Mullein has been trending in the wellness side of a TikTok for some time, and those who have tried it say the herb has helped them cough up mucus and — sometimes dramatically — improve their lung health.

For example, Candice Garrett (@candicegarrett) shared an update on TikTok about her experience using mullein and said: “I started trying mullein a few days ago and it totally cleared all the nasty stuff in my lungs.”

She said she coughed up most of a Pringle tube of “gel-like phlegm” and added: “My lungs haven’t felt this clear in years.

And, in another videothis time by @holisticmarketco and with 922,000 views, mullein has been described as “probably the best herb for your lungs”, explaining: “Helps clear mucus, soothes irritation in the lungs, throat and bronchial passages and relieves coughing spasms . “

The narrator recommended the plant to people with bronchial asthma, smokers and those with chronic cough.

Similarly, in a slideshow from @herbify.health with 220,000 views, mullein was said to help “clear the lungs and airways” of mucus.

After a few weeks of using mullein, the herb is said to improve the senses of taste and smell and allow the viewer to breathe “deeper, smoother.”

Simon Mills, an herbalist and secretary of the European Scientific Cooperative for Phytotherapy, said Newsweek: “No one has yet scientifically investigated mullein for its cough-relieving benefits.”

However, Mills said mullein had some potential health benefits and explained why this might be.

“Named after the Latin word for ‘soft’ (soft), mullein is a very recognizable tall plant with large velvety leaves like long rabbit ears,” he said.

“It is native to Eurasia but is now widespread in North America, Australasia and elsewhere.”

Mills explained that when the soft leaves were crushed or dissolved in water, as in a teathey had a lull, anti-inflammatory effect.

“This is due to the high mucilage content of the leaves, which have physical properties familiar to users of aloe vera, slippery elm, plantain, agar or seaweed products,” he said.

Traditionally, herbalists used mullein to relieve symptoms of mouth ulcers, sore throats, acid reflux and even tuberculosis because of its reputation as a cough reliever, he said.

“Mucilages are slippery!” Mills explained. “When applied to a surface, they form a physical covering that can feel soothing, especially if there is pain or inflammation, so mucilaginous plants have been favored throughout history as wound remedies.

“When swallowed, mucilages are converted to safe simple sugars in the stomach and then have no impact.

“However, in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and briefly in the stomach itself, the mucilaginous effect can reduce surface inflammation and the resulting pain and spasm.”

Mills said this could lead to relaxation of airway muscles, which he said was “the best explanation for the most widely used effect of remedies such as mullein leaves in reducing coughing fits”.

This effect, he said, could be aided by saponins – soapy substances – and polyphenols –antioxidant, anti-inflammatory plant compounds— which are present in mullein, especially verbascoside: a polyphenol believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, brain-protective and anti-cancer properties.

All of this combined, Mills said, could be responsible for the “more stimulatory effect” that mullein seems to have on the airways, causing people to cough up mucus.

In conclusion, Mills said, “Mullein only provides short-term relief, is safe enough to try and will not interfere with any other treatment.”

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