Slippery elm may be one of the best-kept secrets for soothing your entire digestive tract, from your throat all the way down to your stomach and intestines.
Clues may be found in some of its traditional uses... The Native American people would peel its slimy, red inner bark from twigs and branches, and mix it with water to create a thick, slippery substance.
Boiling the bark – with its sweet, maple-like smell – turned it into survival food for both the Native Americans and the colonists during times of famine. It’s said that George Washington and his troops subsisted on gruel made from the bark during the cold winter months at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Even back then, herbalists regarded slippery elm inner bark as an essential tool. By sharing their knowledge with the early colonists, they helped make the herb one of the most valued early home remedies...
- The Native Americans would wrap the inner bark around their hunted meat to keep it from going bad.
- Midwives used slippery elm with its exceptional lubricant properties to ease labor and aid birth.
- Poultice made from the inner bark was used as a dressing for gunshot wounds during the Revolutionary War.
- Infusing the inner bark in water created a soothing and emollient tonic or tea that many found beneficial, and could be mixed with other healing herbs.
4 Ways Slippery Elm Supports Health
Native to North America, especially the eastern and central U.S. as well as eastern Canada, the slippery elm tree is best known for its reddish-brown to dark-brown bark.
In fact, slippery elm bark, or Ulmus rubra, and also known as red elm, has become the fourth most harvested product in the herbal market.
What excites herbalists so much about this little-known herb and its bark?
It all comes down to its soluble fiber called mucilage. This unique fiber, from the inner bark of the elm tree, traps and absorbs water to form a gel-like substance. Acting as a demulcent, it coats the mucous membrane lining everywhere it touches - your throat, esophagus, stomach, intestines and even your urinary tract.
Slippery elm contains polysaccharides, antioxidants and bioflavonoids that help promote an already normal inflammatory response in all of these regions of your body.*
Here are some specific ways slippery elm may help you:
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Soothes your respiratory tract, throat and mucous membranes, and your entire gastrointestinal tract.*
One study shows slippery elm not only provides soothing effects on upper airway tissues but also promotes an already normal inflammatory response.* Slippery elm is also known to stimulate nerve endings in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This helps increase mucus secretion, which helps protect your GI tract against excess acidity.
Research also shows slippery elm has a calming effect on the gastrointestinal tract. So, if you have occasional issues with your gut, you may appreciate slippery elm’s powerful effects.*
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Soothes the urinary tract*
Because of its ability to help promote a normal inflammatory response, slippery elm can help support healthy urinary tract function and health.*
Slippery elm is thought to soothe the lining of the urinary tract, providing comfort. It also helps support the normal flow of urine and supports your body’s healthy elimination of waste.*
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Supports digestive function and gut health*
The mucilage of slippery elm coats the esophagus and may provide protection against the effects of stomach acid flowing up into the esophagus.*
Containing a combination of both water-soluble and water-insoluble fiber, it acts as a prebiotic in your gut. Through its production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), it supports a healthy microbiome, providing your beneficial microbes with a source of usable food.
The SCFAs produced by slippery elm play an important role in promoting gut health and also regulating fat metabolism by increasing fat burning and decreasing fat storage – an important factor for weight management. *
Slippery elm may also help with occasional bloating, and irregularity, due to the short term laxative effects of its mucilage. The bark swells to many times its original volume once it’s inside your body which can help elimination.*
By expanding and coating mucous membranes in your stomach and intestines, it not only has a calming effect but also helps move things along. At the same time, it helps you feel full – a welcome effect if you’re managing your weight.*
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Helps with stress and mood*
It’s no secret that your mental health is connected to your digestive system. So, slippery elm’s positive effects on your gut health extend to your mood, as well as your ability to relieve stress. Research shows the natural phenolic compounds in slippery elm help protect against the effects of stress as well as everyday feelings of uneasiness.*
Introducing Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm
and 7 Organic Botanicals
Because slippery elm offers so many potential benefits, we decided to make it the premier ingredient in our Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm. As the harvesting of slippery elm trees can be easily mismanaged, our supplier takes a responsible approach.
The trees are wild crafted and naturally occurring on a plot of 33,000 acres. By rotating harvest locations each year, our supplier harvests only a percentage of the mature trees each year. Harvest occurs in spring when the sap starts to run and the trees are budding.
