Marshmallow lozenges for sore throats

Hoarse, irritated throats are a sign that winter is upon us. But did you know that you can get relief from these annoyances with herbal remedies? If you like to make your own remedies, this recipe is for you!

This article is brought to you by Michaël Berthoud, of the blog Cueilleurs Sauvages. Michaël specializes in edible and medicinal wild plants, and organizes field trips to discover them.

Dry or oily cough?

If you suffer from a sore throat, the first question to ask yourself is whether your cough is wet and oily or dry and irritating. Because the remedy won’t be the same. In the first case, an expectorant plant such as thyme will help fluidify the mucus produced by the bronchial tubes, making it easier to expectorate (i.e. evacuate), while at the same time providing an antimicrobial effect.

On the contrary, the lozenges we’re proposing will relieve coughs in dry conditions, when inflamed and irritated tissues need to be soothed. And for this, we’re going to use a plant widely recognized for this purpose: marshmallow officinalis(Althaea officinalis)!

Marshmallow is medicinal!

Everyone knows about marshmallow sweets, the famous Chamallows, or marshmallows in English. But few people know that this type of gelatin was once extracted from the marshmallow root. And it’s a great medicinal plant !

Marshmallow is used to treat inflammation and irritation of the respiratory tract[1], and is one of the most mucilaginous medicinal plants[2]. Mucilages are polysaccharides which, on contact with water, take on a viscous, gelatinous consistency. You can see this by making a simple infusion of the roots of this plant, or of lime blossom, mallow or plantain leaves. The resulting gel has a soothing, refreshing effect on mucous membranes. Studies have also shown marshmallow to have an antibacterial effect on certain streptococci [3].

In association, it’s even better

Marshmallow root powder makes up ¾ of our lozenges. The remainder can be made up of other pectoral plants, such as licorice. These two plants combine perfectly in the treatment of hoarse winter throats. Licorice, too, is traditionally used to soothe inflamed throats [4]. Its many properties include antibacterial and antiviral effects [5].

However, its taste is strong and won’t appeal to everyone. As an alternative to licorice, you can use dried and pulverized plantain leaves (lanceolate or major). Plantain is also rich in mucilage, although in smaller quantities than marshmallow.

Recipe

The recipe proposed here is made from pulverized roots and/or leaves, agglomerated into pellets. The binding agent is honey. This is a basic recipe that you can adapt as you wish. It’s simpler to buy the roots already pulverized. Doing it yourself is possible, but tedious, as marshmallow is very fibrous!

Marshmallow and licorice are plants easily found in herbal shops. These medicinal sweets are sure to become a classic in your natural pharmacy!

Ingredients

• 100gr marshmallow root powder
• 30gr licorice roots or plantain leaves, mallow leaves or lime blossoms, or any other mucilaginous / pectoral / antimicrobial plant
• Honey

How to proceed

1. Weigh out 2/3 marshmallow root and 1/3 liquorice root.
2. If the roots are not pulverized, place them in a blender or coffee grinder, then sieve to obtain a fine powder.
3. Mix the two powders and place in a bowl. Set a small amount aside.
4. Gradually add honey to the mixture, forming pellets when the consistency becomes pasty. Place pellets in the reserved powder to prevent sticking together. It’s so easy!
5. Store in an airtight tin (or covered with greaseproof paper).

Conservation

Protect from light and moisture, these tablets will keep for one year.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications for marshmallow, although there is insufficient data to recommend it for children under 3. For children aged 3 to 6, you should avoid exceeding 3g of dried plant per day, which corresponds to around 2 lozenges. And 4.5g for 6- to 12-year-olds (3 lozenges) [6].

Licorice is contraindicated for pregnant women and people with hypertension, as it raises blood pressure, and in cases of kidney failure. People with high blood pressure or who have difficulty tolerating licorice (like me!) can replace it with plantain leaves(Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata).

References

[1] Gautan SS, Navneet, Kumar S, Chauhan R. Antimicrobial efficacy of Althaea officinalis Linn. Seed extract and essential oil against respiratory tract pathogens. J Appl Pharm Sci. 2015;5:115-9.

[2] Roza Haghgoo, Majid Mehran, […], and Motahare Ahmadvand. Antibacterial Effects of Different Concentrations of Althaea officinalis Root Extract versus 0.2% Chlorhexidine and Penicillin on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus (In vitro). J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2017 Jul-Aug; 7(4): 180-185.

[3] Dehghan E, Dashti H, Baghizadeh A. Antibacterial effect of ethanol extract (Althaea officinalis) on Streptococcus pyogenes compared with prevalent antibiotics in-vitro. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Scie. 2013;12960:461-74.

[4] Sedighinia F., Afshar A. S., Soleimanpour S., Zarif R., Asili J., Ghazvini K. Antibacterial activity of Glycyrrhiza glabra against oral pathogens: an in vitro study. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine. 2012;2(3):118-124.

[5] Fiore C., Eisenhut M., Krausse R., et al. Antiviral effects of Glycyrrhiza species. Phytotherapy Research. 2008;22(2):141-148. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2295.

[6] Stéphane Bastianetto, Ph.D., October 2012, https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Solutions/PlantesSupplements/Fiche.aspx?doc=guimauve_ps