Health Benefits
Have you ever heard of Slippery Elm?
If you are like us, then slippery elm is one of the top herbs to keep in your medicine cabinet!It is a very useful herbal medicine for a wide variety of complaints, and it has a special affinity for helping soothe any irritation in the body – both internally and externally.
In fact, it is so popular that it is becoming endangered. Always buy your slippery elm (and all other herbs) from a responsible source!
Now let’s explore together the wonderful healing properties of Slippery Elm and see why it was revered by Native Americans and modern people alike.
Anti-inflammatory
Respiratory tract
Digestive tract
Urinary tract
Skin conditions
Nutritive and recovery aid
Anti-inflammatory
The most prominent healing ability of slippery elm is to soothe and calm all irritation in the body.
When you mix it with water, it creates a slimy, slippery goo – this is because it has mucilaginous properties. This means it’s amazing for your respiratory and digestive tract, as it makes a protective, cooling coat on our mucous membranes.
Respiratory tract
It is very helpful for mouth ulcers, sore throat, coughs, and lung illnesses.
Slippery Elm is soothing to coughs in a special, wise way. As an antitussive, he has the strength to suppress a cough. When the cough is productive and wet, we don’t usually want to suppress it, as the lungs need to cough to release the congestion.
But, if the cough is overwhelming and not productive, stoping it can be temporarily helpful to get some rest. At the same time, the expectorant actions will help to loosen any stuck congestion, helping your body to break up the mucus and release it.
Slippery Elm is also a respiratory tonic – it strengthens healthy lungs and respiratory system.This is a great option for whooping cough, pneumonia, and tuberculosis where lungs are severely compromised and coughing can be overwhelming.
Digestive tract
The same actions that make slippery elm useful for our respiratory organs, make it a wonderful remedy for our digestive system!
The slimy nature of slippery elm helps coat our digestive tract.It is soothing, cooling, and healing to all our digestive problems – it helps with stomach ulcers, acid reflux, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), constipation, and diarrhea.
To encourage healthy and regular bowel movements in the morning, drink one teaspoon in the evening with plenty of water, allowing it to work its magic through the night! Drink a glass of warm water with a bit of lemon juice upon rising and remember to keep hydrated throughout the day!
Urinary tract
There’s another part of the body that benefits profoundly from elm’s slippery qualities. The same soothing action on the mucous membranes works wonders for our urinary tract.
If you’ve ever had a urinary tract inflammation, you know it’s an uncomfortable, burning, hot sensation. Slippery elm helps soothe the inflammation and the accompanying symptoms.Additionally, as a diuretic, it helps the body clear excess water and ‘wash out’ the cause of the infection.
Skin conditions
Even though Slippery Elm is such a useful internal medicine, it is equally helpful externally.
In fact, traditionally, Native Americans often used Slippery Elm Bark to create balms for skin conditions such as wounds, ulcers, and dry skin conditions.
Ancient and modern healers apply Slippery Elm as a poultice on all kinds of skin irritations including ulcers, bedsores, boils, wounds, burns, diaper rash, poison ivy, and oak irritations, and other skin problems.If you’d like to boost the skin healing qualities, you can try adding some Calendula, Rosemary, or other antimicrobial herbs to help kill the infection in this formula.
Try Slippery Elm poultices on painful, itchy situations such as poison ivy/oak rashes, psoriases, chickenpox, and shingles. The poultice is soothing and stops the uncomfortable symptoms while helping and speeding up the healing process.
For external use, it is better to make a poultice or wash the skin with Slippery Elm tea.
Nutritive and recovery aid
One more surprising way to use slippery elm is – as a food!
Did you know that, if you mix slippery elm with water, you get a thick, mushy substance, much like oatmeal?
This oatmeal-like substance is a perfect food for anyone who’s feeling weak, tired and exhausted, whether from an illness or everyday stress and ways of life.
It is very nutritive and can be used both for people who are/were very ill and cannot eat or drink much and as a healthy, rejuvenating snack for anyone else.
It has a pleasant, neutral taste and is full of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, vitamins A and C, and zinc.
Slippery Elm helps to bring the body back to health, to rejuvenate, and restore it.