Lung Care

Lungwort is a perennial plant of European deciduous forests, named for the spotted appearance of its leaves which medieval herbalists thought resembled lung tissue. It grows abundantly on the lower slopes of the Rhodope mountains, where the dense beech and oak canopies create the cool, shaded conditions it prefers.

The leaves contain silica, mucilage, flavonoids, tannins and saponins. These compounds together give lungwort its traditional reputation as a herb for the respiratory tract — a use documented in European herbal texts going back to at least the 16th century, including in the works of Bulgarian folk herbalists who called it 'белодробниче'.

Our 500mg dose per serving is at the higher end of what's typically used in European supplements, reflecting our decision to make Pulmonaria officinalis the centrepiece of the formula rather than a token addition.

Ribwort plantain — sometimes called English plantain or narrowleaf plantain — is one of the world's most widespread medicinal plants. In Bulgaria it grows wild in mountain meadows from the Stara Planina range south through the Rhodopes, and it has been a staple of folk respiratory remedies for as long as records exist.

The leaves contain aucubin (an iridoid glycoside), mucilage, tannins and silicic acid. Aucubin in particular has been the subject of modern phytochemical research, although traditional use remains the basis for its inclusion in Lung Care.

Eucalyptus is the only botanical in Lung Care that isn't native to Europe — it originates in Tasmania and southeastern Australia, although today it's cultivated commercially in Mediterranean countries including Portugal and Spain. We source ours from a certified European processor.

The leaves contain 1,8-cineole (also called eucalyptol) and other monoterpenes that give the plant its distinctive aroma. Eucalyptus has been used in traditional Western herbalism for the respiratory tract since the 19th century.

Licorice is one of the oldest medicinal plants on record, used in Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and European herbal traditions for thousands of years. In Bulgaria, the wild plant grows in the warmer southern regions and along the Maritsa river basin — its sweet root is collected in autumn.

The root contains glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, flavonoids (liquiritin, isoliquiritin) and polysaccharides. The traditional use spans both respiratory and digestive applications. People taking medication or with high blood pressure should consult a doctor before taking licorice-containing supplements.

Marshmallow has been used in European herbalism since the time of Hippocrates, who recommended the root and leaves for the respiratory tract. The plant grows in damp meadows and along riverbanks throughout Bulgaria, particularly in the lowland river valleys of Thrace.

What makes marshmallow exceptional is its mucilage content — up to 35% of the dry weight of the root. Mucilage is a complex polysaccharide that swells and forms a soft gel in contact with water. It's this physical property, more than any specific active compound, that gives marshmallow its traditional reputation.

Greater plantain — the broad-leaved cousin of ribwort — is so common in Bulgaria that you can find it on virtually any path or pasture. Like its narrow-leaved relative, it has been a fixture of European folk medicine since the Middle Ages, and Bulgarian villagers have traditionally used the leaves for the respiratory tract.

Both Plantago species share much of the same phytochemistry — aucubin, mucilage, tannins and flavonoids — which is why they're often used together. We include both in Lung Care for that complementary effect.