Slippery elm is just one ingredient in our formula’s Herbal Throat Drops Extract Blend. A custom botanical blend extracted and formulated just for us, it contains seven additional herbs – all organic:
- Organic Chamomile Flower
- Organic Cinnamon Bark
- Organic Ginger Root and Rhizome
- Organic Licorice Root
- Organic Marshmallow Root
- Organic Sage Leaf
- Organic Wild Cherry Bark
Gently processed with only organic glycerin and water, Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm contains no alcohol, like many other slippery elm extracts.
Because of the glycerin, the formula is naturally sweet. A base of Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate and the addition of Natural Mandarin Peel Flavor and Citrus Extract make Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm a delicious way to benefit from these exceptional herbs.
Each two-dropper (2 mL) serving is equivalent to approximately 1.5 grams of herb.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the organic botanicals found in Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm.
The Exceptional Antioxidant Effects of Cinnamon Bark
While you may think of cinnamon as a go-to spice for baking, it’s been found to have many potential health benefits, too.
For thousands of years, cinnamon bark has been used in Ayurveda as a natural therapeutic for respiratory, digestive and even gynecological support.*
The antioxidant phytochemicals in cinnamon – like epicatechin, camphene, eugenol, gamma-terpinene, phenols, polyphenols, salicylic acid and tannins – are what provides the herb with its potential health benefits.
Cinnamon’s polyphenolic compounds, known as proanthocyanidins, along with its other bioactive compounds, help...
- Support digestive health.*
- Promote a normal inflammatory response.*
- Promote overall metabolic health.*
- Support normal blood glucose levels.*
- Maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels already in the normal range.*
- Promote overall cardiovascular health.*
- Support cognitive function and brain health.*
Organic Ginger Root, A Go-To Herb for Digestive Comfort
Chances are, if you’ve experienced an upset stomach, you’ve helped yourself to a cup of ginger tea, as ginger root is well known for its ability to provide soothing gastrointestinal comfort.
Belonging to the same family as turmeric and cardamom, ginger has played a key role for thousands of years in Chinese, Roman, Greek, Ayurvedic and other herbal practices worldwide.
The most valuable part of ginger is the root, or the rhizome, that grows underground. Its oily resin contains many bioactive compounds, including 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 6-paradol.
During the drying process, 6-gingerol converts into the more active 6-shogaol, which is found in very small amounts in fresh ginger. When 6-shogaol reaches your lower intestines, it naturally ferments into the more bioavailable 6-paradol.
The most stable and bioactive of the three compounds, 6-paradol also provides the most health potential, which makes an extract made from dried ginger root ideal.
According to confirmed studies, ginger root supports many aspects of digestive health, including:
- Protecting gastric mucosa.*
- Stimulating the emptying of your stomach.*
- Supporting a normal inflammatory response.*
- Helping prevent flatulence.*
- Providing soothing comfort for your intestinal tract.*
- Supporting normal fat and carbohydrate digestion and absorption.*
- Helping reduce feelings of hunger.*
Why Organic Licorice Root is a Must Have for Seasonal Use
While you might consider licorice foremost as a candy, licorice root has long been treasured around the world for its health supporting potential, especially immune health. It is still used today in Ayurvedic and Chinese practices as an adaptogen herb.
A member of the legume family, licorice root contains a wide variety of polyphenols, including important flavonoids. However, some consider its most valuable constituent to be glycyrrhizin – the component responsible for licorice’s sweet flavor.
Glycyrrhizic acid, extracted from the root of the licorice plant, has most recently been recognized for its ability to support immune health and provide comfort for seasonal issues.*
Glycyrrhizin (GL) provides many potential health benefits, including:
- Supporting digestion and gut health.*
- Soothing tissues and mucous membranes.*
- Promoting a normal inflammatory response.*
- Supporting optimal immune function.*
- Protecting cells and tissues against oxidative stress.*
- Supporting female health, including reproduction and menopause.*
- Supporting adrenal health, and helping you to manage stress.*
The Essential Root for Respiratory and Gut Health*
Marshmallow root, or Althaea officinalis, has been used for centuries for urinary tract, throat and gastrointestinal health.
Like slippery elm, marshmallow root contains fiber that expands when it comes into contact with water, forming a protective coating for the delicate mucous membranes lining organs and tissues.*
The other beneficial components in marshmallow root include flavonoids, antioxidants, pectin, amino acids, coumarin, phenolic acids, tannins and quercetin.
