Mallow Uses and Plant Monograph
Mallow is often overshadowed by its botanical cousin, marshmallow (Althaea officinalis). However, mallow has many of the same characteristics and can be used interchangeably when marshmallow is unavailable. The benefit of using mallow is that there are more than forty species in the Malva genus, which are found worldwide.
“La malva, da ogni mal’ ti salva.” [The mallow saves you from every disease.]”
- Old Italian folk adage
Mallow is a native plant in the Mediterranean, Asia, and North Africa with many traditional applications. Its name derives from the ancient Greek word malakós, meaning soft and mellow. As a sweet and moistening plant, it has many traditional applications to support the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory systems, as well as having pain-relieving and healing properties. It is an edible plant with many medicinal properties.
Mallow Uses and Plant Profile Summary
- Botanical Name: Malva spp.
- Other Common Names: Common mallow, dwarf mallow, high mallow, buttonweed, cheese plant, cheese flower, cheeseweed, round dock, hollyhock mallow, greater musk-mallow, cut-leaved mallow, vervain mallow
- Family: Malvaceae
- Parts Used: flowers, leaves, roots
- Energetics: cooling, moistening
- Taste: sweet, salty
- Plant Properties: demulcent, emollient, expectorant, astringent, diuretic, spasmolytic, anti-tussive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, laxative, soothing, anti-haemorrhoidal, anti-ulcerogenic, antinociceptive, anti-cancer, tonic, laxative, antiseptic, antidiarrheal, vulnerary, antibacterial, antifungal
- Plant Uses: digestive ailments, respiratory infections, genitourinary issues, topical support for integumentary system (skin, hair, nails, and the glands and nerves on your skin), source of nutrition
- Plant Preparations: infusion, decoction, tincture, infused oil, poultice, compress, suppository, nutritional food
Mallow for Digestive Support
For thousands of years, mallow’s emollient and demulcent qualities have been helpful for digestive complaints caused by inflammation. According to the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides (40-90 CE), mallow is “good for the bowels, especially the stalks, which are effective for the intestines and bladder.”1 Because of its cooling properties, mallow soothes the digestive tract from inflammatory conditions, such as gastritis, enteritis, constipation, ulcers, and other conditions.2 The plant helps to moisten tissues and acts as a mild laxative. It is recommended for people with dry tissue states and who struggle with inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), stomach ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).
Mallow has high mucilage content, which makes it effective against ulcers. One study found that an aqueous extract of mallow was more effective than Cimetidine, a gastric acid reducer, for treating gastric ulcers.3 An in-vitro study found ethanolic extracts of mallow leaves to have a moderate effect against certain strains of H. pylori, the bacteria linked to peptic ulcers.4
Mallow leaves and flowers are rich in tannins, which have inherent astringent properties that can help relieve irritation and strengthen the integrity of mucous membranes. This is especially helpful for conditions of acute gastroenteritis and the relief of diarrhea.
While the root of marshmallow is often used for digestive ailments, the leaves and flowers of mallow are the recommended plant parts.
Mallow for Respiratory Support
Traditionally, mallow has a long history of use as a respiratory remedy. The plant’s mucilaginous qualities are helpful for soothing a range of conditions, including bronchitis, asthma, sore throats, coughs, and lung infections. The plant soothes the infected tissues of the throat and lungs and helps relieve heat and inflammation.5 Due to its cooling and soothing properties, mallow leaves and flowers are especially indicated for hot and dry coughs and inflamed sore throats.
“[Mallow] juice lubricates the windpipe, nourishes, and is easily digested.”
- Diphilus of Siphnus, (3rd Century BCE)
In Greece, where I relocated to from New York, I see mallow growing freely on hillsides and fields during the fall and spring seasons. I can easily find the dried flowers and leaves at the local herb shop. During the winter, locals make a mallow tea sweetened with honey to soothe sore throats and coughs.
In neighboring Turkey, the leaves are boiled with milk and lemon for tonsillitis and mumps.6 And nearby in southern Italy, the roots are decocted with barley and bay laurel for sore throats.7
In addition to drinking a tea infusion, mallow leaves can be chewed to suppress coughing or the tea can be gargled to soothe a sore throat. Additionally, a soothing herbal syrup with mallow flowers can be made and taken as a cough syrup, especially in combination with marshmallow root.
Mallow for Pain Relief
Scientific studies on mallow suggest that it may be effective for pain relief, including abdominal pain, back pain, menstrual pain, and labor pain.8
In ethnobotanical studies, mallow has been used as a remedy for arthritis, rheumatism, dysmenorrhea, and toothaches. In Turkey, Albania, and southern Italy, mallow is used to relieve menstrual pains.9
Mallow for the Urinary System
Due to its demulcent qualities, mallow can support healing of inflamed mucous membranes in the urinary system. Conditions that can be relieved by mallow include bladder pain and inflammation, bladder ulcers, cystitis, and various bladder and kidney infections.10
Mallow has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, making it useful for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the bacteria that cause them, including E. Coli.11,12 Mallow can soothe the mucus membranes of the urinary tract and ease any burning sensations caused by infection. An infusion of mallow combined with cornsilk, which is indicated for UTIs, can help relieve these symptoms.
