Coltsfoot in Bcuk magazine

[torjusg]

Very good magazine. Just questioning a fact.

I remember hearing that coltsfoot is either poisonous or carcinogenic. But in this magazine it is stated that coltsfoot ash can be used as salt. Do fire destroy the toxins?

And also that "the root is very good". Does that mean as food?

Does coltsfoot actually contain salt? In that case, it would be excellent news as salt is hard to find far inland.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Toddy]

We use coltsfoot as a remedy for coughs, especially long standing ones, and sore throats.
It's one of the used for centuries type that now carries warnings; i.e. don't drink during pregnancy or while breast feeding. Too much is toxic to the liver. That said, last I heard some Swediush research indicates that boiling the herb kills off the pyrrolizidine alkaloids anyway. The flowers carry very little of this. The leaves are rich in Zinc which our bodies need for healing/ repair and have been used fresh to draw abcesses, ulcers, etc.
Don't drink it for longer than a month is I believe the recommendation. Frankly, if your cough goes on *that* long why haven't you been to see a Doctor
The roots used to be candied in syrup, but it's an awful lot of fuss. The leaves have been used world wide for making salt, it's very good, I'd quite happily have this rather than table salt (Na+Cl- ), especially when I'm out.

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Tussilago+farfara

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[torjusg]

Thank you very much for the excellent link!

Torjus Gaaren

 

[match]

As far as I understand it, any heating will destroy the toxins in coltsfoot - that said, its not a highly toxic plant in the first place, and its something that I've used in syrups and sweets (as Toddy says) for coughs and colds for ages (although I'm finding it difficult to source in Edinburgh at the moment...

As an aside, Coltsfoot is often used as a major base in 'herbal tobacco' and is used by native American people (and traditionally by Europeans) as a smoked product to get rid of chesty coughs, and in my experience it does work to soothe tickly coughs that just won't shift. (note, I'm NOT encouraging anyone to take up smoking here! ) I've been told that its one of the best ways to convert from smoking tobacco if you're more of a social smoker, as it allows you to keep smoking when you feel the urge, but it also is mucilaginous, helping your lungs produce fluid and shift the tar etc from smoking, which in itself is usually disturbing enough to discourage you from bad habits

 

[Toddy]

Mine are just starting to show flowers stems, I'll pot some roots up though and maybe you could plant them locally? I'll gather leaves when they're up.
It becomes a weed among the paving slabs if I'm not careful, a bit like dandelions and Mares tail that way
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[match]

Toddy - thanks for the offer, but I've managed to source some from Portobello which isn't too far away, so I'll be using that site if I need any