Coughs play a role in clearing irritants and infections from the body, but persistent coughing can be annoying. Grindelia robusta uses are best known for conditions such as cough, bronchitis, asthma, and swelling (inflammation) of the nose, sinuses, and throat. Grindelia robusta has been an important medicinal plant since pre-colonial times (1).
Grindelia robusta is both edible and medicinal and has been used in European and western herbology and in Native American medicine. Grindelia robusta is a great antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and antibiotic (2). Grindelia robusta uses to make it a fabulous herb for any respiratory problem from asthma to bronchitis, emphysema and even whooping cough.
Because grindelia robusta is a great antibiotic and vulnerary (accelerates wound healing) it can be used topically on wounds, burns, insect bites, rashes, and even eczema (3). It can be used fresh as a poultice topically.
Herbal remedies with grindelia robusta are used as medicine. People use herbal remedies, in general, to help prevent or cure disease. They are used to get relief from symptoms, boost energy, relax, or lose weight.
Similar to aronia berry tinctures, grindelia robusta tincture is useful for bladder and urethra infections. Tincture or poultice may be used topically for poison ivy and poison oak inflammations.
Learn more about grindelia robusta uses and benefits in the video below and continue reading:
Grindelia Robusta Uses & Benefits:
- Leaves and flowers can be used interchangeably for a tea (decoction)
- Flowers are used for tincturing
- Crushed flowers as a poultice
- Fresh, young, sticky flower heads can be used as chewing gum
1. Relieves Coughs
Grindelia robusta is good for curing and managing coughs. A cough is simply the body’s way of clearing the airways of mucus, dirt, and bugs. It can, however, become a problem if you begin coughing throughout the day and at night.
Grindelia robusta contains an organic compound that has antiseptic, antibacterial and mucolytic properties (4). This feature means it can encourage mucus to become liquid in form and therefore easier to move.
2. Improves Lung Issues
People with lung conditions often experience breathing difficulties caused by a reduced capacity to carry air through the bronchi into the lungs. They also tend to have mucus or phlegm in their airways. Grindelia robusta relieves lung problems like bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. It relaxes the airways and opens them up (5). It is an excellent expectorant that breaks up mucus.
3. Expectorant and Cold Assistance
Like many resin-rich plants, Grindelia robusta is an expectorant. An expectorant is something that helps loosen mucus so you can cough it up. It does this by increasing the water content of the mucus, thinning it out, and making your cough more productive.
Its anti-bacterial properties make it useful for respiratory infections and it soothes spasms and inflammation in the respiratory tract. Grindelia robusta is very powerful in the fight against chest congestion (6). It produces powerful antiseptic properties that are classified as naturally antibiotic and anti-fungal.
4. Relieves Muscle Cramps
Grindelia robusta is a potent antispasmodic compound that effectively quiets all cramping muscles (7). An antispasmodic herb suppresses spasms, and reduce muscular tension. Smooth muscles like those that line the stomach contract without conscious control, and cause spasms, cramps and abdominal pain. This property can prove to be useful to athletes that are prone to cramping muscles now and then.
5. Fights Bacteria
The scientific jury is still out concerning natural antibiotics. While people have used remedies like these for hundreds of years, most treatments have not been thoroughly tested. Grindelia robusta is antibacterial and can be considered an antibiotic (8). Native Americans and other traditional healers have used Grindelia robusta for hundreds of years to treat infections and wounds. Grindelia robusta attacks bacteria that are present in the urinary tract and kills them.
6. Treats Skin Problems
There are so many varieties of rashes, but they all involve inflammation and irritation of your skin. Grindelia robusta can be used in the topical treatment of skin conditions. It can fight bacterial and is calming to skin irritations (9). Making it great to use on burns, bites, boils, insect bites, rashes, dermatitis, and the popular poison ivy rash.
7. Soothes Stomach Cramps
As mentioned above Grindelia robusta is antispasmodic. Antispasmodic herbs are used to prevent spasms and cramps of the back, stomach, intestine and bladder by helping to suppress or smooth muscle contraction. In addition to muscle relief, grindelia robusta can be used to provide relief to stomach cramps and pains (10).
Ayurvedic Grindelia Robusta Uses:
From an Ayurvedic perspective, grindelia robusta is prescribed taking many factors into consideration such as prakruti, vikruti, the severity of the illness etc.
- Grindelia Robusta’s tikta rasa is used for clearing heat
- Drying ama, benefitting skin, clearing parasites from GI tract, supporting liver
- Clearing congestion from srotamsi
- Most helpful for kapha and pitta prakrutis as it is bitter and astringent and has a special affinity for lungs and skin
- It may best be avoided in large doses by vata because of its rasa
Dosage:
The appropriate dose of grindelia robusta depends on several factors such as age, health, and several other conditions. But a general rule of thumb:
- Tea: steep a teaspoonful of dried grindelia robusta in one cup of boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes. This can be consumed three times a day.
- Tincture: 1-2 ml tincture can be consumed 3 times a day.
- Topical: infuse grindelia robusta into your favorite oil. Strain and add beeswax and manuka honey and oregano essential oil.
Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.