Breathing Support

Nutrients connected to Breathing 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Neti Pot and Saline Nasal RinsePreliminary or mixed

  Saline rinses relieve some nose and sinus symptoms in reviews; trials are small.

• Marshmallow rootPreliminary or mixed

  Traditionally used to soothe throat irritation and dry cough; trial evidence is limited, so this is a mild comfort use, not a treatment.

• Ivy leafPreliminary or mixed

  Used to ease cough with phlegm; not shown to improve breathing in general. Not for children under 2 because it may worsen breathing problems.

• 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.

• HorehoundPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional use to loosen phlegm in a cough with a cold; no trial evidence found.

• Cs-4 and cultured Cordyceps myceliumPreliminary or mixed

  Breathlessness and cough improved more with Jinshuibao than placebo in one 200-person post-COVID pilot; COPD trials were low quality.

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

  Traditionally used for breathlessness with phlegm; animal asthma models only.

• 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.

• Iceland mossPreliminary or mixed

  Accepted in the EU as a traditional soothing product for mouth and throat irritation with dry cough; the studies are small and have no placebo group.

• 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.

• Common sorrelPreliminary or mixed

  Used as part of a combination for nasal congestion and sinus symptoms; sorrel alone not studied.

• 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

  Chesty cough with colds, traditional use.

• Salt-Water Gargles and Nasal RinsesPreliminary or mixed

  Saline rinses for nose and sinus problems: promising but limited, results fragile.

• Salt Therapy (Halotherapy)Preliminary or mixed

  One small pilot in children with asthma and mixed or negative results elsewhere; no guidelines.

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