Slippery Elm Bark Powder
What On Earth Slippery Elm Bark Powder?
It is as the Red Indians used to say, the panacea for all ills. Slippery Elm Bark powder is in fact one of the most versatile herbs known to man. It’s Latin name is Ulmus Fulva but it is also known by other common names like Indian Elm, Red Elm, Moose Elm and Gray Elm.
The slippery elm is a deciduous tree with a 50cm trunk and reaches up to 10-20m in height. It thrives well in the moisture laden rich uplands of America but also grows well in intermediate soil. It is the inner bark of this tree that is useful for its medicinal properties. It is very flexible and can be bent double without breaking. The herb has a mucilaginous taste and a slight smell. Endowed with valuable ingredients, the inner bark can be used to cure a variety of conditions from a simple sore throat or diarrhea to surgical wounds, nausea and gastritis. It has also been known to be of use in abortions in the olden days where a length of bark was moistened with water and inserted into the cervix.
The fibrous inner bark is strong and durable enough to be used for bow strings, ropes, mats, jewelry and even musical instruments.
What Is It Good For?
Slippery Elm Bark powder is good for just about any ailment. So popular is elm bark that in the 19th century elm bark lozenges were recommended for professional singers with the advertorial, “Sing better with slippery elm”. Almost all throat lozenges contain slippery elm because it is so good for quick relief from a dry cough. Always remember to carry some in your pocket.
Apart from throat relief, slippery elm is also a fantastic way to keep your bowels in perfect working condition. It is good for diarrhea, and it is good for constipation. It’s good for gastritis and it’s wonderful for people with an irritable bowel syndrome. It is also known to heal toothaches and delay tooth decays and even treat urinary tract infections.
So How Does It Heal?
An important property of the slippery elm bark is that it is very rich in mucilage. Mucilage is a complex mixture of polysaccharides extracted as a viscous or gelatinous fibre. When water is added to the slippery elm bark, it produces a soothing ointment which is excellent in healing wounds. It can then be used as poultice to be applied on abscesses, ulcers and bruises.
How Do I Use This Powder?
The native American Indians used to brew it along wit their daily cuppa. It helped them with everything from easing labor pains to curing toothaches and acting as a laxative. Today slipper elm is sold as alternative medicine. It can be taken either as a decoction or a tablet/capsule. To apply as poultice for cuts and burns the powder needs to be added to boiling water, mixed thoroughly and applied topically.
Can Too Much Be Bad For Me?
While there are no contraindications for slippery elm it is always safer to be cautious in case of allergic reactions and always consult a doctor before giving it to pregnant women or to children.
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