White Horehound

• TeaAerial partsInternalTraditional use

  Traditional horehound herb tea as expectorant for cold-related and irritative cough, and as a bitter remedy for loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints — main indication of the EMA monograph.

  Preparation & dosage

  INFUSION (EMA Traditional Use): 1.5–2.5 g dried, cut horehound herb (Herba Marrubii) in 200 ml boiling water, covered, steep 10 min, strain. Daily dose 4.5–7.5 g (3 single doses). Drink warm, moderately sweetened with honey. Indication (EMA traditional use): relief of cough in colds and irritative cough, mucus loosening (expectorant), and support for dyspeptic complaints and temporary loss of appetite. Mechanism: marrubiin (bitter lactone) reflexively stimulates bronchial secretion (secretomotoric) and promotes bile acid secretion (choleretic). Max 4 weeks without medical advice. Cough with fever, purulent sputum, dyspnoea or persistence beyond 1 week requires medical assessment.

  Dry amount

  1.5–2.5 g

  Doses per day

  3×

  Max duration

  4 weeks

  ⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 18 years — Per EMA for adults and adolescents 18+ only — insufficient data for children under 18.

  Sources: [1] [2] [3]

• TinctureAerial partsInternalTraditional use

  Alcoholic horehound tincture as alternative to tea — practical before meals as bitter tonic and expectorant for cold-related cough.

  Preparation & dosage

  TINCTURE (DER 1:5, ethanol 25–45 %): 1–2 ml (~20–40 drops) in water 3× daily, preferably before meals (for bitter-mediated action on bile and digestion). Daily dose equivalent to 4.5–7.5 g herb. Traditional use as for tea — expectorant and bitter tonic. Note ethanol content: unsuitable for alcohol dependence, severe liver disease, epilepsy. Not during pregnancy or lactation.

  Liquid amount

  1–2 ml

  Doses per day

  3×

  Max duration

  4 weeks

  ⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 18 years — Adults 18+ only due to ethanol content and absence of paediatric data.

  Sources: [1] [3]

• TeaAerial partsInternalCommission E

  Bitter herb tea from horehound for stimulating digestion, bile production and bile flow — Kommission E positive assessment for loss of appetite and dyspepsia.

  Preparation & dosage

  BITTER TONIC TEA (Kommission E indication): 2–4 g dried horehound herb in 250 ml boiling water, covered, steep 10 min, strain. Drink unsweetened or minimally sweetened before meals — bitters are most effective when reaching taste receptors unimpeded. 3× daily before meals. Daily dose 6–12 g herb per Kommission E. Indication: loss of appetite, dyspeptic complaints, stimulation of bile and liver metabolism (cholagogue, choleretic). Marrubiin and its breakdown product marrubiinic acid measurably stimulate hepatic bile secretion.

  Dry amount

  2–4 g

  Doses per day

  3×

  Max duration

  4 weeks

  Sources: [2] [3] [5]

• TinctureAerial partsInternalFolk medicine

  Folk use as bitter tonic and blood-purifying alterative for rheumatic complaints — no clinical evidence, documented historically only.

  Preparation & dosage

  HOREHOUND BITTERS TINCTURE (folk tradition): 1–1.5 ml (~20–30 drops) in water 2× daily. Folk medicine used horehound as a blood-purifying (alterative) remedy and for rheumatic complaints. No clinical evidence for these indications. Do NOT combine with cardiac medications (marrubiin has potential antiarrhythmic action at high doses). Adults only.

  Liquid amount

  1–1.5 ml

  Doses per day

  2×

  Max duration

  6 weeks

  Sources: [6] [7]

• GargleAerial partsExternalFolk medicine

  Folk horehound gargle tea for sore throat, hoarseness and pharyngitis — astringent tannins soothe locally.

  Preparation & dosage

  GARGLE TEA: 2–3 g horehound herb in 200 ml boiling water, covered, steep 10 min, strain, cool to hand-warm. Gargle 30–60 sec 3–4× daily — do not swallow. Folk use for sore throat, hoarseness and pharyngitis. Astringent tannins and antimicrobial Lamiaceae tannins locally soothe the pharyngeal mucosa. Can be used alongside the herbal tea.

  Dry amount

  2–3 g

  Doses per day

  3×

  Max duration

  2 weeks

  Sources: [6] [7] [8]

• SpiceAerial partsInternalFolk medicine

  Culinary use of young horehound leaves as intense bitter flavouring in digestifs, herbal liqueurs and traditional horehound candy (Anglo-Saxon folk cuisine).

  Preparation & dosage

  CULINARY & LIQUEUR: Young fresh horehound leaves in very small amounts as bitter-aromatic flavouring in herb vinegars, herb butter or savoury dishes. Horehound is an ingredient in traditional herbal liqueurs and digestifs (e.g. historic Marrubium bitters). For horehound candy (traditional Anglo-Saxon): boil fresh plant extract with sugar. Intensely bitter — use sparingly. Culinary doses (a few grams fresh herb daily) are considered safe.

  Sources: [7] [9]

• TeaAerial partsInternalFolk medicine

  Historical folk horehound tea for febrile colds as diaphoretic — in-vitro evidence for anti-inflammatory activity, clinical data lacking.

  Preparation & dosage

  FEVER TEA (historical folk use): 1.5–2 g horehound herb in 200 ml hot water, steep 8 min, strain, drink warm. 3× daily for febrile colds. Horehound was historically used as a diaphoretic and antipyretic. No clinical evidence for these effects; mild anti-inflammatory activity of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids documented in vitro. Fever above 39 °C, marked impairment or fever exceeding 3 days: seek medical care.

  Dry amount

  1.5–2 g

  Doses per day

  3×

  Max duration

  2 weeks

  Sources: [4] [6] [8]

IMPORTANT: Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a pharmacologically active medicinal plant — not a harmless herbal tea. Marrubiin has documented antiarrhythmic and potentially proarrhythmic properties at high doses (animal models). NEVER use with existing cardiac conditions, arrhythmias or cardiac medications without medical advice. Horehound is uterotonic — ABSOLUTELY CONTRAINDICATED in pregnancy (abortifacient in folk tradition). Avoid during lactation: bitter constituents pass into breast milk and may cause digestive upset in the infant. Not for children under 18 per EMA (insufficient safety data). Maximum use 4 weeks without medical advice. Persistent cough over 1 week, cough with fever, purulent sputum or dyspnoea require medical evaluation.

⏱ Max continuous use: 4 weeks