Marshmallows

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) was a well known and much appreciated plant since the beginning of times. It was used as an effective remedy by the ancient Egyptians, by the Arabs, Romans, Chinese and Syrians and they all understood its medicinal value. The ancients used marshmallow as a vegetable also. Today, marshmallow can be found all around the globe, from the salty marshes of England to some northern parts of the United States.

The plant is quite tall and it has some beautiful, pink flowers. Its importance resides in the gelatinous substance that it is quite abundant in the roots and leaves. The dried marshmallow leaves can be used as an infusion or tea and the roots can be consumed after a process called cold maceration. The maceration process can be done as follows. You have to put one teaspoon of dried marshmallow roots in a cup full of cold water and let it soak for an hour or so. After that you can gargle using the watery solution. This is a good remedy for a number of oral inflammations like gingivitis, stomatitis, sore throat and hoarse voice due to laryngitis.

The marshmallow tea is quite useful in a number of inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract like gastritis, ulcer and even diarrhea. The plant contains some beneficial substance called mucilage that can nicely coat the stomach and the bowels and so reduce inflammation. The respiratory tract can also benefit from this mucilage. The marshmallow can calm rebellious coughs that can occur in bronchitis, laryngitis and tracheitis.

The marshmallow can also be of good external use because it can treat superficial wounds, skin irritations, hemorrhoids and anal fissures if used in baths.

All in all, marshmallow is worth using because it is very helpful in so many ways to the diseased human body.