Here are just some of the ways marshmallow root supports health:
- Supports respiratory health*
Marshmallow root’s mucilage properties support respiratory health by coating the throat and esophagus, thus providing soothing comfort. Its bioactive compounds also promote a healthy inflammatory response of local tissues and airways.*
- Supports gut health*
Much like with your airways, the mucilage from marshmallow root supports digestive health and proper elimination by coating the esophagus, stomach and intestinal tract.*
- Promotes regularity*
Marshmallow root contains fiber that swells when it comes into contact with water. Not only does it promote the health of mucous membranes lining your organs, but it also helps with proper elimination.*
A study with 60 participants looked at the benefits of an herbal tea containing marshmallow root, licorice root and slippery elm inner bark. Compared to the placebo group drinking a beverage that smelled and looked similar, the herbal tea group reported improved overall comfort.*
Wild Cherry Bark, a Treasured Herb by Native American Tribes for Respiratory Health
Also known as chokeberry and mountain black cherry, the wild cherry tree has long been one of the most treasured herbs of Native American Tribes.
In particular, the tree’s reddish-brown bark has traditionally been honored for its wellness-supporting properties. After being used by indigenous populations, wild cherry bark became part of traditional folk herbalism as well as Traditional Chinese Practice.
Harvested from the inner bark of wild cherry trees, wild cherry bark extract supports respiratory health, including your throat and sinuses, through its soothing, calming effects.*
Wild cherry bark contains cyanogenic glycosides that break down into glucose, benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid, also known as prussic acid, in the body. Prussic acid has a calming effect on your body’s respiratory sensory nerves.
Also known for its potential digestive benefits, wild cherry bark is considered a bitter herb. Bitters are known to support optimal digestion by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas.
Bitter herbs promote the healthy, normal production of stomach acid, bile and enzymes to help breakdown food and assist in nutrient absorption.
Through its calming effects, wild cherry bark supports healthy digestive function.*
But it doesn’t end with respiratory support…
Wild cherry bark may also support cardiovascular health by helping to maintain healthy circulation. The same bitterness that supports digestive health also plays a role in circulation and heart health.*
How to Get Maximum Benefits From Herbal Throat Drops
Two droppers of Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm equals one serving, and you can take them in either a small amount of water or mixed with warm water as a soothing tea. Be sure to avoid boiling water to protect the botanical compounds.
Are there advantages to taking it in warm water as a tea?
Research shows temperature can make a difference in how you feel, especially with your respiratory system.*
Compared to the same drink at room temperature, a beverage served at 70° C (158° F) provided immediate and sustained support from twice as many seasonal symptoms.*
Whereas icy drinks can sometimes cause uncomfortable throat spasms, warm teas allow the vessels and muscles in your throat to open and relax, providing greater comfort when you want it most. Warm drinks also promote salivation, which in turn promotes mucus secretion, a positive effect during seasonal distress.*
Back in the 1700s, Scottish health practitioners created a drink called the hot toddy to provide soothing comfort for their patients’ throats. This traditional drink often contains lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger – some of the same ingredients found in Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm.
A hot toddy also contains alcohol, which I don’t recommend, as it can have an adverse effect on your immune health. However, researchers have concluded that it’s not the alcohol that makes a hot toddy so soothing – it’s the temperature.
Fast, Easy Comfort From Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm
In summary, Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm was formulated to soothe your throat, with ingredients like Wild Cherry Bark, and your entire gastrointestinal tract with extra gut-friendly herbal ingredients, like Marshmallow Root, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger and Licorice Roots.*
This nurturing blend is rich in antioxidants, too, to help support healthy inflammatory and immune responses in both your respiratory and digestive systems.*
Unlike other slippery elm extracts, we use only glycerin and water to extract the natural botanicals, and our formula contains no alcohol.
A delicious base of Lemon Juice Concentrate, Natural Mandarin Peel Flavor and Citrus Extract makes Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm something you’ll enjoy sipping when you want extra comfort.
So, whether you’re looking for seasonal throat and health support, occasional soothing comfort for your digestive tract, or regular use to optimize the benefits from valuable health-promoting herbs, this unique botanical blend has you covered.
Take Control of Your Health® today, and order Herbal Throat Liquid Drops with Slippery Elm.