The leaves and flower tops of the horehound have long been used in home remedies for the common cold. They are now used primarily as flavorings in liqueurs, candies, and cough drops. Extracts of the plant have also been used for treating intestinal parasites, as a diaphoretic, and as a diuretic.

The active ingredients are obtained from the leaves and flowers of M. vulgare. Horehound's active compound, marrubi in, stimulates secretions in the bronchioles and works as an expectorant. It also contains antiarrhythmic properties, but is of limited use for this purpose because large doses can also cause arrhythmias.

Marrubin acid, derived from marrubiin, stimulates bile secretion. An aqueous extract from horehound may have antagonistic activities toward serotonin. The horehound extract has hypoglycemic effects. Horehound is available as dried herb, liquid extract, lozenges, powder, syrup, and tea.

Horseradish has been cultivated for about 2,000 years. Early settlers brought the plant to America. Early uses included reducing sciatic nerve pain, expelling afterbirth, relieving colic, increasing urination, and killing intestinal worms. Horseradish is one the "five bitter herbs" of Passover.

Topically, the mustard content irritates the skin and stimulates local blood flow, giving relief to minor muscle aches and inflamed joints or tissues. Both the mustard oil and the glucosinolate composition give the root its characteristic pungency, helping to decrease congestion and inflammation of the respiratory tract. Horseradish may also have some antimicrobial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Horseradish is available as fresh or dried root, ointment with 2% mustard oil from pressed root, and tincture.

Juniper berries have long been used as a flavoring in foods and alcoholic beverages such as gin. Gin's original preparation was used for kidney ailments. Immature berries are green, taking 2 to 3 years to ripen to a purplish blue-black. The active component is a volatile oil, which is 0.2% to 3.4% of the berry. The best described effect is diuresis, caused by terpinene-4-01, which results from a direct irritation to the kidney, leading to increased glomerular filtration rate. Juniper berries are available as ripe berry, also called berry-like cones or mature female cones, fresh or dried, and as powder, tea, tincture, oil, or liquid extract.

Reported uses

Juniper berries are used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones. They're also used as a carminative and for multiple nonspecific GI tract disorders, including dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, heartburn, anorexia, and inflammatory GI disorders.

Juniper berries may be applied topically to treat small wounds and relieve muscle and joint pain caused by rheumatism. The fragrance is inhaled as steam to treat bronchitis. The oil is used as a fragrance in many soaps and cosmetics. Juniper berries are the principle flavoring agent in gin, as well as some bitters and liqueurs.

As a food, maximum flavoring concentrations are 0.01% of the extract or 0.006% of the volatile oil. Other reported effects of juniper include hypoglycemia, hypotension or hypertension, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects, and stimulation of uterine activity leading to decreased implantation and increased abortifacient effects.