Slippery Elm for Sore Throat Relief

Research suggests that slippery elm may offer some benefit for sore throat relief, supported by its traditional use and a small body of preliminary evidence. A 2012 safety review confirmed that slippery elm is generally recognized as safe for oral use, with no reported association with liver injury or elevated liver enzymes, lending credibility to its continued study. A 2019 laboratory study found that ethanol extracts of slippery elm inner bark demonstrated antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes, the bacterium responsible for strep throat, and disrupted biofilm formation at relatively low concentrations, though sage leaf and purple coneflower were highlighted as the more promising candidates from that investigation. It is worth noting that the available evidence is limited to a safety review and one in vitro study, meaning no clinical trials in humans have yet tested slippery elm directly for sore throat outcomes, and laboratory findings do not necessarily translate to real-world effectiveness.