Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review

Slippery Elm

No authors listed
In: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012.
.
Free Books & Documents
Review

Slippery Elm

No authors listed.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) is a broad leafed deciduous tree native to Eastern and Central United States and Canada, the inner bark of which is used orally to treat sore throat and gastrointestinal upset and topically for skin rash and irritation. Slippery elm preparations are generally recognized as safe and there is no evidence that it can cause elevations in liver related enzymes or clinically apparent liver injury.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Zimmerman HJ. Unconventional drugs. Miscellaneous drugs and diagnostic chemicals. In, Zimmerman, HJ. Hepatotoxicity: the adverse effects of drugs and other chemicals on the liver. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott,1999: pp. 731-4.(Expert review of hepatotoxicity published in 1999; several herbal medications are discussed, but not slippery elm).
    1. Liu LU, Schiano TD. Hepatotoxicity of herbal medicines, vitamins and natural hepatotoxins. In, Kaplowitz N, DeLeve LD, eds. Drug-induced liver disease. 2nd ed. New York: Informa Healthcare USA, 2007, pp. 733-54.(Review of hepatotoxicity of herbal and dietary supplements [HDS] published in 2007; no mention of slippery elm).
    1. Slippery Elm. In, PDR for Herbal Medicines. 4th ed. Montvale, New Jersey: Thomson Healthcare Inc. 2007: pp. 755-756.(Compilation of short monographs on herbal medications and dietary supplements, mentions that “no health hazards or side effects are known” to be associated with its use).
    1. Jacobsson I, Jönsson AK, Gerdén B, Hägg S. Spontaneously reported adverse reactions in association with complementary and alternative medicine substances in Sweden. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2009; 18: 1039-47.(Among 778 spontaneous reports of adverse reactions to herbal and alterative medicines to a national Swedish Registry, no cases were attributed to slippery elm). - PubMed
    1. Cho AR, Lee SY, Cho YH, Kim CM, Kim SG. Effects of 4-week intervention with Ulmus macrocarpa Hance Extract on immune function biomarkers in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018;2018:5690816.(Among 50 healthy controls treated with an Ulmus macrocarpa extract [500 mg] or placebo once daily for 4 weeks, minor changes occurred in serum cytokine levels but “No change in liver function, renal function or CK were observed in either group”). - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources