Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Available either as a dried herb or herbal tincture.

Please note this is a nutritional, functional horse food supplement and not veterinary medicine. See Dr Kellon's Horse Sense - 'Nutrition is not 'Alternative' Therapy.

Tincture

Our human-grade, certified organic tinctures give you a ready-to-absorb potent source of phytonutrients at the highest-strength available, for immediate absorption straight into the bloodstream and to the body’s cells.

100% certified organic pure tincture: Verbascum thapsus (Mullein) Leaf, Infused 1:3 35% , Wild Harvested

Feed Guide

• Horse - 30-40ml / Pony - 15-20ml, daily in feed.
• Always shake the bottle to disperse any sediment.
• 3-year shelf-life.

Dried Herb

Produced to ecological standards and free from agro-chemicals.

Certified organic dried herb: Verbascum thapsus (Mullein) Leaf, Wild Harvested, Origin Albania

Feed Guide

• 5g/100kg bodyweight per day, thus for an average 500kg horse add 25g daily to feed.
• 1-year shelf-life.

Functional Nutritional Value

Constituents: Flavonoids, mucilage, triterpenoid saponins, tannins, volatile oil, glycosides, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fixed oils, iridoid compounds, vitamins and minerals.

NB. Our range of botanicals are all grown, harvested and dried without the use of agri-chemicals, non-irradiated and GMO free - see our Quality page for Quality Management & Certification Documents. Laboratory tested for identification and compliance to the British and European Pharmacopoeia standards, and are human grade. Please be aware that if you're purchasing our dried botanicals for human use, our dried range is cut to appropriate sizes for feeding to horses.

More ...

There are a host of common names for mullein, i.e. blanket herb, velvet herb, fluffweed, and for good reason – like marshmallow, mullein leaves are thick, soft and downy, and packed with mucilage. It also has a lovely sunny yellow flower, which if you’re lucky you’ll see along roadsides or springing up on a countryside walk. In our town (Wells in Somerset) there’s a solitary mullein plant growing against a medieval cottage on the lane heading to Wells’ Cathedral – a fitting location for its ancient history.

However, be warned - the numerous hairs covering mullein’s leaves leaf that make it so invitingly soft can cause irritation and itching, and can lead to dermatitis. One herbalist is known to have described it as “a herb that embraces contradictions, for it is both rigid and flexible, soft and hard, cuddly and prickly, weedy and elegant.” Who cares though – I’m always so surprised and happy to see a mullein plant randomly springing up in the countryside, and even better - it’s also my absolute No.1 respiratory herb of choice.

Used since ancient times, mullein was described in the Middle Ages by Culpeper to address everything from cramps and coughs to rough warts and gout. In the 19 ^th century, mullein blossom oil was recommended for deafness, earache, ear ulcerations, urinary tract inflammation and dribbling (dribbling?! I think they mean what we know today as 'secretions'), bronchitis, asthma, rheumatism, and orchitis, which is a swelling or inflammation of the testicles – ouch!

However, it’s probably best known for being rich in wonderful, soothing mucilage and saponins, and a specific for the respiratory system. Mullein is an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic, useful for bronchitis and dry coughing, and as a general tonifying herb for the respiratory system. Its expectorant action boosts coughing to effectively aid the body in removing congestion and is especially beneficial for dry or non-productive coughing associated with wheezing. Generally it’s used for coughs, asthma, colds, bronchitis, and other lung and respiratory system issues. American Indians even use it as a smoking herb to address bronchitis and asthma, but I probably shouldn’t recommend this!

It’s not just herbalists that know how beneficial mullein can be; scientists have also determined that mullein has anti-inflammatory properties (Speranza et al., 2009) and anti-influenza properties in vitro (Rajbhandari et al., 2009).

Other than its respiratory benefits, it’s also thought to be useful for musculoskeletal misalignments and pain, with its lubricating effect supporting joint hydration and synovial fluid production; some say it’s also useful to help mend broken bones that are difficult to set.

For us though, you probably won’t be surprised to see that mullein is a major player in our BreathePlus and KoffTonic blends.

Safety

• More good news; mullein is considered very safe with no known side effects. If you are going to do some mullein DIY though, remember to strain any leaf infusion through a cloth strainer to remove those irritating hairs.