Natural Remedies for Respiratory Problems

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, was right when he pronounced, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This has been confirmed by decades of research showing the healing power of food, as well as, inversely, its potential to cause some serious health problems. So many diseases, as well as the exponential rise in chronic disease in recent decades, can be linked to our eating habits today.

We live in a world full of pesticides, antibiotic-laced meats, and processed foods that are manufactured to be addicting. On top of this, the birth and rise of chemical-based medicine has completely wiped out natural remedies that seem to be more effective. Chemical-based medicine, according to many, is also responsible for the massive rise in various diseases.

As Glenn A. Warner, MD, former head of the immunotherapy department of the Tumor Institute under Orliss Wildermuth, MD, writes: “We have a multi-billion dollar industry that is killing people, right and left, just for financial gain. Their idea of doing research is to see whether two doses of this poison is better than three doses of that poison.”

This is precisely why Dr. Richard Horton, the current editor-in-chief of The Lancet – considered to be one of the most well respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world — recently  published a statement declaring that a lot of published research is in fact unreliable at best, if not completely false:

The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness. (source)

Dr. Marcia Angell, a physician and longtime Editor in Chief of The New England Medical Journal (NEMJ), which is considered to another one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, makes her view of the subject quite plain:

It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. (source)

It is highly unlikely that a doctor would prescribe you a daily dose of celery rather than pills to lower your blood pressure, despite the fact that some foods, like celery, have been shown scientifically and experimentally to have amazing results…

That being said, below is a list of 10 plants and herbs that can heal respiratory infections, boost lung health, and repair pulmonary damage.

 1. Sage

Sage is packed with essential oils which have multiple benefits. These can be unlocked by drinking sage tea, which is used to treat common respiratory and lung ailments.

Sage has thujone, camphor, terpene, and salvene, which, when inhaled in vapor form, can dispel lung disorders and clean out your sinusitis.

To do this, you can brew a strong pot of sage tea and place it into a bowl or vaporizer.

2. Cannabis

Not many people know this, but when you smoke cannabis you actually change its chemical composition in a negative way. If you are going to use it for healing purposes, it’s best to ingest it or use a vaporizer; neither of these methods result in the toxic breakdown of the therapeutic compounds that happens when burning the plant.

Study after study has shown that cannabis is one of the most effective anti-cancer plants in the world. Vaporizing it can allow the active ingredients to trigger the natural immune response that exists within the body, thus reducing the ability of infections to spread.

Vaporizing cannabis (especially with very high amounts of cannabinoids) opens up airways and sinuses, acting as a bronchodilator.

It is even a proven method for treatment and reversal of asthma.

3. Oregano 

This herb contains vitamins and nutrients that are vital to the immune system.

Oregano contains compounds, like rosmarinic acid, which are natural decongestants and histamine reducers.

These have a very positive effect on the respiratory tract and nasal passage airflow.

Oil of oregano is also great and known to fight off strep throat; it is also considered to be a great alternative for common antibiotic treatments.

4. Eucalyptus

This has been used for thousands of years, and today it’s commonly used to promote respiratory health and help ease throat irritation. This is precisely why it’s a common ingredient in several cough medicines.

5. Mullein – Verbascum Thapsus

Both the flowers and the leaves of this plant have medicinal value, and they are both used to make an herbal extract that makes the lungs stronger.

Holistic and herbal practitioners often use it to clear mucus from the lungs.

Tea can be made from one teaspoon of the dried herb to one cup of boiled water.

6. Peppermint – Mentha + Piperita

Peppermint contains menthol, an ingredient that relaxes the respiratory tract and muscles, thus promoting free breathing. Peppermint oil contains many other additional compounds, like limonene and pulegone, which are great decongestants. Many therapeutic chest balms contain these ingredients.

7. Plantain herb – P. Ianceolata and Plantago major

Plantain leaf is another herb that has been used for hundreds of years to help soothe an irritated chest and coughs. It also also contains many anti-inflammatory and antitoxic compounds.  Clinical trials have found it favorable against cough, cold, and lung irritation. Plantain leaf has an added bonus in that it may help relieve a dry cough by spawning mucus production in the lungs.

Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.

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