What Slippery Elm Bark Is
Slippery elm is the dried inner bark of Ulmus rubra, a tree native to eastern North America. Its useful part is mucilage, a sugar-based fiber that swells into a smooth, slippery gel when it meets water. Remedy's Slippery Elm Bark supplies 1000 mg of powdered inner bark per vegan capsule, with 60 capsules per bottle.
That gel is the whole idea: it coats the surfaces it touches, which is why slippery elm has been used for generations after heavy meals and for scratchy throats.
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1000 mg per capsule: Powdered inner bark, single ingredient.
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60 capsules: Two months at 1 daily.
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Other names: Red elm, Indian elm and moose elm.
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How it works: A soluble fiber gel that coats on contact.
The full picture, including what the bark will not do, is in our slippery elm overview.
Supplement Facts
Serving size: 1 Vegan Capsule. Servings per container: 60.
| Amount Per Serving |
Amount |
% Daily Value |
| Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus rubra) (inner bark) |
1000 mg |
* |
* Daily Value not established.
Other ingredients: Cellulose, Glycerin, Water (vegan capsule)
Directions: One capsule daily, with a full glass of water.
Made in the USA.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
Every page about slippery elm says the research is limited. We would rather print how limited. These counts came off PubMed and anyone can rerun them.
| What PubMed holds on slippery elm (title or abstract) |
Count |
| All records |
45 |
| Records tagged as human |
16 |
| Clinical trials that name it |
3 |
| Trials of slippery elm on its own |
0 |
| Systematic reviews or meta-analyses |
0 |
Three clinical trials name slippery elm, and every one tested a blend of 4 to 8 ingredients. The only placebo-controlled one, an 8-herb detox blend in 22 women, found no benefit and no harm.[1]A Purported Detoxification Supplement Does Not Improve Body Composition or Gastrointestinal Symptoms — Journal of Dietary Supplements (2019) View source So no trial can tell you what slippery elm does on its own, and we will not pretend otherwise.
The FDA Lozenge Listing
Slippery elm does hold one official credential, and it is specific. The FDA's over-the-counter monograph for oral health products lists elm bark as 1 of 4 demulcents, alongside gelatin, glycerin and pectin.[2]Elm bark listed as an oral demulcent, OTC Monograph M022 — U.S. Food and Drug Administration View source
| What the FDA monograph sets for elm bark |
Detail |
| Category |
Oral demulcent, 1 of 4 listed |
| Strength |
10 to 15 percent elm bark |
| Form |
A solid lozenge, dissolved slowly in the mouth |
| How often |
Every 2 hours as needed |
| Listed use |
Minor discomfort in a sore mouth or sore throat |
That listing covers a lozenge dissolving in your mouth for a sore throat. It does not cover this capsule, which is a dietary supplement. For the throat, a lozenge or a warm drink does more, as set out in slippery elm for sore throat.
Slippery Elm and Heartburn
The coating idea is simple: a gel that clings to the esophagus may act as a short-lived barrier after a meal. It does not change how much acid your stomach makes.
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PubMed records on reflux: 3, and 0 trials of slippery elm alone.
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Usual timing: After meals, or about 1 hour before bed.
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What it is not: A replacement for a prescribed acid reducer.
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When to see a doctor: Heartburn more than 2 days a week.
A 2019 review of popular reflux remedies found a substantial gap between anecdote and evidence for most of them.[3]Popular Remedies for Esophageal Symptoms: a Critical Appraisal — Current Gastroenterology Reports (2019) View source Timing and limits are covered in slippery elm for acid reflux.
Slippery Elm and the Bowels
As a soluble fiber, the gel holds water in the bowel, which can soften hard stool or firm up loose stool.
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The trial everyone cites: A 2010 pilot of 2 formulas, 4 ingredients each.
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Constipation formula: 10 people, 20 percent more bowel movements.
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The catch: No control group, and the formula also held lactulose.
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Practical rule: Always take it with a full glass of water.
