Horehound (scientific name Marrubium vulgare) is a plant closely related to mint. The above-ground parts are used as a dietary supplement for various health conditions. The most common uses of horehound are
§ Used for lung and breathing problems including cough, asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, and swollen breathing passages
§ Horehound is also used for digestive problems such as indigestion, bloating, gas, constipation, loss of appetite, and diarrhea
§ For liver and gallbladder related complaints
§ White horehound is also used for painful menstrual periods
§ People have also used horehound for jaundice (yellowed skin), kill parasitic worms
§ Horehound is also believed to act as a diuretic increasing urine production. Diuretics increase urination and help decrease the water and sodium content – which may help reduce the blood pressure.
§ Horehound is also applied on the skin to help with skin damage, wounds, and ulcers.
§ White horehound extracts are used as a flavoring in foods and beverages
§ The extract is also used in cough syrups and lozenges as an expectorant to loosen the phlegm making it easier to cough.
How does it work
The active ingredients in horehound are sesquiterpenes, marrubiin, flavonoids, mucilage, tannins, etc. These active ingredients can thin mucus secretions, reduce spasms in the stomach and intestines, and decrease swelling inflammation. Marrubiin, the main active constituent, is thought to be responsible for expectorant (loosening and promotion of coughing up mucus). Marrubin is bitter in taste and likely increases the flow of saliva. Phenylpropanoid constituents caffeoyl-L-Malic acid, arenarioside, acteoside, forsythoside B, and ballotetroside possess Cox-2 inhibitory activity (anti-inflammatory or reduction in swelling). Marrubiin is also thought to exert vasodilatory effect by acting on endogenous sufhydryls and nitric oxide synthase which has a gastroprotective effect.