- Demulcent with a gel-like mucilage, used orally and locally.
- Externally, used to coat and soothe hemorrhoids, tighten up tissues.
- Internally, used in both constipation and diarrhea, or in irritable bowel and other colon disorders (e.g. diverticulitis, bowel inflamation).
Often used as a digestive tonic, Slippery Elm helps to soothe the mucous membranes of the throat and the entire digestive tract. It's a popular herbal ingredient in natural throat and cough lozenges. In capsules, this herb makes a wonderful stomach-soother and digestive aid.
The inner bark can be ground into a nutrient-rich gruel. One can survive on this gruel alone for a relatively short period. It also contains a mucilage that is an excellent remedy for sore throats. It may be dried and ground to a powder, then made into a tea. Either the tea or the gruel may be used to soothe the digestive tract as well, such as with irritable bowel syndrome or gastritis. There are no known contraindications for Slippery Elm, since it consists mainly of mucilage and various nutrients; it is not technically a drug.
Other common names: Indian Elm, Red Elm, Winged Elm, Rock Elm, Moose Elm, Sweet Elm, American Elm.
