Respiratory Support

Nutrients connected to Respiratory Support

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• N-acetylcysteinePreliminary or mixed

  Acetylcysteine is used as a medicine to thin mucus, and a Cochrane review of oral mucolytics (NAC among them) found a small benefit for flare-ups in chronic bronchitis and COPD, with smaller effects in newer studies. Not specific to supplements.

• ElderberryPreliminary or mixed

  Studied for symptoms of colds, flu and other upper respiratory infections; evidence is preliminary and uncertain.

• EchinaceaPreliminary or mixed

  Used for colds; evidence of a small preventive effect is mixed and treatment benefit is unproven.

• Marshmallow rootPreliminary or mixed

  Used traditionally for throat irritation with dry cough; the EU committee accepts this on traditional use and says trial evidence is insufficient. Uncontrolled surveys and a narrative review are encouraging but not firm proof.

• AndrographisPreliminary or mixed

  Oral andrographis improved cough and sore throat versus placebo in a review of 33 trials of poor overall quality.

• Pelargonium (Umckaloabo)Preliminary or mixed

  Low-quality Cochrane evidence suggests the liquid extract may ease acute bronchitis symptoms; tablets did not show the same result. EU regulators accept use for cold symptoms on the basis of long-standing use, not trials.

• Ivy leafClinically supported

  Ivy leaf extracts are accepted in the EU as an expectorant for chesty cough, but a systematic review judged the benefit minimal and trial quality low.

• MulleinPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional use for sore throat with dry cough and cold; trials are lacking.

• Tiger milk mushroomLab or animal research only

  Traditionally used for cough and asthma. Animal studies show less allergic airway inflammation; human evidence is limited to one small hay fever trial and a single reported asthma study.

• Cs-4 and cultured Cordyceps myceliumPreliminary or mixed

  Pooled Chinese trials found better lung-function numbers with Jinshuibao added to COPD care, but the trials were low quality and the authors could not confirm efficacy and safety.

• Nasturtium (garden)Preliminary or mixed

  A 2023 placebo-controlled trial of the combination reported faster bronchitis symptom improvement; evidence is one trial of one product.

• Cowslip (primula)Preliminary or mixed

  Cowslip flower and root are traditional EU cough remedies based on long use only; EMA found no trials of cowslip alone, and a thyme-primula combination trial cannot be credited to it.

• Sweet violetPreliminary or mixed

  Violet flower syrup shortened cough time in one trial of children with asthma; folk use for cough is long but is not proof. Evidence is limited to that trial.

• Thyme TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional cough use (EU); combination extracts positive in two trials; tea untested.

• Neti Pot and Saline Nasal RinsePreliminary or mixed

  Rinsing may ease congestion and clear mucus; evidence limited.

• HoneyClinically supported

  A Cochrane review found honey probably relieves cough symptoms in children aged 1 and over, mostly over one night to three days; the authors said there was no strong evidence either way.

• Buckwheat HoneyPreliminary or mixed

  Parents rated cough better after buckwheat honey in one small trial; reported symptoms only.

• HorseradishPreliminary or mixed

  Combination product improved acute bronchitis symptoms in one trial; horseradish alone untested.

• EucalyptusPreliminary or mixed

  The EMA accepts eucalyptus leaf for cough with a cold on long-standing use only; no clinical trial of the leaf was found. Trials of purified cineole capsules showed limited, short-term benefit.

• ForsythiaPreliminary or mixed

  A formula containing forsythia lowered cold symptom scores in one small trial; not tested alone.

• HorehoundPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional expectorant use accepted by the EMA; no trial results.

• Fritillaria (chuan bei mu)Lab or animal research only

  Traditional respiratory herb; cough-easing and phlegm-loosening effects reported in animals only.

• Vervain (European)Preliminary or mixed

  Placebo-controlled trials of the five-herb extract showed faster improvement of sinus symptoms; the contribution of vervain itself is unknown.

• Iceland mossPreliminary or mixed

  Used as a soothing agent for dry cough with throat irritation (EU traditional use); evidence is small and uncontrolled.

• SundewLab or animal research only

  Traditionally used for cough, but human evidence for sundew alone was not found. Lab studies in mouse airway tissue show muscle-relaxing and mucus-moving effects, which are not proof of benefit in people.

• Common sorrelPreliminary or mixed

  The five-herb extract with sorrel herb eased sinus infection symptoms in some trials; this is a combination result.

• Mullein TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Same traditional use; effect in people not shown.

• Marshmallow Root TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Soothing (demulcent) use for dry cough is traditional; extract studies are mixed in quality.

• Anise TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional expectorant use in cough with a cold.

• Salt Therapy (Halotherapy)Preliminary or mixed

  Reported as helping mucus clearance in reviews, but a crossover trial of dry salt found no difference.

• Clover HoneyPreliminary or mixed

  Cough trials in children used other honeys; results for clover honey are unknown.

• Eucalyptus HoneyPreliminary or mixed

  Honey in general eases acute cough in children over 1 year per Cochrane; not eucalyptus-specific.

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