Lobelia

Lobelia is a native herb to North America. The North American Indian tribes used this herb as an emetic, purgative and of all things tobacco substitute. In fact the other name for Lobelia is Indian Tobacco. Lobelia is a healing herb.

Nutrients: This herb is particularly high in manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin C, but has a very full nutrient deck with most vitamins and minerals present.

Nutritional Healing

• This herb is great for lung and pulmonary complaints and has been used for asthma, whooping cough, laryngitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis.


• Great for healing bruises, skin ulcers, inflammations, sprains, swelling insect bites and poison ivy symptoms.


• For a 5 week pre-parturition herbal medicant (medication to ease labor and delivery) combine lobelia with black cohosh, raspberry leaves, penny royal, squaw vine, and blessed thistle. Start with 2 oz of each herb and encapsulate in .05 gelatin capsules. Take 1 each day for 31 days.
  
  

Ways to Use

This herb like most will lend itself to an infusion or to a standard decoction if necessary, but to be honest it's bitter quality makes it very difficult to drink in large quantities. I prefer to use this herb in a tincture or you could even encapsulate it. Check out my recent post on tinctures - it's really very easy.

My husband had a very rough winter with several bouts of bronchitis that led to pneumonia. I'm not entirely sure why his lungs are so weak - he has never smoked or worked around terribly harsh chemicals. I'm starting now to prepare him for next winter by making tinctures with lobelia and with other great healing/lung herbs (mullein, comfrey and thyme). My hope is that over the summer his lungs will both cleanse and heal and he will experience less difficulty next winter. Let me know if you would like some tips on doing the same!

Take care and enjoy this crazy spring weather!

Karla