Ayurvedic Herb

Slippery Elm

BotanicalUlmus rubraAlso calledRed elm, Indian elm, Gray elm

A soft, sweet inner bark that thickens into a gentle gruel, valued for comforting a dry throat and a tender belly.

Slippery Elm, bark

Slippery elm is the inner bark of a North American elm. Ground into a pale, sweet-smelling powder, it does something lovely when it meets warm water: it swells into a soft, smooth porridge. Generations of families made it into a simple gruel for anyone recovering and short on appetite.

Modern Ayurvedic teachers describe it as sweet, cooling and moist, with a heavy, nourishing quality. In Ayurvedic terms it is a demulcent, a herb that coats and calms, which makes it a natural ally for vata dryness and pitta heat.

Wild elms have been under pressure from Dutch elm disease and harvesting, and slippery elm is on the United Plant Savers At-Risk list, so it is a herb to use thoughtfully. A little goes a long way.

Ayurvedic Properties

Not described in classical Ayurveda; modern Ayurvedic writers describe it as sweet in taste and cooling, with a sweet post-digestive effect (Frawley and Lad, The Yoga of Herbs, and other modern Ayurvedic teachers).

RasaTastes
  • Sweet
ViryaHeating or cooling
Cooling
VipakaPost-digestive effect
Sweet
AgniEffect on digestion
Heavy, can dampen agni

Sweet, heavy and mucilaginous, it can slow digestion if overused.

GunaQualities
  • Heavy
  • Oily
  • Smooth
  • Soft
  • Sticky
TridoshaEffect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha
  • Vata: decreases
  • Pitta: decreases
  • Kapha: increases in excess
  • decreases (calms that dosha)
  • increases (can aggravate it)
  • neutral or balancing
  • not known
  • V Vata · P Pitta · K Kapha

Slippery elm's sweet, moist heaviness grounds vata and cools pitta. Kapha types can use it occasionally, warmed and with a pinch of ginger or cinnamon to keep it from feeling too heavy.

Traditional Uses

  • Traditionally used to support a comfortable throat in the dry respiratory season.
  • Traditionally used to support the natural protective lining of the digestive tract.
  • Traditionally used to support gentle nourishment when appetite is low.
  • Traditionally used to support comfortable skin as a simple poultice.

How People Use It

  • FoodWhisk 1 to 2 teaspoons of powder into a little cool water to make a paste, then stir in hot water or milk to make a soft gruel.
  • MilkStirred into warm milk with cinnamon and a little maple syrup, it makes a thick, comforting bedtime drink.
  • TopicalMixed with warm water into a paste, it has long been used as a simple poultice. Patch-test first.
Try This

Warm Slippery Elm Gruel

A soft, sweet bowl for tender days.

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons slippery elm powder
  • 2 tablespoons cool water
  • 1 cup hot water, or warm oat or whole milk
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch ground cardamom
  • Maple syrup or honey to taste
  1. Stir the slippery elm powder into the cool water to make a smooth paste. This keeps it from clumping.
  2. Slowly whisk in the hot water or warm milk until it thickens into a gruel.
  3. Add the cinnamon and cardamom. Let it cool a little before stirring in honey, since Ayurveda avoids heating honey.
  4. Eat slowly with a spoon, sitting down.

Pairs Well With

Cautions

  • Because it coats the digestive tract, slippery elm may slow the absorption of other medicines and herbs. Take it at least 2 hours apart from them.
  • Safety research on slippery elm during pregnancy and breastfeeding is limited. Do not use it in pregnancy unless your midwife or doctor approves.
  • There is no evidence that slippery elm can treat infections or other serious medical conditions, so do not use it in place of medical care.
  • Please consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before using slippery elm regularly, especially if you take any medication.

In Our Shop

Organic Slippery Elm Bark

Organic Slippery Elm Bark, from $7.00. Weighed and packed by hand at our Rockville Centre studio.

Shop Slippery Elm →

From the Journal

Sources and Further Reading

This page shares how herbs are traditionally used in Ayurveda and other herbal traditions. It is for general education only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please talk with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.