Throat Pain Relief with Slippery Elm

Learn how you can use slippery elm as a sore throat remedy. It’s very effective and helps to relieve suffering fast.

Slippery Elm is a Native American plant that has been used for medical benefits for centuries. It’s been applied to reduce swelling, to remove venom from bites and to treat chaffing.

In addition to the uses listed above, this herb has been employed to heal wounds, boils, burns, ulcers, skin inflammation and to remedy coughs and diarrhea.

The inner bark of slippery elm can be used as an herbal remedy after it is dried and has changed to a powder. It is available in many forms such as tablets, capsules, lozenges, fine powder, coarse powder and tincture. The herb contains a substance known as mucilage, which turns to a slick gel when mixed with water. This physical quality allows it to relieve inflammation as it coats and soothes the mouth.

Some of the benefits of this herb are reduction of inflammation, stimulation of the immune system and removal of bacteria. Here are four ways of exploiting it as a treatment:

1. Mix two tablespoons of slippery elm powder with two cups of boiled water, and drink it three times a day.

2. Take five ml of tincture three times a day. Note: The tincture contains alcohol.

3. If you prefer to take capsules, take 800 – 1,000 mg three times daily, and make sure to drink a glass of water with each dose.

4. If you plan use the treatment in lozenges form, follow the dosage instructions on the label.

The above instructions are for adults. If you want to use these treatments in children, reduce the dosage to one third of the adult dosage. Don’t use the tincture for kids because of the alcohol content.

There have been no studies to establish guidelines regarding the safety of slippery elm in pregnant or nursing women; thus, don’t use it if you are nursing or pregnant.