The althaea (Althaea officinalis) is a plant of the Malvaceae family. Useful in case of disorders of the respiratory tract, it also has emollient, soothing and protective properties.
The extracts of the althaea root contain starch, pectin, mucilage, sugars, fats and tannins. In particular, the mucilage gives the plant emollient, lenitive and protective properties of the mucous membranes. For this reason it is indicated in the treatment of all forms of inflammation.
The decongestant and antiseptic activity of the plant that plays on the soft tissues of our body, makes it an effective remedy in the treatment of respiratory disorders, such as coughs and colds; in case of a sore throat and irritation of the mouth such as abscesses, stomatitis and gingivitis.
Also in the digestive system it finds therapeutic applications, when we are in the presence of irritations and infections of the intestinal mucosa, caused by irritable bowel syndrome or external viruses (enteritis, colic, diarrhea, constipation); lesions of the gastric or duodenal mucosa like ulcers; and in case of inflammation of the bladder and kidneys, due to calculations or cystitis.
In addition, the althaea mucilage has shown a strong hypoglycemic activity useful in case of hyperglycemia and diabetes.
The althaea is also used in cases of renal failure of dogs and cats.
- Photo byAndré Karwath aka Aka (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons