LUNGWORT - ANCIENT USES BORNE OUT BY RESEARCH: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF LUNGWORT


LUNGWORT, PULMONARIA OFFICINALIS  
Lungwort is a herb in the Boraginaceae family, so is a relative of borage, comfrey, the alkanets, fragrant manjack and lasora as well as viper’s bugloss among many others. There is another plant called lungwort, (Lobaria pulmonaria) but that is a moss or lichen which is also called oak moss, because it grows on or under oak trees.
The flowers of this lungwort look like those of comfrey but the plants are distinguishable very easily by the leaves. The flower buds begin pink, a then as they mature turn to lilac, with both colours seen on the same stem. They are called Soldiers and Sailors for this reason; they are also called Jerusalem Cowslips, because of the shape of the flowers, I suppose.                                     
  In the Mediaeval Doctrine of Signatures, herbalists believed that plants looked similar to the parts of the body they could be used to cure. The leaves of the lungwort plant looked to these early herbalists like lungs, as they decayed, and so they were used to cure lung problems. As it happens, modern research has discovered that the plant is indeed a useful remedy for lung problems.
  An infusion of the leaves of this lungwort is used to help coughs and catarrh. Use a tsp of dried herb to a cup of boiling water and leave to steep for 15 minutes before straining and drinking. This is said to be beneficial for inflammation and lung problems.
   The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, although they are mucilaginous and so not to everyone’s taste, as they are slimy when cooked (cook like spinach).The plant is used to flavour vermouth, and mixed with coltsfoot is a common cough remedy in herbal shops. This mixture is also said to be excellent for children’s whooping cough.
  The plant contains allantoin which is known to have wound healing properties so this supports the plant’s traditional use for skin problems such as eczema. The plant also has antibiotic properties which means it can kill the bacteria which cause lung and chest infections. It also contains the bioflavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol and research has shown that it exhibits some anti-tumour activities.                                                         
   The plant has also been used in traditional medicine to treat kidney problems and gastro-intestinal ones too- As it has astringent properties it should be a useful agent against diarrhoea. However it is not advised to take the plant internally as it contains pyrrolizidin alkaloids.
   Lungwort is believed to have originated in Central Europe and is now naturalized in Britain where it was cultivated for its ornamental value and its health benefits. If you harvest it, this is best done in springtime, and you should harvest only the young leaves and dry them for later use. However, if you do this, make sure that you are not breaking any laws, and only take the herb under the supervision of a physician.

2 comments:

  1. Hi. I just stumbled over your post while looking for some natural lung remedies. I found the information very useful. Thank you!

    I am however confused about some apparently contradictory information in the post. You said the plant (leaves especially) are thought to be good for lung and chest problems and you gave the recipe for some tea one could make using Lungwort leaves... BUT you concluded that "it is not advised to take the plant internally as it contains PAs (pyrrolizidin alkaloids)". So... what should you do with the tea? Massage on your chest area? Drink it at your own risk? Drink it if you don't have liver problems/ conditions?....

    I assume the PA content is due to the Boraginaceae family it belongs to?!... Borage also contains PA and its many benefits are somehow hindered by the fact. However, I read that the PA content of Borage (in its oil form at least) is actually very small, and no more poisonous than say apple seeds (who contain some form of cyanide) are... Is it the same with the Lungwort? The PA content of the plant/ leaves is negligible and therefore safe to consume as infused drink?

    I don't know if you'll ever read or answer to this comment. I see the post is rather old. I would anyway much appreciate some feed-back so that I'll keep an eye out for an answer! :-)

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  2. never tried it - although I saw it on a game, that i was playing witcher 3 had alot of ancient herbs including hellebore and mullen weed

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