Slippery elm

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Some Products using Slippery Elm
Product Health Issue Other Herbal Ingredients
Gastronic Dr. from Native Remedies digestion chamomile, meadowsweet, sutherlandia frutescens
arthritis black cohosh, burdock root, willow bark, devils claw, licorice, parsley
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Traditional Uses

Slippery Elm has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic for conditions such as sore throat, cough, gastritis, and other gastrointestinal conditions including bloody diarrhoea.

Native Americans traditionally used Slippery Elm as a poultice for boils, ulcers and for wounds in general.

It was also commonly used internally for colds or fevers and to soothe an irritated digestive tract.

Current uses

This herb is thought to work for such intestinal problems because of its demulcent properties meaning that that it coats and soothes the digestive system.

Slippery Elm is also used to treat wounds, burns and as a skin softener

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News Comment

Constipation: You got to go!
Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica - Apr 2006
... enzymes and herbs such as aloe vera, milk thistle, slippery elm , fenugreek and ... be effectively combined with herbal cleansers and diet for overall colon health . ...

Precautions and side effects (refer also to statements below)

Slippery Elm is consudered a very safe herb with no reported side effects except that some people are allergic to it when applied externally.

Research

Current research suggests that this traditional application may prove to have scientific merit in treating inflammatory bowel disease such as, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; the authors of this study propose that it is the antioxidant properties of slippery elm that would offer such protection.