Slippery elm bark is a harmless herb used for sore throat and gastrointestinal irritation; no clinical trials were identified.
[LFODPKM ] Letter Key
Latin Name
Ulmus rubra Muhl., syn. Ulmus fulva Michx.
Family
Ulmaceae
Other Common Names
Red elm, Indian elm
Description
- A tree that grows up to 60 ft in the northern and eastern United States, slippery elm has deeply furrowed bark and toothed leaves, which are fuzzy on the underside. The inner bark is pinkish.
Part Used
Inner bark
Known Active Constituents
- Mucilage contains D-galacturonic acid, L-rhamnose, and D-galactose (1). 3-O-methyl-D-galactose, the methylated polysaccharide, yields 3-O- and 4-O-methyl-L-rhamnose, 2,3,4,6-tetra- and 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-galactose, and 2,3,4 tri- and 2,3-di-O-methyl-D-galacturonic acid (2). Three oligosaccharides have also been isolated from the mucilage (3).
Mechanism/Pharmacokinetics
- No information identified. Therapeutic effects are attributed to the emollient effect of mucilage in the herb.
[Outline]
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Clinical Trials
- None identified.
- A case report noted that a 47-year-old woman with lymphangitic lung adenocarcinoma and intractable cough resistant to lidocaine, morphine, chlorpromazine, and carbamazepine found that a teaspoon of slippery elm bark added to cereal or pudding in the morning reduced her cough considerably (4).
Other Claimed Benefits/Actions
- Laxative
- Hemorrhoids
- Gastritis/gastroenteritis
- Upper respiratory infection (URI)
- Sore throats
- Skin problems
- Toothache
- Worms
- Diarrhea
- Ulcers
- Easing childbirth
- Abortion (see questions and answers)
- Wounds, burns (topical)
- Mastitis (topical)
[Outline]
Q: How was slippery elm used in abortion?
A: Sticks of slippery elm were once inserted into the uterus as a home abortifacient technique. Absorption of fluid would cause swelling and, thus, cervical dilation. (Laminaria tents are used in a similar manner today.) To prevent its use for this purpose, several state legislatures apparently passed laws prohibiting the sale of slippery elm pieces more than 1½ in long (5).
Q: What are other uses of slippery elm?
A: Powdered bark (mixed into paste with cold water, then thinned gradually with hot water) was made into a gruel to be fed to infants and sick people. The bark once was used to wrap meats to deter rancidity and was once molded into bandages for covering wounds (5). An old miner’s remedy consisted of sucking bark with a little kerosene to prevent coal dust from sticking to the throat (the kerosene sounds like a particularly bad idea) (6).