* Please Note: Traditional Use information is provided as a courtesy only. Although we have done our best to review the validity of these uses and we continue to revise this information as new data emerges, the traditional uses indicated on this page for this product may be wrong. This information is based on Traditional and Folklore Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not necessarily based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Horehound has long been cultivated to treat various ailments, especially coughs, catarrh, asthma and respiratory complaints. The plant was especially valued by the Greeks and the Romans, as well as the ancient Egyptians. Pliny said that "its seeds and leaves pounded together are good for the bites of serpents, pains in the chest and side, and chronic cough," adding that, pounded with honey, it was "remarkably good for maladies of the male genitals." The herb was also used for heart, liver and digestive problems, for malaria and, according to Culpeper, to kill worms and heal dog-bites. Horehound candy was sold as cough sweets.
Culinary Usage
The leaves of horehound were used to make liqueurs, ales and wine.
Miscellaneous
The ancient Egyptians dedicated horehound to Horus, the god of the sun and sky. A native to Britain, the herb was known to the Anglo-Saxons and listed by Aelfric. Said to be one of the bitter Passover herbs, its botanical name is derived from the Hebrew for 'bitter juice'. The name is thought to come from the Old English for 'a downy plant'. Its leaves were used to clean milk pails and, soaked in fresh milk, to kill flies.
Medicinal Usage
Medicinally this ill-tasting herb is a stimulant, bitter stomachic, resolvent, deobstruent, expectorant, tonic, and mild vermifuge. Its primary use is to break up phlegm, relieve coughs, soothe sore throats, and relieve bronchitis and other upper respiratory ailments. Horehound has also been useful in jaundice, chronic hepatitis, amenorrhea, and leukemia. An ointment made from freshly bruised leaves is useful for healing cuts. Large doses have a laxative effect.
Marrubiin, a bitter principle, is the main active constituent of horehound. It has been shown to possess expectorant qualities and to strongly increase the flow of liver bile. The leaves also contain tannin, mucilage, a resin, and minute amounts of aklaloids and an essential oil. The volatile oil is a vasodilator and expectorant.
A tea can be made by adding one ounce of the herb to a quart of water. Sweeten with honey before drinking.
General Herb Information
Horehound is a hardy perennial herb native to the Mediterranean and northern Europe, and naturalized throughout the United States. It is a bitter aromatic herb standing about one foot tall with a bushy spreading habit.
The whole plant is covered with a soft, woolly felt, giving the plant a whitish-gray appearance. The leaves are round or oval-shaped and arranged opposite one another on square stems. They are about an inch long, and have slight teeth and short petioles. The tiny white flowers occur in tight whorls around the leaf axils. The calyx has ten sharp pointed recurved teeth; when dried, they cling to clothing like burdock pods. It flowers from June to September.
Horehound is easy to grow from seed sown in shallow drills in fall or early spring. Resulting seedlings should be spaced eight to fifteen inches apart. Horehound may also be propagated from stem cuttings or root division. Plants grown from seed may take two years to bloom.
Horehound is one of those herbs that grows in places other plants shun. A poor, dry, sandy soil with a wide pH range (4.5 to 8) and full sun are all horehound needs. It's a good herb to plant around a border which doesn't need much attention. An acre of horehound has been reported to produce three-fourths to one ton of dried herb.
The leaves and flowering tops are harvested in peak-bloom. Horehound is easy to dry but difficult to process by hand because of its sticky calyces.
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Directions
Take 1 capsule, 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Not recommended if you are, or think that you may be, pregnant.
May increase the production of stomach acid. Therefore, people with gastritis or peptic ulcers should consult with their physician prior to use.
Additional Information
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
