What Is Slippery Elm? A Natural Remedy for Gut Health

Author's Bio: Katie Bailey, MS, RD, LD, FNC

Slippery Elm is quickly gaining popularity as more and more people are turning to natural remedies for digestive relief with its soothing and gut-friendly benefits, it's becoming a favorite among those looking for gentle support to soothe and heal the gut lining.

So in today's video, I'll be discussing what is Slippery Elm?

How does Slippery Elm support our gut health?

How do you use Slippery Elm?

And lastly, are there any precautions to be aware of?

Hi, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a registered dietitian at Flusso Nutrients where we provide supplement education and professional quality supplement options for you to make the world of nutrition supplements a little bit easier to navigate. As always, be sure to check with your main nutrition literate healthcare provider before starting anything new. As we can't know your full medical history to provide a personalized recommendation.

So without further ado, let's jump into today's topic.

[Video Transcript Below + Supplement Links Discussed In Video]

So what is Slippery Elm?

Slippery Elm is a species of elm tree that is native to Eastern and central North America. The tree is medium sized with reddish brown wood and broad rough leaves. The inner part of the tree is what is used for medicinal purposes. This part is rich in Mucilage, which is a gel-like substance that becomes slippery when mixed with water, and that's where it gets its name. Mucilage, which acts as a demulcent, coats and soothes the mucus membranes in the stomach, the esophagus, and the intestines, and it's helping to relieve minor discomfort. Slippery Elm has been used for centuries in traditional and herbal medicine for its soothing and healing properties, treating wounds, sore throats, and general digestive discomfort. Today it's commonly seen in lozenges, teas and supplements and aimed at soothing inflamed tissues.

How does Slippery Elm support our gut health?

Well, it supports our gut health primarily through its high mucilage content. It's especially helpful when symptoms flare and you need that immediate soothing relief, but it can also be beneficial and supportive while working on long-term healing.

So the first thing it does is it soothes and protects the digestive tract so that mucilage coats the lining of the GI tract, creating a physical barrier that soothes irritation. By creating that physical barrier, it's going to reduce direct irritation and allow those inflamed tissues to heal. Slippery elm can also stimulate the nerves in our gut lining, which is going to lead to increased secretion of our own mucus, which is also going to be very protective for that gut lining. It's been found to be beneficial in helping symptoms of heartburn and reflux ulcers and IBS and IBD.

The next thing that it can do is it can support bowel regularity, so it acts as a bulk forming laxative absorbing liquid in the intestines to form soft, bulky stool. This is going to help with constipation or manage constipation as well as promote regular bowel movements. Now, some studies have also found that it may even help to alleviate diarrhea by normalizing the consistency of the stool.

Slippery elm also helps to reduce inflammation, so it contains antioxidant compounds that neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in the gut. These antioxidants, along with the anti-inflammatory properties of the mucilage work together to lower inflammation in the gut.

How do you use Slippery elm and are there any precautions to be aware of?

So slippery elm is available in many different forms. You can find it in powder form, which is usually mixed in water or made into a tea. It can be found as capsules or tinctures as well as lozenges, which are used generally for throat irritation or a sore throat.

Now, it can be found on its own as in a supplement that's just slippery elm, but it can also be found in many combination supplements for gut healing dosages will depend on the form and the brand that you choose, but typically we see between 800 milligrams to 2,500 milligrams per day in divided dosages.

Slippery Elm is generally considered safe when used as directed. However, it may interfere with the absorption of certain medications and therefore it's best to be taken one to two hours apart from any other medications like with most other supplements. If you have any underlying medical conditions, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before starting anything new.

To wrap up our topic for today,

Slippery Elm is one of nature's most gentle and effective remedies for soothing and healing the digestive tract. Whether you're dealing with some occasional heartburn or more complex digestive issues, it can offer gentle support with its ability to soothe, protect, and heal the gut lining, and it can become a valuable addition to your gut health routine. If you're interested in trying it, I'll have a few options linked below in the description box.

That's it for today. If you liked this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos. Let us know in the comments if you've ever used Slippery Elm or if you have any questions. If you're interested in working with our clinic, you can click the link here to schedule an initial appointment. We do take insurance and you can find more information about that on our website.

Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.

Check out the high-quality supplements we discussed in this video - links below for your convenience!

1) Slippery Elm Bark Powder by Vital Nutrients: create an account here, then search the name "Slippery Elm Bark Powder by Vital Nutrients" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients

2) Slippery Elm by Now Foods: create an account here, then search the name "Slippery Elm by Now Foods" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients

3) ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com & https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients