Slippery Elm

Effects and Benefits

Core Identification

Common Names:
- Slippery Elm
- Red Elm
- Indian Elm
- Moose Elm
- Sweet Elm

Latin Name: Ulmus rubra (syn. Ulmus fulva)

Category: Herb

Uses

Traditional Uses

• Wound healing and burn treatment - Native American poultice applications
• Nutritive food during famine and illness - Eastern Woodland tribes
• Childbirth lubricant to ease delivery - Indigenous midwifery practice
• Sore throat and cough remedy - Native American and early colonial use
• Gunshot wound dressing - U.S. War of Independence surgeons

Modern Uses

• Acid reflux and heartburn - Coats and soothes irritated esophageal and stomach lining | Research quality: Moderate
• Key findings: Mucilage creates protective barrier on inflamed tissues; reflex stimulation may increase protective mucus secretion in digestive tract

• Source citations: Chevallier Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine; McIntyre Complete Herbal Tutor

• Inflammatory bowel conditions (IBS, colitis, diverticulitis) - Reduces inflammation and protects gut lining | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Demonstrated antioxidant activity comparable to aminosalicylates (5-ASA) in ulcerative colitis biopsies; reduces superoxide and peroxyl radical generation in dose-dependent manner

• Source citations: Wild Rose College Western Materia Medica; Balch Prescription for Herbal Healing

• Constipation relief - Bulks stool and lubricates passage | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Mucilage absorbs water and swells, creating bulk while lubricating intestinal tract; particularly useful for hard, scybalous stool or rectal fissures

• Source citations: Wood Earthwise Herbal; McIntyre Complete Herbal Tutor

• Sore throat and cough - Soothes and coats irritated respiratory tissues | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Direct demulcent action on throat mucosa; relaxes throat and bronchi; reduces irritation causing dry coughs

• Source citations: Chevallier Encyclopedia; Gladstar Planting the Future

• Nutritive support during convalescence - Provides easily digestible nourishment | Research quality: Moderate

• Key findings: Contains as much nutrition as oatmeal; easily digested even by sensitive stomachs; supports beneficial gut flora as prebiotic
• Source citations: Chevallier Encyclopedia; Gladstar Planting the Future

Active Compounds

Primary Active Ingredients:
- Mucilage (polysaccharides: hexoses, pentoses, methylpentoses, polyuronides) - Creates protective coating on mucous membranes; absorbs water to form soothing gel
- Tannins (3-6.5%) - Provide mild astringent and tissue-tightening effects
- Phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, citrostadienol, dolichol) - Support anti-inflammatory activity
- Minerals (calcium, chromium, iron, zinc, manganese) - Contribute to nutritive value and bone support
- Oligomeric procyanidins - Provide antioxidant protection
- Sesquiterpenes - May contribute to antimicrobial effects

Dosage Information

Standard Dosage:
- Form: Powder mixed in water or food
- Amount: 1 heaping teaspoon powder in 1 pint water, or mixed with yogurt/applesauce
- Frequency: 1-3 times daily

Therapeutic Dosage:
- Form: Powder, capsules, or gruel
- Amount: 2-5 teaspoons powder in 1 cup water; or 1,000-2,000 mg capsules
- Purpose: Acute digestive inflammation, sore throat
- Duration: 21-day courses recommended; effects last approximately 30 hours per dose in digestive tract

Maximum Safe Dosage:
- Daily maximum: No strict upper limit as it is also a food; 5 teaspoons maximum dissolves in 1 cup water
- Warning threshold: Excessive dosing may absorb too much intestinal secretion, causing dryness

Bioavailability Notes:
- Mucilage releases readily in water or when combined with fats and oils
- Cold water mixing forms paste; hot water added after creates smooth gruel
- Combines more readily with fats (yogurt, mashed banana, egg) than water alone

How to Take It

Timing:
- For digestive complaints: Between meals or before meals for protective coating
- For sore throat: As needed throughout the day
- With food or on empty stomach: Can be taken either way; mixing with yogurt or food improves palatability

Preparation Methods:
- Gruel: Mix powder with small amount of cold water to form paste, then add hot water or milk; sweeten if desired
- Simple method: Stir 1 teaspoon into yogurt or mashed banana
- Lozenges: Available commercially for throat soothing
- Cold infusion: 1 heaping teaspoon to 3 cups warm water, infuse 5 minutes

Synergies - What It Works Well With

Complementary Supplements:
1. Marshmallow Root - Both demulcent herbs provide synergistic mucilage coating | Enhanced soothing of digestive and respiratory tissues
2. Licorice Root (DGL) - Complements mucosal healing with anti-inflammatory action | Stronger support for ulcer healing and gut repair
3. Ginger - Warming digestive aid balances cooling slippery elm | Improved digestion with reduced inflammation
4. Calendula - Adds wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties | Enhanced tissue repair in digestive honey ball formulas
5. Plantain Leaf - Combines tissue healing with gentle peristalsis support | More complete digestive healing action

Avoidance - What NOT to Combine With

Supplement Interactions:
1. Iron supplements - Slippery elm may block iron absorption | Take iron 1-2 hours apart from slippery elm

Drug Interactions:
1. All oral medications - Mucilage may interfere with absorption | Take medications 2 hours before or after slippery elm | Severity: Mild to Moderate
2. Diabetes medications - May affect blood sugar management | Monitor blood sugar and consult healthcare provider | Severity: Moderate

Food Interactions:
- None significant; actually improves digestion of milk products by emulsifying fats

Safety Information

Contraindications:
- Pregnancy: Some sources advise avoidance due to historical reports of spontaneous abortion; others consider it safe - err on side of caution
- No data on safety during lactation

Side Effects:
- Contact dermatitis reported with topical use (rare)
- Excessive use may dry out intestinal tract
- Generally very well tolerated; retained even by sensitive stomachs

Long-Term Use:
- Extended continuous use not recommended; folk herbalist Eva Graf suggested 21-day courses
- Long-term overuse may be detrimental due to excessive absorption of intestinal secretions
- Consider cycling with breaks or alternating with marshmallow root

Special Precautions:
- Quality concerns: Powder often adulterated with rice flour or other starches; quality product should be slightly grayish/fawn colored, not dark or reddish
- Environmental concerns: Dutch elm disease has decimated wild populations; consider sustainable sourcing or using marshmallow root as alternative

Primary Uses At-a-Glance

Primary: Acid reflux/heartburn, inflammatory bowel conditions, sore throat, constipation, convalescent nutrition

Secondary: Cystitis and urinary tract soothing, respiratory conditions (bronchitis, coughs), wound healing (external), skin conditions (burns, boils, eczema)

Sources

Local Library:
- Chevallier, Andrew - Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
- Wood, Matthew - The Earthwise Herbal Volume 2
- Gladstar, Rosemary - Planting the Future
- McIntyre, Anne - The Complete Herbal Tutor
- Wild Rose College - Western Materia Medica I
- Easley, Thomas - The Modern Herbal Dispensatory
- Balch, Phyllis - Prescription for Herbal Healing
- Bennett, Robin Rose - The Gift of Healing Herbs
- Slattery, John - Southwest Medicinal Plants
- Bartram, Thomas - Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
- Hopman, Ellen Evert - Secret Medicines From Your Garden
- Tierra, Michael - The Way of Herbs
- Lust, John - The Natural Remedy Bible
- Mars, Brigitte - The Country Almanac of Home Remedies

General Knowledge:
- Traditional Native American ethnobotanical use
- Historical use by botanical physicians and Eclectic practitioners