make a lung-cleansing syrup with this herb. Place 1/4 cup dried horehound leaves and 2 cups of water in a stainless pot and allow this to boil. Take the pot off of the stove and let it sit, covered for 10 minutes. Use a mesh strainer to separate the horehound from the water and stir in honey to taste. Keep this in a jar and take as needed for cough and removal of phlegm.
Clearing Smoker's Lungs
Smokers have a particular problem of accumulating tar in the lungs and this, mixed with the phlegm that the body produces to fight the tar, can make it very difficult to breathe. Mullein, uva ursi and coltsfoot have been used successfully in the treatment of smoker's lungs. Make a tea by mixing 1 part uva ursi, 1 part coltsfoot and 2 parts mullein. Steep 1 tsp. of your tea for 10 minutes and this can be drank two times per day. Some users of this tea have reported throwing up a black, tar-like substance after several days of use, and this is indicative of the powerful cleansing properties of these three herbs when used together.
Lung Tea
Another excellent herb to use as an expectorant is nettle. It helps the lungs to remove phlegm. You can make a tea by mixing equal parts of nettle, mullein and comfrey. Use 1 oz. of the tea and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. As the nettle acts to remove the phlegm, the comfrey soothes irritated lung tissue. Mullein is what herbalists refer to as a mucilage and helps to comfort the lung with the production of new, thin mucous secretions.
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