Everyday there are new ways of helping our bodies deal with infections and other problems. Herbal remedies for various conditions are constantly being discovered. Used appropriately, herbal remedies, such as slippery elm bark extract, can speed up the process of our bodies healing themselves and fighting off harmful free radicals.

The slippery elm herb comes from the bark of elm trees which grow throughout North America. The tree has been utilized in a number of ways, including canoe making, as a food preservative, as a source of survival food during the Revolutionary War and as a medicine. The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is a strong and durable fiber, which can be spun into thread, twine or rope. It was once used for bowstrings, ropes, jewelry, clothing, snowshoe bindings, woven mats, and even in some musical instruments.

For centuries, the bark has been used as an herbal remedy for a number of conditions. Other common names for Ulmus rubra, or slippery elm bark, include slippery elm herb, red elm, moose elm, gray elm, soft elm and Indian elm. The part of the Ulmus rubra tree used in making slippery elm bark extract is the inner heartwood of the tree itself. Red in color, the inner slippery elm bark heartwood is ground into a fine powder. This powder or extract is most often how it is sold. It is also common to find the powder sold in slippery elm capsules, as well.

Slippery elm bark extract contains high mucilage content and becomes a slick gel when mixed with water. Many herbalists believe it is good for coating and calming the entire scope of your digestive tract from the mouth down to the intestines. Slippery elm bark herb may relieve diarrhea, cramps, and indigestion, and in general may soothe the respiratory and digestive tracks.

While Slippery elm herb has many uses, it is perhaps most well known by herbal practitioners for its use as a healing tea. When done so, the herb becomes mucilaginous in texture, and is great for soothing a sore throat. It also is not uncommon to see slippery elm powder or extract used as an expectorant as a means of relieving throat and lung congestion. For sores, rashes and burns affecting the skin, slippery elm bark soothes the skin when externally applied. It is also made into a poultice as a treatment for burns, wounds, boils and ulcers by reducing pain and inflammation.