Emphysema

Emphysema

It's not unusual for me to get desperate calls from people who know about my herbal expertise and want help for one serious disease or another. One such call came from a distant relative of mine. Her mother, age 72, had emphysema.

A friend of the family had recommended "food-grade hydrogen peroxide" as a way of "getting more oxygen to the lungs." The sick woman's doctor hit the ceiling when he heard of this. My relative wanted to know what I thought of food-grade hydrogen peroxide, and I had to tell her that I had no idea what it was. I knew only that the liquid was a topical antiseptic and hair lightener.

I had a strong gut feeling that the doctor was right and that food-grade hydrogen peroxide, whatever it was, was a bad idea. I felt I had good reason for concern. I've been impressed with all the research showing that antioxidants, which abound in fruits, vegetables and herbs, can help heal many conditions, including many problems common in the elderly.

antioxidants are substances that neutralize highly reactive free radical oxygen molecules, which cause cell damage throughout the body. But hydrogen peroxide is the opposite of an antioxidant. It's a pro-oxidant, meaning that it increases the number of free radicals in the body and might well increase cell damage. I weighed in on the side of the physician and told my relative that I wouldn't touch hydrogen peroxide, except for use as a topical antiseptic.

Still, that inquiry got me interested in antioxidants and emphysema. I checked my trusty database, and wouldn't you know that there's some intriguing research that antioxidants just might help? It appears that they help protect lung tissue from damage caused by smoking, which is the underlying cause of emphysema.

The Disease That Leaves You Breathless

Emphysema is slow suffocation. The tiny air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) become damaged and lose their ability to transfer oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it. As a result, the lungs function poorly.

The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, which becomes worse as the condition becomes more severe. Because of the constant struggle to breathe, the chest becomes barrel-shaped. In advanced emphysema, an individual may require supplemental oxygen and be unable to tolerate even small amounts of physical activity. The condition is difficult to treat and is often fatal.

Emphysema results from chronic respiratory irritation. Smoking causes just about every case, although long-term exposure to dust, air pollutants and chemical vapors may also play a role.

Smoking also causes the vast majority of cases of a closely related condition, chronic bronchitis. In chronic bronchitis, the tiny hairs (cilia) that line the respiratory tract lose their ability to sweep out mucus. Uncleared mucus becomes thick and sticky, and it accumulates, becoming an emphysema-aggravating respiratory irritant. The combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Green Pharmacy for Emphysema

Clearly, the best way to deal with emphysema, chronic bronchitis and COPD is to quit smoking. Once diagnosed, emphysema is not reversible. Still, remaining lung function can be maximized by avoiding respiratory irritants and by using supplemental oxygen. In addition, herbs that can help thin mucus or clear it from the lungs are particularly helpful.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). Herbal pharmacologist Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine and Herbal Tonic Therapies, praises velvety mullein for its ability to treat respiratory conditions, including emphysema. Mullein is rich in soothing mucilage. I've had such impressive results with using mullein to treat colds, flu and bronchitis that if I had emphysema, I would try it.

You can make a tea with one to two teaspoons of dried, crushed mullein leaves or flowers per cup of boiling water. Strain it carefully before drinking it. Dr. Mowrey also recommends a combination of mullein, red pepper and licorice (discussed below).

Red pepper (Capsicum, various species). British physician Irwin Ziment, M.D., urges his emphysema patients to eat a hot, spicy meal every day or down a glass of water spiked with 10 to 20 drops of hot-pepper sauce. There are two reasons for this. First, red pepper is a rich source of antioxidants that help protect lung tissue from damage at the cellular level. Second, it helps thin mucus and move it out of the respiratory tract.

Red pepper is far from the only spicy plant with expectorant value. The ancients used all of the hot spices to thin mucus and help propel it out of the lungs, particularly garlic, onions, ginger, mustard and horseradish. I'd recommend any or all of them. In fact, I've included most of them in my Mucokinetic Mule, the tea with a kick. (See page 182.)

Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) and other herbs rich in vitamin C. A good deal of research demonstrates that vitamin C has mucus-thinning properties and helps treat all manner of respiratory conditions. In that case, I must put in a good word for camu-camu, the Amazonian fruit with the world's highest vitamin C content. On a dry-weight basis, it is nearly 4 percent vita-
min C. That may not sound like much, but lemons have only 0.56 percent, and no other high-C fruit or vegetable comes close to camu-camu.

That said, I must add that camu-camu is not readily available in the United States, although I'm working on it and expect it will be available sometime within the next few years. Until your neighborhood grocer carries it, feel free to use citrus fruits, bell peppers, guava, watercress and all the other high-C fruits and vegetables. Rosehips are also a good source.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). This herb is very high in cineole, a potent expectorant compound. If I had emphysema, I'd add a teaspoon or two of powdered cardamom to fruit juice or tea.

Other herbs high in cineole (in descending order of potency) include spearmint, rosemary, sweet Annie, ginger, lavender, nutmeg, bee balm, peppermint, tansy, yarrow, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, lemon leaf, hyssop, tarragon, lemon verbena and fennel. Eucalyptus should really be at the top of this list, but I want to discuss this herb separately.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus). Eucalyptus oil is very high in cineole. This herb, a potent expectorant, is an ingredient in several sore throat lozenges and in commercial chest rubs.

Studies suggest that the benefits of a eucalyptus chest rub are an illusion. When inhaled, eucalyptus stimulates cold receptors in the nose, producing a feeling of increased air flow but no demonstrable decongestant activity.

Other studies, however, show that cineole has both expectorant and decongestant activity when ingested. Personally, I'd forget the chest rubs and go with a tea made with one to two teaspoons of dried, crushed leaves per cup of boiling water. Drink up to three cups a day.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Licorice contains nine expectorant compounds plus ten antioxidant compounds. If I had emphysema, I'd add an occasional teaspoon of sweet, powdered licorice root to herbal beverage teas. (While licorice and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts--up to about three cups of tea a day--long-term use or ingestion of larger amounts can produce headache, lethargy, sodium and water retention, excessive loss of potassium and high blood pressure.)

Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Peppermint contains nine expectorant compounds. In addition, its main active component, menthol, reportedly has mucus-thinning properties. You can take peppermint as a tea, tincture or capsule, but do not ingest the oil, which is for external use only.

Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega). Commission E, the German expert panel that judges the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines for the German counterpart of the FDA, recommends one to two teaspoons of seneca snakeroot tincture as an expectorant. This herb is useful in treating emphysema and bronchitis, according to Norman Bisset, Ph.D., professor of pharmacy at King's College at the University of London and author of Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Although basil is not widely known as an expectorant, it does contain six compounds that are useful for this purpose. I personally like pesto so much that I thought I'd mention this herb. Pesto is that wonderfully flavorful pasta sauce made with garlic and fresh basil, and in my opinion it's a particularly nice way to get a medicinal dose of both herbs.

Elecampane (Inula helenium). With respected British herbalist David Hoffmann, author of The Herbal Handbook, reporting expectorant and lung-protective benefits for this herb, I would probably use it if I had emphysema. Try one to two teaspoons of dried, crushed herb per cup of boiling water. Drink up to two cups a day. Elecampane is bitter, so you can add lemon, licorice and honey to taste, or make a tea of mixed herbs with any of the other herbs mentioned in this chapter.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare). Oregano contains six compounds that are expectorants. Like basil, it's not widely known as an expectorant, but also like basil, it's a wonderful culinary herb.

Tea (Camellia sinensis). Speaking of expectorant teas, regular old green or black tea contains six expectorant compounds and one, theophylline, that can help mucus move up from deeper in the lungs. It also contains some caffeine, which studies have shown has some antidepressant value. That and its stimulant effect might help people with emphysema feel better.