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Mallow Herb - Uses And Side Effects

People have been eating young mallow leaves and shoots since the 8th century B.C. The Spanish captured the herb's importance in the adage, "A kitchen garden and mallow, sufficient medicines for a home!' Mallow comes from the dried leaves and flowers of Malva sylvestris, a member of the mallow family (Malvaceae) that's related to the hibiscus. Recently, researchers have begun to examine mallow's structural and molecular properties.

Mallows are perennial and annual growing wild along road sides and in waste places throughout most of North America and in cultivation. Most are native and easily cultivated in well drained soil and likes full sun to partial shade. Its cousin, the dwarf mallow (Malva neglecta), is another Eurasian plant that has spread far and wide

Common doses of mallow

Mallow comes as dried herb and fluid extract. Some experts recommend the following dose:

• Eat 5 grams of the chopped, dried herb daily, or take an infusion orally.

Use of mallow herb

Mallow has been used as food and medicine in Europe since the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Traditional herbal medicine continues to regard the plant as a useful anti-inflammatory agent for the respiratory tract, the skin, and the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, mallow may help to :-

• Bronchitis
• Constipation
• Cough
• Digestive tract irritation
• Hoarseness
• Laryngitis
• Mouth and throat irritation
• Pain from skin abrasions and insect stings
• Swelling and allergic skin irritation
• Teething pain
• To eliminate toxins
• Vaginal irritation

Side effects of mallow

Call your health care practitioner if you experience unusual symptoms when using mallow.

Interactions

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Tell your health care practitioner about any prescription or nonprescription drugs you're taking.

Important points to remember

• Avoid mallow if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Don't confuse this herb with the similar-sounding marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis),

What the research shows

No studies support the use of mallow for any medical condition. Because the herb contains tannin, medical experts think it may work as a skin astringent. However, they don't recommend long-term or heavy use.

Other names for mallow : -

Other names for mallow include blue mallow, cheeseflower, cheeseweed, field mallow, fleurs de mauve, high mallow, Malva parviflora, malve, and zigbli.

Products containing mallow are sold under such names as Malvedrin and Malveol.