Recipes · Tonic
Marshmallow Root Cold Infusion
Reader ratingsCut marshmallow root steeped in cool water for several hours until it turns silky and faintly sweet. A soothing, mucilage-rich drink served cool or gently warmed.
Marshmallow root has been used since antiquity in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern herbal medicine as a soothing remedy for coughs and sore throats.
Safety
- The mucilage can slow the absorption of medicines and supplements taken at the same time. Leave 1 to 2 hours between this drink and your medicines.
- Licorice (optional): regular use can raise blood pressure and lower potassium. Skip it if you have high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease or low potassium, take diuretics, digoxin or corticosteroids, or are pregnant. Limit it to 2 cups a day for no more than 2 weeks, or leave it out.
- Cold infusions are a good growth medium for bacteria. Steep in the refrigerator, keep the finished drink cold, and discard it after 24 hours or sooner if it smells sour.
- Marshmallow root is generally well tolerated and rarely causes allergy, but medicinal-amount safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established. If you add honey, never give it to babies under 12 months.
Why it’s good for you
The root of the marshmallow plant, the original source of the confection, releases a silky, mildly sweet mucilage into cool water.
Evidence
Limited evidence
Mostly small, early, or laboratory studies.
No trial has tested marshmallow root tea on its own. Lab studies show its polysaccharide (mucilage) fraction suppressed cough in guinea pigs, and two pharmacy surveys of 822 people using a marshmallow root extract lozenge or syrup for dry cough reported quick relief, though surveys with no comparison group cannot show cause and effect. The only controlled human data come from a multi-herb demulcent tea (marshmallow, slippery elm and licorice) that eased sore throat pain for 60 adults more than a placebo tea.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put the marshmallow root (and the licorice root, if using) in a clean quart jar. Pour in the cool water, stir, and cap the jar.
- Steep for 4 to 8 hours (overnight is easy) in the refrigerator, giving the jar a shake or a stir once or twice. Cold water is the traditional way to draw out marshmallow’s slippery mucilage while leaving most of its starch behind.
- Strain through a fine sieve or a piece of cloth, pressing gently. The liquid will look slightly cloudy and feel silky.
- Drink it cool, or warm it gently on the stove (do not boil). Add a squeeze of lemon or a little honey if you like. Keep leftovers refrigerated and finish them within 24 hours.
Tips
- Choose cut root rather than powder, which turns to gel and is hard to strain.
- Use fresh root each time. The used root does not make a good second infusion.
- Pairs well with the Slippery Elm Throat Drink: sip this through the day and have the warm drink in the evening.
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