Marshmallow: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) is a sweet, cooling herb with sweet vipaka, making it one of the premier nutritive tonic and demulcent herbs in Western herbalism. Its rasa is sweet, virya is cooling, and vipaka is sweet (VPK=, may increase Kapha or Ama in excess). It acts on the plasma, blood, muscle, marrow and nerve, and reproductive tissues, working through the respiratory, urinary, digestive, and nervous systems.

Marshmallow contains large amounts of high-quality mucilage, making it perhaps the best nutritive tonic herb for internal use and the finest softening emollient for external application in Western herbalism. It is rejuvenative for Pitta, tonifying for the lungs and kidneys, and also tonifies Vata. It allays inflammation, soothes the skin and mucous membranes, and simultaneously cleanses and rebuilds the water element in the body.

This herb promotes the healing of chronic sores and necrotic tissue. Because it has a strong drawing property, it can be used externally as a poultice. Its key actions include nutritive tonic, rejuvenative, demulcent, expectorant, emollient, diuretic, vulnerary, and laxative properties. It is indicated for cough, whooping cough, laryngitis, bronchitis, kidney and bladder inflammation, skin eruptions, mastitis, malnutrition, burns, and rheumatism.

Precautions: Avoid in cases of malabsorption. Preparations: Decoction, milk decoction, powder (250 mg to 1 g), paste.