The main constituents of the herb are mucilage, bitter glycosides, and tannins which lead to the herb anti-inflammatory properties and make coltsfoot useful for curing coughs.
Coltsfoot is best known as an herbal remedy to treat coughs and bronchial congestion.
In fact, the botanical name, Tussilago, means ‘cough dispeller’. The herb has been used for this purpose and to provide relief from other respiratory disorders since pre-historic times.
Coltsfoot root contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which may adversely affect the liver.
However, a large part of these alkaloids is destroyed in the process of boiling the plant in order to prepare a decoction and it’s safe to use the herb in low doses.
It is particularly useful in curing chronic coughs, as in the case of emphysema or silicosis.
The leaves are widely used in European countries for medical preparations, and in China, the flowering stem is the preferred ingredient, even though the flowers have a higher level of the alkaloids.
Though the leaves and flowers are the commonly used parts, at times the root is also used.
Coltsfoot has also been found useful in the treatment of other conditions such as asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, whooping cough, headaches and obstruction in the nasal passage.
The flowers are also used in the preparation of a poultice, which is used to provide relief from skin problems such as sores, eczema, ulcers and inflammations.
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