Because lactulose is a laxative in its own right, that result cannot be credited to slippery elm.[4]Effects of two natural medicine formulations on irritable bowel syndrome symptoms: a pilot study — Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2010) View source The full reading is in slippery elm for IBS and constipation.
How to Take It
Slippery elm needs water to do anything, and it needs distance from your other medicines.
| Situation |
How to take it |
| Everyday use |
1 capsule with a full glass of water |
| Heartburn after meals |
Shortly after eating |
| Reflux lying down |
About 1 hour before bed |
| You take oral medicines |
At least 1 hour after them, 2 hours for more margin |
| Sore throat |
Open 1 capsule into warm water and sip slowly |
The gel can slow how much of a tablet you absorb, which is why the spacing rule matters more than the dose. Tea and powder methods are in how to take slippery elm.
Safety and Who Should Be Careful
Slippery elm has a clean safety record. The NIH liver-injury database rates it an unlikely cause of liver injury, with no published case reports.[5]Slippery Elm, LiverTox — National Institutes of Health View source
| Situation |
Position |
| Taking prescription medicines by mouth |
Space them at least 1 hour apart |
| Thyroid, heart or seizure medicine |
Ask your pharmacist about a 2-hour gap |
| Pregnant or breastfeeding |
Avoid, as there are no safety data |
| Any past reaction to elm products |
Do not take it |
| Heartburn more than 2 days a week |
See a doctor rather than self-treat |
The main practical caution is absorption of other medicines. Slippery elm also appears on drug-herb interaction checklists.[6]Drug-Herb Interactions in the Elderly Patient with IBD: a Growing Concern — Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology (2017) View source Details are in slippery elm side effects and interactions.
Sustainability, Stated Plainly
Slippery elm comes from a tree that is in trouble, and very few product pages say so.
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Status: On the United Plant Savers At-Risk list.
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Main threat: Dutch elm disease has left few mature wild trees.
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Our label: Grown in Canada and the United States.
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What we will not claim: That our bark comes from felled or cultivated trees, because we have not verified it.
If sourcing decides it for you, marshmallow root is the cultivated alternative, compared in slippery elm vs marshmallow root.
Why Choose Remedy's Slippery Elm Bark
No trial makes one slippery elm better than another, so the honest differentiators are the format and what this page is willing to say.
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Single ingredient: 1000 mg of inner bark, 0 other actives.
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No mixing: A capsule instead of a clumping powder.
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No disease claims: Because no trial of slippery elm alone supports one.
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The spacing rule stated: 1 hour from medicines, on the page rather than hidden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is slippery elm bark good for? +
Its gel coats the throat and gut lining. The 1 use with an FDA listing is a lozenge for sore mouth and sore throat.
How much slippery elm is in a capsule? +
1000 mg of powdered inner bark, with 60 capsules per bottle.
How should I take this capsule? +
1 capsule daily with a full glass of water, at least 1 hour after any oral medicine.
Does slippery elm help acid reflux? +
It may soothe occasional heartburn by coating the esophagus. PubMed has 0 trials of slippery elm alone for reflux.
Does slippery elm help constipation? +
As a gel fiber it can soften stool. The main pilot tested 4-ingredient formulas in 10 and 21 people, with no control group.
Is slippery elm FDA approved? +
Elm bark is listed as an oral demulcent for lozenges at 10 to 15 percent. That listing does not cover this capsule.
What happens when a woman takes slippery elm? +
The same as for anyone: the gel coats the throat and gut. PubMed holds 0 records on vaginal dryness or hormones.
Can slippery elm cause kidney damage? +
There is no evidence that it does. PubMed returns 0 records linking slippery elm to kidney harm.
Can I take slippery elm every day? +
Daily use has no reported harm in adults. Keep the 1-hour gap from medicines and drink water each time.
How long does 1 bottle last? +
Sixty capsules is 2 months at 1 capsule daily.
Is slippery elm safe in pregnancy? +
There are 0 safety data for swallowed forms, so avoid it while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Is slippery elm or marshmallow root better? +
Neither is proven better. Marshmallow root has 112 PubMed records to 45 and is cultivated rather than At-Risk.
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