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What is an Expectorant?

An expectorant is a medicine or a natural active ingredient that helps thin the stagnant mucus in the airways to clear the congestion to enhance the quality of breathing. It increases the water content of the secretion, making the mucus less sticky and easier to cough out. It is beneficial for the productive cough (phlegm-producing cough) because it aims to loosen up the mucus to expel it out along with foreign particles or any other pathogenic microorganism. 

The most commonly marketed expectorants are Guaifenesin and potassium iodide. Their primary mechanism is to hydrate the mucus for easy expulsion and to relieve congestion. There are, however, plenty of natural expectorants that work by the same mechanism with a better safety profile.

What are the herbal benefits of an expectorant?

Expectorants can proffer a dynamic impact on the patients who suffer from acute or chronic mucus-related upper respiratory tract infections, such as:

  • Cold & flu
  • Respiratory allergies
  • Productive or wet cough
  • Chronic cough due to smoking
  • Asthma
  • Chronic bronchitis
  • Emphysema
  • COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

3 Herbs that act as Expectorant

Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a definite show-stopper when it comes to dealing with respiratory tract infections. It clears the sticky mucus from the lungs and airways, relieving chest congestion in the process to let you breathe effortlessly. Use Anise Hyssop in its dried form and make its cold infusion to reduce the pangs that erupt in the chest due to excessive coughing and treat bronchitis and other respiratory tract illnesses.

Horehound

Horehound

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is an excellent expectorant herb that works magnificently in ameliorating the congestive condition of the lungs. It helps loosen the bronchial secretions for a rather easier expulsion. Taking Horehound tea can serve significantly to treat whooping cough, asthma, bronchitis, and other mucus-related respiratory tract ailments.

Mullein

Mullein

Mullein (Verbascum) is an eternal herbal remedy that has served respiratory tract ailments tirelessly for centuries. It is claimed as the lung-friendly herb by Dioscorides due to its amazing actions. It is enriched with numerous active ingredients, including verbascose, verbascoside, verbasterol, coumarins, which remarkably help in reducing inflammation of airways, symptoms of cold & flu, chest congestion due to mucus build-up, cough, and other chronic illnesses like bronchitis. 

Use Mullein tea or tincture (neat or in water/tea) to create a soothing anti-inflammatory coating over your mucus membranes to alleviate persistent irritation, inflammation, and congestion.

Other Medicinal Plants that Act as an expectorant