What Is Althea Officinalis?
You may know the perennial herbaceous plant Althaea officinalis by its more common name: marshmallow. It is of the Malvaceae (or mallow) family. The flowering perennial plant is indigenous to Eastern Europe and parts of Northern Africa.1
Over the years, though, it has also been cultivated throughout North America. You can often find the plant in marshy environments, incredibly close to the ocean (Althea officinalis is also called “marsh mallow”).2
Althea officinalis, or the marshmallow plant, has distinctly veined heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are often blueish, white, or pinkish in color, and their stalks can stand up to 6 feet tall. The stalks are also around 2 inches in diameter. Of course, the root was once used to make a favorite confection: old-fashioned marshmallows.3
Many refer to the plant as a common weed as it can hug the ground. The flowers are small and have five petals that form a sort of cup shape. The whole plant is kind of slimy. It has a gooey sap due to its bioadhesive and mucilaginous polysaccharide content.4,5
History Of Althea Officinalis
In France, the marshmallow confection was created from the root of the Althea officinalis plant. Think of it as one of the world’s first supplements. The French called the soft candy “pate de guimauve.” Today, the sweet treat goes by the name marshmallow. What we think of as modern marshmallows do not actually contain Althea.6,7
Throughout history, the Althea officinalis plant has gone by many other names, including:
- Marshmallow
- Cheese plant
- Mortification root
- Sweet weed
- French: Guimauve
- Spanish: Malvaisco
- Greek: Iviscus
- Peruvian: Altea
- Turkish: Hatmi8
Top Potential Health Benefits Of Althea Officinalis
When it comes to the potential health benefits of Althea officinalis, it’s all about the polysaccharides found in its roots.9†
Althea officinalis may be able to support the following:
- Digestive tract health.†
- More comfortable digestion†
- Respiratory health10,11†
Part of what can make Althaea officinalis beneficial are its many nutritive compounds. A. officinalis is chock full of pectins, flavonoids, phytosterols, caffeic acid, isoquercitrin, p-coumaric acid, coumarins, and tannins. Plus, the herb offers many different amino acids.12†
Which Gundry MD Supplements Include Althea Officinalis?
If you want to know where to buy supplements that contain Althaea officinalis, check out Total Restore on the Gundry MD website. The site offers in-depth information about all of Total Resore’s ingredients, including Althaea officinalis. You’ll also find a collection of customer reviews. Read through and learn about just how much of a difference Total Restore can make when taken regularly.† As always, consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet, including supplements.
- Sources
- 1-3 https://www.britannica.com/plant/marsh-mallow
- 4 https://online.snh.cc/files/2100/HTML/100hs_marshmallow__althaea_officinalis.htm
- 5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874109006102
- 6-8 http://www.ndhealthfacts.org/wiki/Althea_officinalis
- 9 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874109006102
- 10-12 https://academicjournals.org/journal/JMPR/article-full-text-pdf/BD00EAD40178.pdf
