Slippery elm, or Ulmus rubra 🌳

🏜Native Americans would peel its slimy, red inner bark from twigs and branches to use it as a remedy for many common ailments, like fevers, wounds, and sore throats. They found that when the bark is mixed with water, it generates a sticky material known as mucilage, which is therapeutic and soothing. Native Americans would also wrap the inner bark of the slippery elm around their meat to keep the meat from going bad. 😱

✏️ Interesting fact: Slippery elm bark was later picked up by American soldiers to heal gunshot wounds during the American Revolution.

Traditional uses:

1. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases- Slippery elm bark is a demulcent. This means that it is capable of soothing the lining of the stomach and intestines and reducing irritation. Demulcents are sometimes referred to as mucoprotective agents.

2. Soothing a Cough and Sore Throat- Slippery elm contains mucilage, a sticky mixture of sugars that can’t be broken down by the human digestive tract. The mucilage coats the throat, so it’s no surprise that slippery elm is found commercially in many brands of throat lozenges.

Slippery elm is believed to be an antitussive, meaning it’s great for coughs and for symptoms of other upper respiratory ailments like bronchitis or asthma.

3. Urinary Tract Infection- It is recommended to people who experience unexplained inflammation of the urinary tract, like those with interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome). Slippery elm powder is thought to soothe the lining of the urinary tract. Therefore, it might help alleviate the painful irritating symptoms.

4. Heartburn and GERD

The mucilage of slippery elm coats the esophagus and may help prevent the irritation and inflammation that occurs when stomach acid flows up the esophagus.