Do you already know hornet? The medicinal plant of the year 2018

Horehound is medicinal plant of the year 2018
In wet and cold weather, colds have high season. In nature, a herb has grown that strengthens the immune system and helps against tight cough - the hor. Hardly anyone knows the old medicinal plant that has been part of our European medical history for more than 2,000 years. Therefore, the "Studienkreis Entwicklungsgeschichte der Arzneipflanzenkunde" at the University of Würzburg has chosen the Andorn as the medicinal plant of the year 2018.

The medicinal plant of the year 2018. Image: katharinarau-fotolia

Originally, the hornet (Marrubium vulgare), also called white hornet, comes from the Mediterranean. The plant of the family Lamiaceae likes to grow on roadsides and can reach a height of up to 80 cm. The small white flowers are arranged in spherical Scheinquirlen. The heart-shaped leaves have a nervous network at the top and a felty hair at the bottom. Hornet contains strong bitter and tannins, but also flavonoids, nitrogenous compounds and essential oil.

Already the well-known physician Paracelsus saw in the plant a medicine of the lung. Traditionally, andorn is used in bronchial catarrhs, an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the bronchi. Studies prove the effect of the herb to mucus solution for coughs in the context of colds. The bitter substances probably play a special role here. Thus, scientists have found receptors for bitter substances on the smooth muscle cells of the bronchial system. When activated, the constricted bronchi dilate. So more oxygen gets into the lungs, and the mucus is easier to cough up. The immune system should also be strengthened when the bitter substances dock. In addition, the herb helps with indigestion and loss of appetite.

The bile flow is promoted, which boosts fat digestion. This is best drunk a tea, which is prepared from the dried leaves of the hornet. However, medical professionals recommend that you use the medicinal properties of the plant only in adults and children over the age of 12 and not in pregnancy. Heike Kreutz, bzfe