ZINC

ZINC

ZINC


50 mg. / day

Without knowing other things about your health, I think Mullein would be safe enough to use. Also Turmeric is gentle yet amazingly effective with not only lungs, but helps with pancreas, liver and joints - and it tastes good! I would eat that liberally on foods rather than taking capsules or something. See if it helps!

i am curious about the expectorant too. i am experimenting with smoking mullien blends now... any suggestions?

Rosemary Gladstar has a good formula that is a tonic for building and strengthening the lungs.

Drink 1 cup 3xday for several weeks.

To prepare: 1 ts per cup of the following ( I like to make a qt at a time by putting 4 ts of the herb mixture in a quart mason jar. Pour boiling water over it , put a lid on it , let it sit for at least 30 minutes)

2 parts red clover blossom (cleanses and tones, strenghening tonic for the respiratory system)
2 parts comfrey leaf ( has soothing effect on lungs)
1 part coltsfoot (best cough remedies, respiratory nervine)
1 part marshmallow root (powerful antiinflammatory and anit-irritant properties for the lungs)
1 part cinnamon (warms the organs to treat coughing)
1 part mullein ( most excellent respiratory herb-good for all lung complaints)
2 parts peppermint (cleanses and strengthens the entire body)
1/4 part orange peel (counteracts the formation of mucus)

Mix all of the above herbs together and use 1 ts/cup of water

Hopes this helps..I am planning on coming out with a book on asthma herbs www.asthmaherbs.org

I know of three herbs that are very good for the lungs. Ive been using them for years. Here is some discriptions from differant sites around the web.

****Plurisy root (from Herbsguide.net)
Family Name: N.O. Asclepiadaceae

Botanical Name(s): Asclepias tuberosa

Popular Name(s): Butterfly-weed, Swallow-wort, Tuber Root, Wind Root, Orange Milkweed


Parts Used: Root

Habitat: Pleurisy Root is found in North America.

Description: Pleurisy Root is a perennial plant which grows to a height of 1 -2 feet. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate with a length of 5-12 cm and breadth of 2-3 cm. The plant bears clustered orange or yellow flowers. The rootstock is spindle-shaped, has a knotty crown and is slightly but distinctly annulated.

Uses: Pleurisy Root has antispasmodic, diaphoretic, expectorant and carminative properties. It possesses a specific action on the lungs and is effective in all chest complaints. It mitigates the pain and relieves the difficulty of breathing. It is used to cure diarrhoea, dysentery and acute and chronic rheumatism.

****Osha root (bear root) (from wikipedia)

L. porteri (Osha) root or L. wallichii (Ligusticum) root can be steeped in ethanol (whisky, vodka, etc.) for at least a month. The resulting tincture is an effective, albeit pungent, liniment for sore muscles that can be stored (in a cool place) indefinitely.

Osha has been clinicaly verifed to possess anti-viral properties and is very effective for treating cold and flu systems of the upper respiratory tract, and other viral infections of the respiratory system. The plant is also a powerful stimulant if consumed to excess. Osha root is typically chewed, then spit out after the medicinal components have been extracted by the chewing action. Osha root is also used internally in small amounts to treat fever, stomach ache, and heartburn.

Osha has been sensationalized as a herbal remedy to the extent that the plants are seriously threatened in many areas due to overharvesting. Since Osha defies cultivation outside of its habitat, commercially available Osha root is almost entirely harvested from wild stands of the plant.

Osha is still commonly used widely by the Apaches and other native tribes. According to WMA Elders, they would use it as a snake and insect repellant:It has a strong smell. Apaches use this herb to aid in the curing of common colds, sore throats, cough, sinusitis, and other side effects of the winter season.

Osha contains oxytoxin and should not be ingested or used by women who are nursing or pregnant. [4]


***Spikenard (from Herbs2000.com

American spikenard is a perennial bush growing up to ten feet in height with large leaves, small greenish white flowers, and red or purple berries.

Spikenard was a popular herb among American Indians, who gathered its pleasantly scented roots for a variety of medicinal uses. Herbalists record that the Cherokees drank spikenard tea for backache and that the Shawnees used it to treat gas pains, coughs, asthma, and chest pains. Other tribes gave the tea to women in labor to make childbirth swifter and less painful. The Micmacs reportedly applied a salve of spikenard to cuts and wounds, while the Ojibwas used the root in a poultice for healing broken bones.

Early settlers added spikenard to their own herbal medicine shelf and found even more uses for it. Juice from the dark purple berries and oil from the seeds were poured into ears to cure earache and deafness. Medical practitioners in the 19th century prescribed the root to treat gout, rheumatism, syphilis, and other diseases in which it was deemed necessary to "purify the blood."

Closely related to spikenard is wild sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis, whose root is similarly aromatic and was likewise used for medicinal purposes-as a tonic, stimulant, and perspiration inducer. Wild sarsaparilla was also brewed into a root beer.
PARTS USED

Root, rhizome.
USES

Native Americans ate the aromatic spikenard roots and young leaves in soups and other dishes. Related to ginseng, wild sarsaparilla and other species of spikenard were used as flavorings in teas and root beer. Another plant called spikenard and related to valerian was found in perfumes in ancient times. According to the New Testament, Mary Magdalene applied it to Jesus' feet.

This herb's current use for coughs and skin conditions is based on traditional applications. Native Americans of various groups used American spikenard and related species for a variety of ailments, including as a tea for backaches. Decoctions of the roots and bark helped women with menstrual problems or prolapsed uteruses. People of both sexes used spikenard for conditions that in colonial times were called humors in the blood. They also treated pulmonary and respiratory infections such as coughs and tuberculosis with spikenard. Poultices of American spikenard were put on wounds, swellings, and burns. American spikenard contains a volatile oil, tannins, and diterpene acids. It was included in the National Formulary of the United States from 1916 to 1965.
HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

The species Aralia racemosa is found from central Canada to Virginia, but other types of spikenard grow elsewhere in North America.
CONSTITUENTS

American spikenard contains volatile oil, tannins, and diterpene acids.