Mullein Health Dictionary

One type of herbal tea is the mullein tea. Despite its slightly bitter taste, it has plenty of health benefits, and it is quite easy to prepare, too. Read this article to find out more about mullein tea’s health benefits and side effects. About Mullein Tea The main ingredient of the mullein tea is the mullein plant. It includes about 250 species of flowering plants that grow in Europe (especially in the Mediterranean region) and Asia. Recently, various species were introduced and even naturalized in America, Australia and Hawaii. The shorter stems of the plant grow up to half a meter, while the tallest can reach 3 meters. There are spirally arranged and often densely hairy leaves in the lower half, while the upper half has five-petal flowers of various colors: yellow, orange, red-brown, purple, blue, or white; the yellow ones are most common. The fruit is a small capsule which contains numerous minute seeds. How to prepare Mullein Tea It only takes a few minutes to prepare a cup of mullein tea. Boil some water, then pour it in a cup, over the mullein dried herbs. Let it steep for about 5 minutes before removing the herbs. If you think the taste is too bitter for you, you can sweeten it with honey, sugar or lemon. Components of Mullein Tea Dried leaves and flowers of the plant are used to make the mullein tea. This way, many components of the plant are transferred to the mullein tea. The components include mucilage, rotenone, flavonoids, iridoids, sterols, and sugars. Mullein Tea Benefits Mullein tea is quite useful when it comes to treating chronic bronchitis, coughs, asthma, pneumonia, congestion, and other respiratory problems. It relaxes the muscles within the chest, loosens the mucus, and helps with expectoration. Also, when you’ve dealing with a sore throat, it helps soothe the throat and chest. Drinking mullein tea helps treat diarrhea and works to expel intestinal parasites, such as worms. It is useful when treating bladder and urinary tract infections, for example hematuria (bloody urine). Also, consumption of mullein tea lessens the pain from hemorrhoids. Mullein tea can also help you if you’re suffering from insomnia, or when you’re dealing with anxiety or high levels of stress. It is good for cleansing the blood, and it can treat various forms of allergies. Also, mullein tea is useful when treating earaches, eczema, inflammations, acne and minor wounds. Mullein Tea Side Effects If you’re preparing the mullein tea on your own, using the leaves of the plant, be careful with the little hairs found on the leaves. When they come in contact with your skin, they can lead to red, itchy or inflamed skin. Despite the fact that it’s used to treat respiratory problems, mullein tea can lead to breathing problems. Although rare, the symptoms in this case include chest wall inflammation, difficulty in inhaling, tightness in the chest, and tightness of the throat. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop drinking mullein tea and go visit your doctor. Also, mullein seeds contain rotenone, which is a potentially toxic substance that, if ingested, may cause severe side effects. Make sure you check to see if the mullein tea you drink is made from mullein seeds. It is generally recommended that you not drink mullein tea if you are pregnant or breast feeding, as it might affect the baby. Don’t drink more than six cups of mullein tea a day. If you do, it won’t be that good for your health anymore. You might experience some of the following symptoms: headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, dizziness, and irregular heartbeats. Although bitter, mullein tea is still a delicious type of herbal tea. It comes with many health benefits, as well. Just make sure you won’t experience any side effects. Once it’s all safe, you’re free to enjoy your daily cup of this type of tea.... discover mullein tea