Today, marshmallow leaves are only offered in the form of medicinal teas. Also marshmallow root is often part of tea blends such as chest teas or cold teas.
Dosage and administration of marshmallow
Today, only marshmallow root is used for phytopharmaceuticals. It is contained in a variety of preparations for coughs and colds, for example, in the form of syrup, juice, tablets, dragées, pastilles or powder. However, the syrup is suitable only for the treatment of irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, but not for the treatment of inflammatory processes of the gastric mucosa.
The average daily dose, unless otherwise prescribed, is about 5 g of marshmallow leaves or 6 g of marshmallow root. In the case of syrup, the single dose is up to 10 g.
Marshmallow: preparation of a tea
To prepare a tea from marshmallow leaves, a heaping teaspoon of the finely chopped drug (equivalent to 2 g; 1 teaspoon is about 1.4 g) is poured over hot water and after 10 minutes passed through a tea strainer. A cup of tea should be drunk several times a day.
For a tea made from marshmallow roots, 3-10 g of the finely chopped drug (1 teaspoon corresponds to about 3 g) should be prepared with cold water and left to steep at room temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture is then passed through a fine cloth or tea strainer.
Contraindications and indications
So far, there are no contraindications for the drugs. Due to the sometimes high content of polysaccharides, diabetics should definitely pay attention to the sugar content of the respective preparation.
The roots and leaves should be kept dry and protected from light.
