Interesting Facts About Slippery Elm Bark

                                                                                         

Did you know that you could drink bark? It's true, when the bark is prepared as a tea that you drink, and such is the case with Slippery Elm Bark. Ulmus rubra is the Latin botanical name for the tree that produces what is sold as Slippery Elm Bark; the tree is native to the eastern seaboard of the United states. Other common names for slippery elm bark include slippery elm herb, red elm, moose elm, gray elm, soft elm and Indian elm. Online bulk herb processors carry this popular herb in several forms, including slippery elm bark extract and slippery elm capsules, as well as a powdered form that might be organic, kosher or wildcrafted.

The part of the Ulmus rubra tree that is used in making Slippery elm bark herb is the inner heartwood, which is red in color, indicated by the Latin word "rubra." This inner slippery elm bark heartwood is ground into a powder, and this is most often how it is sold. Slippery elm bark herb may help with diarrhea, cramps, ulcers and indigestion, and in general may soothe the respiratory and digestive tracks. When used as a tea, the slippery elm herb becomes mucilaginous in texture, and this may help the herb to soothe a sore throat. Slippery elm bark extract or powder is also commonly used as an expectorant to relieve congestion in the throat and lungs. For sores, rashes and burns affecting the skin, the slippery elm bark herb may help to soothe the skin when applied externally. If you are pregnant, you should not consume slippery elm in any form.

Organic forms of this herb must meet stringent guidelines as set out by the National Organic Program, a law that was put in place in 2002. Individual agencies within each state that have the approval of the United States Department of Agriculture can offer organic certification to producers of organically grown products. The herbs must be grown on a farm where no synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides have been used on the plants. The land upon which the plants grow has to be synthetic chemical free for three or more years before herbs growing there can be classified as organic. Organic herbs must be kept separate from non-organic herbs, and complete records that cover the farm history, the way it is set up, as well as test results of soil and water must be included. Yearly inspections of the property are also part of the process that organic producers must follow in order to achieve the coveted organic certification.

Slippery elm bark powder, slippery elm capsules and extract are available from premium online bulk herb merchants.

About the author:
In this article Anne Harvester writes about slippery elm bark extract and slippery elm herb.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com