Making Tinctures: Herbal Remedies

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1878

Making tinctures today! Slippery Elm is ready to soak! Eventually, this will end up in a convenient, tiny bottle with a dropper. Slippery Elm, also known as Ulmus rubra, is a tree that is native to the eastern and central United States and Ontario, Canada. It has a distinctive dark brown, reddish-brown bark and can grow upwards of 60-90 feet. Slippery Elm has a very high mucilage content and, therefore, can be very soothing to irritated skin and mucous membranes. Gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions such as gastritis, acid reflux/GERD, IBS, and general upset can be soothed by Slippery Elm, along with respiratory conditions such as an agitated throat or esophagus from coughing, colds, allergies, viruses. 

With its therapeutic effects as a demulcent, it can act as a mucoprotective agent, but can also act as an antitussive, helping to relieve/suppress coughing and other respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis. Herbal medicine has existed for over 5,000 years, and combines the art and science of using the plant and its parts for helping the body to function optimally and also to combat/relieve ailments and discomforts in a natural, noninvasive way.