IMPROVE ME – HERBAL COUGH STOPPER MIXTURE – 100ml

“GET THAT COUGH TO BUZZ OFF”

We’ve all experienced the annoyance and distress of an acute cough, usually brought on by a cold or flu. Coughing is the body’s natural response to facilitate clearing of the airways and lungs. A cough however, can be caused by many other things apart from viral or bacterial infections in the throat, airways and lungs. Other causes include allergies, asthma, catarrh, environmental factors such as dust and other irritants, stomach reflux/heartburn and the side-effects of medication. It is also surprising how many people have a chronic (long-term) cough with no known reason or cause for it.

Interestingly, orthodox medicine has very little in the way of effective cough remedies when you consider how common and bothersome coughs are. Herbal medicine, on the other hand, has many useful herbs for coughs. HERBAL COUGH STOPPER is a blend of herbs designed to reduce inflammation and irritation of the throat and airways, reduce the severity of the cough and gently aid removal of excess phlegm and catarrh.

HERBAL COUGH STOPPER contains: Thyme: Marshmallow Root: Liquorice: Mullein: Wild Cherry Bark.

One of the constituents of thyme is a powerful essential oil containing the components thymol and carvacrol. This essential oil makes thyme a powerful antimicrobial agent, killing a wide variety of bugs but also giving thyme a muscle relaxing effect, helping to relax and open up the airways.

Marshmallow is loaded with a substance called mucilage. This is a thick, slimy substance that acts like a soothing fire blanket as it covers the throat. Mucilage also encourages the flow of excess catarrh and phlegm from the lungs and airways in a gentle way.

Liquorice is a great anti-inflammatory and soothing agent. It is one of the most scientifically studied herbs and has gained a reputation as a kind of “wonder herb”! Research has shown that liquorice has many effects that make it perfect as an ingredient in a cough mixture. It has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity on the lungs and the airways, including the nasal membranes, and reduces lung injury and fibrosis that can occur with respiratory diseases. It also displays and anti-allergy and anti-asthmatic effect. Most interesting is that liquorice has an anti-viral action, helping the body fight off the infections that can cause coughs, such as influenza and Covid-19. It also helps to dampen down the cough reflex and relax the airways.

Mullein has a long history of use as a cough remedy and is recently becoming very popular again as people discover its effectiveness. It also contains mucilage which encourages gentle removal of phlegm with a soothing and anti-inflammatory effect.

Wild cherry bark is another long used herb. Like many other plants, almonds for example, it contains compounds known as cyanogenic glycosides which release tiny quantities of cyanide when you digest them. Don’t panic however…in properly made tinctures and extracts and in the right dose it is perfectly safe and effective. This has the effect of directly suppressing the cough reflex and relaxing the airways. Perfect for treating exhausting, persistent coughs.

An important note about liquorice: It has been widely promoted nowadays that liquorice can cause a rise in blood pressure. In order for this to happen you need to take a lot of it for a long time. The quantity in this mixture is a normal, sensible dosage which should not affect your blood pressure at all.

Dosage: Adults – put 20 drops into a little cold water and sip slowly. Do this three times daily. Taking the last dose before bed is a good idea as coughs can be really annoying at night-time.
Children (under 13) – 10 drops, in a little water, three times daily.

Not suitable for children under the age of 5.

If your cough does not improve in 3 weeks consult your health care practitioner for further advice. To find a herbalist visit www.MNIMH.org.uk

Do not take this mixture if you are pregnant or breast feeding, taking diuretics, warfarin, digoxin, corticosteroids such as prednisolone, morphine, codeine or other opiates, benzodiazepines such as diazepam or have low potassium levels, Cushings disease or liver disease.