Some Wonderful Health Benefits Of Slippery Elm

Slippery elm is a tree found in large parts of North America. For many years, the Native American tribes have used the inner bark and the leaves of this tree for many culinary and medicinal purposes.

Slippery elm has benefits for inflammation, irritation and pain relief. Many of the health benefits of slippery elm are down to the large quantities of mucilage found in the bark. When this mucilage comes into contact with water, it forms a gel-like substance that can benefit the body both externally and internally.

Here are some health benefits of slippery elm.

Benefits to gastrointestinal problems

The mucilage of slippery elm is very good in helping with problems related to the stomach. The protective layer that is formed when slippery elm is consumed will help with irritations and inflammations occurring in the stomach.

An article published in 2012 by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center concludes that this protective layer stimulates the gastrointestinal membranes and helps to heal and protect the stomach from, for example, acid reflux or heartburn. The herb is also full of good antioxidants and these help alleviate the pain as well. The neutralization of stomach acids is important also in many inflammatory bowel disorders, such as Crohn’s disease. Natural Therapy Pages also says one great benefit of slippery elm is its powerful ability to soothe stomach ulcers.

Slippery elm also benefits indigestive problems as well. According to Juniper Russo writing in 2010, slippery elm reacts with the body’s gastric juices and creates a bulky substance and washes the toxic and excess material from the colon.

Benefits to respiratory problems

Another soothing and calming effect of slippery elm is in regards to respiratory problems, like sore throat. The protective layers are also formed in the respiratory tract and an irritable cough can be helped by consuming slippery elm.

The US Department of Agriculture in its 2003 publication recommends slippery elm for conditions like bronchitis. This is because it helps the inflammation and therefore helps people with the condition to breathe easier and reduce pain in the chest. Slippery elm gives a great benefit for curing common colds and sore throats.

Benefits of slippery elm to skin conditions

Slippery elm is also beneficial in external use. One of the oldest uses of slippery elm was its external use on the skin. The mucilage’s forming of the gel-like substance will help in protecting the skin from harmful bacteria. The antioxidants of the herb provide the added benefit of soothing pain and calming inflammation. The protective layer will also help with alleviating pain. Thus, it is often used for skin rashes and burns of the skin.

A 2004 study published in Alternative Medicine Review also found that slippery elm can be very beneficial for psoriasis. It has been used both internally and externally for treating psoriasis.

There are multiple good health benefits of slippery elm and this herb is easily available in health stores. There are various forms in which the herb can be taken; you can choose capsules, powders and gels.

One of the best benefits of slippery elm is that it doesn’t have a lot of side effects and is thus very safe to use. There have been no reports of it causing bad allergic reactions, for example. Even children can benefit from slippery elm.

The protective layer may, however, interact with the absorption of other medicinal herbs or medications, and thus if you are worried about this, it is advised to refrain from using slippery elm when taking these.