Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine, particularly in European folk practices, as a remedy for respiratory ailments including coughs, particularly of a spastic (irritative or convulsive) nature. This use is primarily based on the doctrine of signatures, a historical concept suggesting that herbs resembling certain body parts could be used to treat ailments of those parts—in this case, lungwort's spotted leaves were thought to resemble diseased lungs. Traditional herbalists used lungwort infusions or extracts to soothe the respiratory tract and relieve coughing. However, scientific evidence for its efficacy in treating spastic cough is limited. Modern phytochemical studies show that lungwort contains mucilage, saponins, and flavonoids, which may have mild demulcent (soothing) and anti-inflammatory effects on mucous membranes, potentially explaining its historical use for cough. Nevertheless, robust clinical trials supporting its effectiveness for spastic coughs are lacking. Most contemporary reviews and pharmacopoeias reference its use as historical or traditional rather than evidence-based. Therefore, while lungwort’s use for cough is well-established in tradition, scientific validation is insufficient, and evidence supporting its efficacy is weak, meriting a rating of 2 out of 5.

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