Marshmallow

Marshmallow – that white floating thing in a cup of steaming cocoa. Aside from being little more than just glorified fluffy sweets, we only know marshmallows from barbecue nights when we skewer these fluffs with a sharp stick and roast them over a campfire. Knowing this, it is therefore hard to believe that the marshmallow is anything but an ordinary sugary confection.

According to ancient history, the marshmallow actually has created for itself a niche in traditional medicine. This sweet actually got its name from a plant – the marshmallow. The marshmallow plant was used by early 19th century scholars who extracted juice from its roots and used it for sore throats.

The Plant

The marshmallow plant is so named because of its habit of growing in swampy, moist areas, known as marshes. The marshmallow belongs to the genus Hibiscus, the same group of ornamental plants common in Florida.

The marsh mallow produces showy white, pink-and-white, or pink flowers. The sweets we call marshmallows today are actually based on the size of these flowers, hence, the name. The botanical name of the “true” marshmallow plant is Althaea officinalis. It is native to Europe and brought to American as a medicinal plant.

Health Benefits

In Europe, where it is said to originate from, the marshmallow has been used as food and medicine. The practice of using marshmallow as an herbal medicine dates back to the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Traditional herbalists of today still continue to regard marshmallow as a medicine with anti-inflammatory properties. It was also used as treatment for respiratory tract problems, skin problems, and gastrointestinal tract disorders. Sweet confections were made by extracting the juice from the roots and mixing it with egg white and sugar, forming a sort of meringue. When this substance hardens, the physicians during the early times gave it to children as hard candy used to treat sore throats.

Rudolf Weiss, the esteemed German physician and herbal authority recommended the marshmallow to counter irritations in the mouth and throat. The herb was also used to treat dry, irritating coughs. Moreover, Weiss believed that topical application of the herb on the skin can help cure mild cases of eczema.

Like most mallows, the marshmallow has leaves and flowers that are rich in mucilage. This substance is made of complex carbohydrates which lends the herb its soothing properties. The marshmallow is also rich in flavonoids and anthocyanidins. These substances help boost the action of anti-bodies in fighting off disease causing germs.

Classified as a demulcent in herbal medicine, the plant acts as a soothing agent that can reverse the effects of irritation and reduce inflammations. The marshmallow proves such an excellent soothing agent for respiratory ailments that the German Commission E approved the use of its leaves and flowers as relief for sore throats and dry coughs.  For these indications, the marshmallow is used as a tea by making the leaves and flowers undergo the process of oxidization. Moreover, extract taken from the plant’s leaves and flowers may also be gargled with almost the same effects.

Product Information

Marshmallow is best known for its beneficial properties in fighting against coughs and sore throats. It may also have other uses but as of this time, little evidence has been found to support the other claims. For best results against dry coughs, boil 2 to 4 teaspoons of the dried leaves or flowers in 150 ml of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink one cup of tea three times per day.