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Coltsfoot Medicinal Uses Interactions Side Effects DosageColtsfoot Medicinal Uses Interactions Side Effects Dosageby Steve MathewColtsfoot Coltsfoot was traditionally used as an antitussive cough medication, which explains its botanical name Tussilago (from tussis, coughing; ago, to chase) and its common name, coughwort. It is similar to Petasites vulgaris, butterbur, which can be a dangerous toxic contaminant in coltsfoot products. Both the flowers and the leaves of coltsfoot are gathered for herbal use. Uses and Benefits: Coltsfoot has been used as a candy and herbal remedy in different formulations for thousands of years. Oral preparations were advocated for use in cough and various respiratory diseases, and the smoke from burning coltsfoot leaves or from herbal cigarettes was also used for treating asthma and bronchitis. Other former indications included diarrhea and slow metabolism, and coltsfoot has been employed as a blood purifier and as a diuretic. It is relatively unique in having been selected by both traditional Western and Chinese herbalists for the same specific purpose-the treatment of cough. Pharmacology: One of the main contents of coltsfoot leaves is a mucilage. This polysaccharide macromolecule forms a colloidal solution or a gel with water; this is said to coat the mucosa of the pharynx and have a demulcent effecP Historically, there was a tendency to assume that the sticky quality of mucilages, which re |