Using marshmallows to soothe a sore throat is kind of an internet urban legend, and it’s one that’s both right and wrong.
Tons of websites like this one list marshmallows as a fun puff to pop when the scratchy throat season comes around — and who doesn’t want an excuse to pile on the confectionary goodness?
Dr. Eric Voigt, an otolaryngologist (the fancy term for throat specialist) at NYU Langone Medical Center told the Daily News it’s not a thing. “I have never heard of marshmallows helping with a sore throat in the 20 years I have been treating people for ear, nose and throat ailments.”
Dr. Voigt said marshmallows “do not contain anything I would recommend to treat a sore throat.” Marshmallows are simply sugar, water, air, and gelatin. Sometimes gelatin-based products, like Jell-O are suggested for sore throats, but there are few scientific reasons for why. So marshmallows won’t irritate your burning red throat, but it will go down easy.
However, there is some truth to the myth. Marshmallows as we know them aren’t really the real deal. Marshmallows get their name from the marshmallow root — a plant hailing from Africa, Asia and Europe and a former ingredient to the sticky treat. Cultivators of the root used the plant to, you guessed it, soothe sore throats and stomachs. Over time, the root was removed from the marshmallow treat and replaced with gelatin.
On the other hand, Dr. Steven Ehrlich, a naturopathic medical doctor at Solutions Acupuncture & Naturopathic Medicine, told the Daily News, “Marshmallow works, but not the marshmallow you put in your hot cocoa!”
Dr. Ehrlich said that marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) is still used in herbal medicine today because of its properties in relieving inflammation. “It’s very soothing to mucus membranes which makes it a go-to remedy for sore throats.”
The doctor said that marshmallow root is used easily with aloe or Slippery Elm, which is what’s in some special teas like Traditional Medicine’s “Throat Coat” tea — popular among singers as well as the sick. The tea, and marshmallow root itself, can be found at health food stores.
Dr. Ehrlich uses it himself. “In nearly 20 years of practice I’ve counted on Marshmallow root as part of my winter arsenal to help soothe irritated throats and have used it before many of my public speaking engagements to lubricate the vocal chords. Great stuff.”
