No matter how careful you are about washing your hands, you’re likely to catch a cold, cough, or sore throat at some point during the peak of cold and flu season. And when you’re feeling lousy, there’s nothing like a hot cup of tea to soothe your throat and help you get the rest you need to start feeling like your old self. However, the type of tea you put in your cup matters – some varieties may provide more support than others. Read on to learn how a marshmallow root tea recipe may help soothe your throat and provide some potential health benefits in other areas, too.
Is Marshmallow Root?
Marshmallow root is a plant that grows in moist soil in North America, Western Europe, and Asia. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, marshmallow root has been used as both medicine and food for thousands of years – and it’s still used today as a potential homeopathic remedy for some gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.
The marshmallow root plant provides potential health benefits thanks to a gummy substance called mucilage in the plant’s leaves and roots. When mixed with water, mucilage can turn into a soothing gel that coats the throat or digestive tract. This is especially helpful during colds, because it can provide some relief for a sore throat and help suppress coughing. In fact, many types of throat lozenges and cough syrups contain marshmallow root because it is so effective at easing cold symptoms.
Here’s some more information about the potential uses for marshmallow root:
- Promotes healthy-looking skin. Although research is limited, some preliminary studies have found that applying marshmallow root to the skin may help to support skin texture, appearance, and tone, as well as provide temporary relief from occasional discomfort, bumps, and discoloration.
- Supports the digestive system. While there isn’t a lot of updated research to support marshmallow root’s impact on the digestive system, it has long been used to provide temporary relief from occasional bouts of constipation, diarrhea, and ulcers.
- May ease bloating. Marshmallow root seems to have the same impact as water pills  that may provide temporary or occasional relief from water retention and bloating.
Marshmallow Root Tea Recipe
Making marshmallow root tea at home is simple! If you want to create a marshmallow root tea recipe at home, start by using 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried, chopped marshmallow root. You can make plain marshmallow root tea by steeping the dried root in boiling water for a few minutes and then strain the tea. However, you may benefit from adding other herbs or extracts to the tea in order to provide further aid to your digestive system, respiratory system, or skin ailments. For example, a few drops of fresh peppermint oil or a teaspoon of chopped ginger could add additional digestive support to your cup.
While marshmallow root makes an excellent tea, it can also be used as a tincture or extract. Depending on your health goals, you may benefit from drinking a cup or two of marshmallow root tea each day, adding drops of a tincture to a glass of water, or taking a capsule containing powdered marshmallow root.
At Natural Healthy Concepts, we offer several marshmallow root products, including ingredients for your marshmallow root tea recipe, herbal tea blends created to provide support for cold symptoms, and marshmallow root supplements that can help you reach your health goals. If you have any experience using marshmallow root or drinking marshmallow tea, share your thoughts in the comments!