How Marshmallow Can Help
The marshmallow you may be thinking of is that soft fluffy sugary delight that is often floated in a delicious coffee or found at scout camps where the evening stories are highlighted by the inviting aroma of toasted marshmallow on sticks. Sorry to disappoint but the marshmallow we are going to talk about is actually a very interesting herb but at the same time, has wonderful therapeutic benefits. Marshmallow root, or Althaea officinalis, is a flowering plant that has played a key role in herbal medicine for centuries.
Many people use marshmallow root for various ailments, including coughs, skin irritation, and digestive problems, such as ulcers. It comes in the forms of a powder, capsule, tea, and cough syrup. Let’s focus on the area of cough since this is certainly a common ailment and requires special attention.
Relieving coughs
Some natural and herbal cough syrups and cough drops contain marshmallow root. The mucilage may have a soothing effect on the esophagus by coating it.
Researchers have not yet thoroughly investigated the effects of marshmallow root in humans however, marshmallow has literally hundreds of years of use as a traditional medicine and certainly well established in the world of complementary medicine. Most of the research to date has involved animal studies or very small-scale human studies, so more studies are necessary to confirm how effective the root is in humans.
The results of several small studies have suggested that herbal cough remedies that contain marshmallow root can have this effect. One study found that marshmallow root lozenges or syrup helped treat a dry cough.
Another study found that children who took an herbal mixture that contained marshmallow and other herbs, including chamomile and common mallow, had a less severe cough and fewer night time awakenings than those who received a placebo instead. This study did not, however, look at the effects of marshmallow root alone, so other herbs in the mixture could have been responsible for the medicinal effects.
The results of a third small-scale study suggest that children who received an herbal mixture that contained marshmallow root and other medicinal plants had fewer and less-prolonged respiratory infections.
Herbanica Respiracote® is an Australian Made, Australian Grown herbal remedy which is produced from fresh plant material grown in Tasmania. This remedy is 100% Certified Organic and is a single herbal remedy containing only Marshmallow. As a very pure form of the herb and extracted under organic conditions, Respiracote® is quite unique as a liquid herbal remedy that can be taken as an effective means to aid in the relief of coughs, respiratory cough and dry cough.
Herbanica Herbal Remedies are a range of nine different liquid herbal preparations made using Australian grown medicinal herbs to address specific health conditions. The botanical material is processed within hours of harvest and with known provenance and complete traceability. No drying, heating or other potentially harmful manufacturing processes are used to make the product.
For more information on Herbanica Herbal Remedies and Medicines please visit our web site www.ppcherbs.com.au
Always make sure to speak to your healthcare provider if symptoms persist or worsen