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Coltsfoot
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) may qualify as the world's oldest cough remedy. For centuries folk healers have used the bright yellow flowers, roots, and wooly leaves of this daisy family member to suppress dry coughs and soothe sore throats. In fact, part of the plant's scientific name (Tussilago) stems from the Latin word for "cough." In eighteenth-century France, for instance, shop owners painted an image of the plant on their signs to let passersby know that they sold healing herbs. It has also been an important part of Chinese folk medicine for hundreds of years.
Other common names for the herb include coughwort, cough plant, and horse-hoof (a nod to its hoof-shaped leaves). It's also sometimes spelled colt's foot. In addition to treating coughs, coltsfoot also has a reputation for easing chronic respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Although native to Europe, this ground-hugging perennial can also be found growing wild in northern parts of the United States and southern Canada.
Enthusiasm for this ancient healing herb has been dampened in recent years by the discovery that coltsfoot contains potentially liver-toxic substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). For this reason, some sources recommend against using the herb altogether. The FDA, in fact, classifies coltsfoot as an herb of "undefined safety," and a number of other countries restrict the medicinal use of the herb. Many sources contend that, given the vast array of cough preparations now on the market, it makes sense to avoid one that has the potential to cause serious liver damage.
Other sources, however, including Germany's renowned Commission E, still endorse the herb as long as it is taken in moderation for limited amounts of time.
A gooey substance in coltsfoot called mucilage accounts for much of this ancient healing herb's reputation for coating, soothing, and protecting delicate mucous membranes. In fact, at one point coltsfoot ranked among the most popular European remedies for chest (respiratory conditions), from laryngitis to bronchitis. Certain other compounds identified in the herb have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial actions.
Topical formulations (ointments, poultices, powders) also take advantage of this mucilage content. Folk healers have treated insect bites, skin inflammations, and burns with coltsfoot formulations, for example.
Specifically, coltsfoot may help to:
Reduce the urge to cough and soothe a sore throat. Coltsfoot works as an expectorant, stimulating the tiny hairs (cilia) that propel mucus out of air passages. This action makes a cough what is called "more productive." The most effective use for coltsfoot, however, is for a dry (nonproductive) cough, because the herb helps coat and soothe the throat, making it less vulnerable to irritation. The plant's high mucilage content is credited for this use. Germany's Commission E specifically endorses the use of coltsfoot for dry coughs, hoarseness, and inflammation in the mouth and throat.
Minimize asthma-related wheezing. Coltsfoot has a long history of use for asthma and other respiratory diseases in Chinese and European herbal medicine. Recent research indicates that the buds of the coltsfoot plant suppress the body's production of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a protein in the blood involved in triggering the narrowing of the air passages that prompts wheezing. In one study done in China, 66 people with asthma experienced some decrease in airway obstruction when taking a mixture of herbs that included coltsfoot.
Special tips:
--Given the presence of potentially liver-toxic PAs, albeit in variable and often very small amounts, limit intake to no more than three teaspoons daily in tea form to treat a passing cough or wheezing.
--Limit annual use to no more than 4 to 6 weeks.
--To avoid the risk of health problems, the daily dose of PAs should never exceed 1 milligram. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to determine the PA content with a product sold in the United States, where herbs are not closely regulated. Always err on the side of caution, selecting a product that lists PA content or choosing another herb or drug altogether when in doubt.
For cough or asthma: To make a tea, add 8 ounces of hot (but not boiling) water to 2 teaspoons of crushed dried leaves.
It makes no sense to smoke coltsfoot, as some sources suggest, because the heat destroys the gooey mucilage that provides the soothing and protective actions. Similarly, inhaling the vapors of leaves simmered in water won't work because the healing compounds won't be able to get to the irritated tissue.
Don't take coltsfoot if you are taking a blood pressure-lowering medication (an antihypertensive).
Given the risk of cross-sensitivity, don't take coltsfoot if you are allergic to other plants in the daisy (Compositae) family, such as chamomile and ragweed.
Other than the potential liver problems noted in the Cautions section below and a possible increase in blood pressure when taken long-term, there are no known side effects associated with coltsfoot.
It's important to use coltsfoot conservatively given the toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that have been found in the flowers, leaves, and roots of the plant. At high doses, PAs can damage the liver. When used at even moderately elevated doses over weeks and months, the PAs could conceivably lead to liver cancer, as it has in laboratory animals. Conservative, limited use of the herb appears to pose no health risks, however.
Coltsfoot is hard on the liver, so don't take the herb if you have a history of liver disease or alcohol abuse. Similarly, if you take a lot of medications, avoid the herb so as not to overwork your liver (all medicines are cleared through the liver).
Because of potential health risks to a developing fetus, never take coltsfoot if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.
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