The marshmallow is a northern herb which has found favour in folklore for being a treatment for coughs and sore throats as well as being a famous confectionery. I’m sure many of us have enjoyed eating toasted marshmallow pieces on twigs sitting around an open fire. Who would have thought this sticky sweet treat might also have some health benefits?
The plant is Althaea officinalis which makes it a member of the hollyhock genus. The plant is a perennial which produces its flowers throughout summer. The plant produces a mucilage which is a thick, glue-like material that coats the throat and physically protects it.
The leaves and roots of the marshmallow have been used for centuries to treat sore throats and reduce cough.
The clinical evidence to support its use in a medical sense is still rather scarce and at best poorly defined. However it is considered safe to use. The mucilage is used in confectionery to produce the soft, spongy sweets which gives it the eponymous name. That mucilage appears to coat sore throats and soothe irritation.
If you would like the potential health benefits whilst avoiding the sugar rush and sickly sweet taste, you will be pleased to hear that marshmallow is available as a tea or in capsules. It is important to leave an infusion of marshmallow as long as possible to extract the mucilage. The tea infusion soothes not only the sore throat but reduces the irritation of a bad cough. The mucilage for medicinal or herbal use is extracted from the root.
Treatment is not recommended for children. The mucilage may also affect the stomach but this is because of its gummy thickness. Drinking plenty of fluid helps alleviate this symptom.
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