Mullein leaf tea is helpful when there is a tight, hacking cough especially if you need to loosen the cough.
Fresh is always best – but you need it most in the winter so you may need to buy it or dry it.
When you combine mullein leaf with marshmallow root it is especially helpful. (it will work alone, too) This mixture makes an excellent expectorant. An expectorant helps to loosen the phlegm and mucous from the lungs and bronchial tubes and allow it to be coughed up. Jim McDonald says, “Mullein will stimulate coughing, even though that’s the symptom being treated. What Mullein is really doing is assisting the body’s natural response to congestion, coughing, to be more effective. .”
Drinking mullein tea also helps to keep infection from settling in the lungs and the bronchi. It is soothing to these delicate tissues and helps them fight off the bacteria.
My father, who is 76, came home from a mission’s trip with a very congested cough. He begged me for something to help him feel better. Since I was studying the use of mullein and nettle we went out and gathered some fresh plants and proceeded to make a strong quart of tea for him to drink. He drank two quarts the first day and began to cough up phlegm like Jim Mc Donald said he would. He continued to drink a quart of the tea for the next few days. And his cough really cleared up. But he had another interesting benefit. The demulcent action (soothing, slippery) of the plant allowed him to pass a good sized kidney stone, and some gravel without pain. These had been giving him some discomfort for the last while and now they are gone. You will read farther on in the chapter that the root is good for the bladder and kidneys, but I am sure that the leaf must also do some of the same things.
Mullein Tea
Ingredients:
6 large Mullein leaves 5 cups water Honey if desired
Gather mullein leaves from healthy plants. Use the leaves green or dry. Break the leaves into small pieces. Put them into a teapot and add boiling water. Let the tea steep for 5 -10 minutes. Serve. This tea is helpful for any respiratory problem and also to get the lymphatic system working properly. Drink up to 3 cups a day. I like to add peppermint for flavor..
