Sore throats - plantain and self-heal

[Suffolkrafter]

I've got two plants in my garden which according to my notes, may help with sore throat: self-heal (prunella vulgaris) and ribwort plantain (plantago lanceolate). I imagine these are taken as teas (leaves and or flowers) or gargles of the tea. Does anyone use these or have more info on their uses?
To be clear, I'm not asking for medical advice here, just interested in people's knowledge and experiences.

 

[Chris]

All I know about ribwort plantain is that the young buds smell and taste very much like mushroom, to the point they can be used as a mushroom alternative in things like pasta sauces and risotto.

I could imagine them making a decent tea.

 

[Broch]

Self-heal is particularly good because it can inhibit viral replication as well as being an anti-bacterial. Flowers, dried or fresh, and leaves can be used to make a tea. The recipes say two flower heads in a mug of boiling water but I double that.

Any of the plantains are reputed to be good for sore throats and coughs, again, taken as a tea or you can mix the juice with honey. It doesn't have the anti-viral properties of self-heal though.

 

[Toddy]

Pick the plantain leaf and chew it to mush. Slowly let the juice/saliva slip down your throat. It reduces inflammation.

Self heal flowers are picked (they work when dried too) and best simmered gently with water and a little honey or sugar. A handful of fresh in a mugfull of water.
Couple of teaspoonsful gently sipped. Quite pleasant chilled.

Better yet is to grate up a peeled onion. Put it into a jar and cover the mush with brown sugar. Put the lid on and set the jar someplace cold. Within a day you'll have a brown linctus that really does a number on a sore throat. Couple of teaspoonsful sooked down gently.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

Thanks all, that's brilliant. I've never heard of using onion like that. I'll be giving that a go!

 

[Broch]

Better yet is to grate up a peeled onion. Put it into a jar and cover the mush with brown sugar. Put the lid on and set the jar someplace cold. Within a day you'll have a brown linctus that really does a number on a sore throat. Couple of teaspoonsful sooked down gently.

My Mum made that every winter - I actually quite enjoyed it as a kid - and, as you say, it works!

 

[Toddy]

Do you have Rosenoble ? Figwort ?

That used to be gathered and dried and then boiled up like tea, a kind of universal panacea.

It's like foxgloves though, and once you have it, well, there's no getting rid of it.
Happy to pass along seeds if anyone's in need.

It actually brews up reminiscent of tea

 

[Toddy]

Meant to say too; meadowsweet root is excellent for easing the pain of toothache, mouth ulcers or a sore throat.
It's an unmistakable root, it's red and it smells of germolene. You need the tiniest wee bit to crush up and hold against the tooth or ulcer, or gargle for a sore throat.

Thinking on this though; I'm not a medical herbalist, I don't think we're supposed to post stuff like this without saying that folks do it at their own recognisance.....

 

[Suffolkrafter]

There's some figwort in our area. Not so much meadowsweet, unless I take to the canoe. I do actually have wood avens in the garden though. Ive been cultivating the useful 'weeds' over the last few years. This isn't proving popular in my household but I find it highly satisfying

Well, I tried the self-heal and I have to say that I reckon it worked. But I will reiterate what you said: take my annecdotal evidence with a pinch of salt! (Also I found it to be quite a diuretic!)

 

[Suffolkrafter]

meadowsweet root is excellent for easing the pain of toothache, mouth ulcers or a sore throat.

Do you reckon the root is more effective than the leaves?

 

[Toddy]

Do you reckon the root is more effective than the leaves?

Very much so.

I don't really use the leaves, but I use the flourish as a stomach safe natural aspirin.
I gather and dry jars full every year

 

[Nice65]

Meant to say too; meadowsweet root is excellent for easing the pain of toothache, mouth ulcers or a sore throat.
It's an unmistakable root, it's red and it smells of germolene. You need the tiniest wee bit to crush up and hold against the tooth or ulcer, or gargle for a sore throat.

Thinking on this though; I'm not a medical herbalist, I don't think we're supposed to post stuff like this without saying that folks do it at their own recognisance.....

I was about to post some pics of the Ribwort Plantain and Self Heal and stopped to think how to word it to make sure the pics (which vary) aren’t used to ID the plant, but just to give an idea. It all got a bit long winded and seems to be curing my insomnia tonight if nothing else

Maybe rather than recommending amounts and method of application to others it’s best to say it’s worked for you? Or we need to quote or link to something published.

 

[Nice65]

Very much so.

I don't really use the leaves, but I use the flourish as a stomach safe natural aspirin.
I gather and dry jars full every year

Ah, exactly like that.

Something that I could do with, and will follow up with research. Fed up with ibuprofen stomach ache, fed up with the backache that prompts me taking it.

 

[scruff]

Pick the plantain leaf and chew it to mush. Slowly let the juice/saliva slip down your throat. It reduces inflammation.

Self heal flowers are picked (they work when dried too) and best simmered gently with water and a little honey or sugar. A handful of fresh in a mugfull of water.
Couple of teaspoonsful gently sipped. Quite pleasant chilled.

Better yet is to grate up a peeled onion. Put it into a jar and cover the mush with brown sugar. Put the lid on and set the jar someplace cold. Within a day you'll have a brown linctus that really does a number on a sore throat. Couple of teaspoonsful sooked down gently.

I think I'll re-try Self Heal today, got some serious lergie off the young 'un after fending it off for weeks.

Might give that onion one a miss for now though!

 

[Nice65]

I think I'll re-try Self Heal today, got some serious lergie off the young 'un after fending it off for weeks.

Might give that onion one a miss for now though!

There’s a baby pine cone version that’s supposed to be lovely. @Billy-o made some and pronounced it good.