Do you want to know about the black horehound plant benefits and contraindications? Here we explain it to you, but first we will analyze it from the botanical point of view.
In ancient Greece, the plant was known by the name of «ballota» derived from the Greek word «globo» which means to reject or repel. Probably due to the rather unpleasant taste and smell of the plant.
The plant’s species name «nigra» derives from the Latin word niger meaning black, which refers to the blackish appearance of the herb when dried.
Other common names: black horehound, stinking marrillo, black stinking marrillo, fetid horehound, black hemp nettle, balota (Spanish), Schwarznessel (German), balota negra (French), hunderot (Norwegian), bonässla (Swedish), porro ( Finnish), tandbæger (Danish).
The black horehound is probably native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia, but is now widely distributed in Europe, including the southern parts of Scandinavia, North Africa, and central Asia.
The plant is now naturalized in South and North America and New Zealand.
Black horehound can often be found growing wild in fields, fallows, forest edges and along roadsides. It prefers a nitrogen-rich, moist, well-drained soil and grows best in semi-shade or full sun.
The plant is propagated by seeds sown in spring or by root division in autumn.
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Black horehound description
The black horehound is a perennial plant belonging to the mint or nettle (Lamiaceae).
It can grow up to 90 cm (3 ft) tall with erect, soft-haired herbaceous stems. The plant has one taproot and the leaves are opposite, toothed, heart-shaped, and covered with downy hairs.
The pink or purple flowers are arranged in verticillasters and appear from July to September (Northern Hemisphere).
The fruit consists of four smooth to ovoid cylindrical black nuts. Black horehound is hermaphroditic (has both male and female organs) and, like many other plants in the mint family, is attractive to bees, butterflies, and other insects.
Plant Parts Used: The aerial parts of black horehound are used in herbal medicine.
Plant material is collected at the beginning of the flowering period, mainly from the wild, and can be used fresh or dried. The plant has a rather unpleasant smell and taste.
The herb is used in the form of herbal teas, liquid extracts, or tinctures.
The medicinal properties of the dried herb diminish over time and it must be replenished every year or so.
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Black Horehound Active Ingredients
The main active substances found in black horehound are diterpenoids (marrubin, ballonigrin, ballotinone, ballotenol and preleosibirin), phenylpropanoids (verbascoside, forsitoside B, ballotetroside, lavandulifolioside and angoroside A7).
It also contains flavonoid glycosides, tannins, essential oils, saponins, choline, organic acids, and pectin.
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Black horehound benefits to health
Black horehound has a long history of use in herbal medicine and was once considered useful for diseases related to the eyes and ears.
It was also thought to be an effective remedy or antidote for bites from dogs infected with Rage. Compressions or wraps of the leaves were then placed on the infected areas, which supposedly counteracted the cramps.
Although the herb is still cultivated to some extent in herbal gardens, it is rarely used in herbal medicine today due to its unpleasant taste.
Now its close white relative (Marrubium vulgare) is used rather, which has some of the same medicinal properties, is considered more effective and, to say the least, tastes better.
The whole plant is said to have an antispasmodic, expectorant and vermifuge effect and is considered especially effective in its action as an antiemetic.
Therefore, black horehound is sometimes used to curb nausea and vomiting, especially when the cause is related to the nervous system and not the digestive system.
It can, for example, be used as a remedy for travel sickness or motion sicknesswhere nausea is triggered in the inner ear and central nervous system.
The herb may also be helpful for morning sickness or nausea caused by stress and anxiety. In that sense, the herb is often used in conjunction with meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and chamomile (Matricaria recutita).
Black horehound has some sedative properties and has traditionally been used for the symptomatic treatment of mild forms of nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia in both adults and children.
The herb has also been used as a remedy for loss of appetite, indigestion, intestinal worms, irregular menstruation, some symptoms of menopause, and as a mild expectorant agent for the treatment of ailments associated with the respiratory system, such as sore throat, cough , bronchitis. and mild cases of whooping cough.
The mild sedative effect of black horehound may come from its essential oil, which has an unpleasant odor. Something it has in common with another calming herb, namely valerian (Valeriana officinalis), which is also known for its unpleasant odor.
Additionally, the herb has astringent properties and can be used externally to treat minor skin rashes, insect bites, and sunburn. It can also be applied topically as a compress to relieve rheumatic diseases such as gout.
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Dosage and administration
As a tea: Add 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb to a cup of boiling water and let it brew for 10-15 minutes before straining. For therapeutic purposes, you can drink three cups of tea a day. The tea can also be used in compresses.
As a fluid extract: 1:1 in 25% alcohol. 3.1 ml three times a day,
As tincture: 1:1 in 45% alcohol. 1-2 ml three times a day.
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Contraindications and side effects of black horehound
There are no reports of contraindications, side effects, or interactions with conventional drugs or other herbal medicines with the proper use of black horehound as a herbal medicine.
However, the plant is believed to affect the menstrual cycle and it is recommended that pregnant and lactating women consult a health professional before using the herb.
In general, it is not recommended to use black horehound in large doses for a long time.
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