As a gentle diuretic, mallow supports kidney health and has been found to have kidney-protective properties.13 One study showed that mallow is effective against urinary toxicity in prostate cancer patients being treated with radiation therapy.14
Mallow for Liver Support
Mallow has a high phenolic and flavonoid content (both of which are considered antioxidants) that help prevent oxidative stress in the body. This type of stress is related to aging brain function, liver disease, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. Studies on Malva sylvestris have shown that, due to its high antioxidants, mallow can help improve hepatic function, reduce liver damage, and support healing in radiation-induced liver and kidney damage.15,16 These compounds help remove free (oxygen) radicals and protect sensitive tissues, especially in the liver.
Mallow for Oral Care
Mallow is helpful for oral care and can help cleanse the mouth and strengthen the gums. This is due to its astringent, tonic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. The leaves and flowers can be effective against gingivitis, oral abscesses, and tooth pain.17An infusion of mallow can be used as an herbal gargle by itself or with other herbs, such as thyme, sage, or mint.
Mallow root, like licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), can be used to clean the teeth like a toothbrush. It is also a great root to chew on after meals or when on-the-go to quickly clean the mouth. Personally, I like to carry small root pieces with me in my purse to always have on hand, instead of chewing gum or manufactured mint candies.
One study found that Malva sylvestris works well with cetylpyridinium chloride, an antiseptic ingredient used in many mouthwashes. This combination was shown to be effective against 28 strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus, while the cetylpyridinium chloride alone was effective only against three strains.18
Mallow for Topical Use
In ancient Greece, mallow was used for a variety of topical applications and since then, the plant continues to soften and heal the skin. My favorite ancient Greek physician, Dioscorides, wrote that mallow is an effective remedy for bee and wasp stings, head sores, dandruff, burns, spider bites, and streptococcal skin infections.19
Today, mallow is useful for minor bruises, burns, dermatitis, ulcers, wounds, sores, skin inflammation, swelling, and insect bites.20 Fresh mallow leaves and flowers can be made into a poultice and applied to wounds to help with healing and for softening the skin, relieving itchiness, and preventing scar formation.21 Mallow can also be used as a remedy for stinging nettle rashes, as its soothing properties help to neutralize the formic acid from the nettle.22
Several studies have found topical mallow preparations to be highly effective for relieving skin irritation.23 Malva sylvestris, in particular, has been shown to improve eczema and may be considered a substitute to corticosteroids and antihistamines.24
Studies have also found that ethanol extracts of mallow leaf and flower are effective against various strains of bacteria and fungus, including Staphylococcus aureus (which causes staph infections) and Candida albicans (which causes yeast infections).25 Mallow can be used in a sitz bath to support postpartum healing, prevent vaginal yeast infections, and relieve discomfort from hemorrhoids.
In Pakistan, a decoction of the root or leaves of mallow is used as a hair rinse to help soften the hair and treat dandruff, which can be caused by fungal infections.26
“The uses of mallow are infinite.”
- J.T. Burgess, (1868)
Other Medicinal Uses
The ancient Roman physician Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) recommended mallow as an aphrodisiac: by sprinkling the powdered seed of mallow on the vulva, a woman would become completely ravenous in the bedroom. There are no modern herbal uses to suggest the efficacy of this technique.
Mallow as Food
Mallow flowers, flower buds, fruits, seeds, leaves, and stems are all edible. Add the colorful flowers and young leaves and stems to salads. Older leaves and stems are best cooked. The plant is rich in Vitamins A, B, C, E, fiber, calcium magnesium, zinc, selenium, and potassium.
In Greece, fresh mallow leaves are harvested and used to make dolmadakia, a dish made of vegetable leaves filled with rice, minced meat, or both (grapevine leaves are also commonly used). In Turkey, the dish sarma is made with the leaves stuffed with bulgur or rice.
Mallow is related to okra, a vegetable with high mucilage content when cooked. Mallow can be added to soups and stews as a thickener. A recipe for vegan meringue suggests that mallow roots can be boiled and the mucilage can be skimmed off as a replacement for egg whites. Or, the root can be blended with water and strained to create a creamy nutrient-dense plant milk.
“Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea levesque malvae.
[As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance.]”
- Horace,(c. 65-8 BCE)
Constituents
Polysaccharides, coumarins, flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins, terpenes, mucilages, and tannins
Botanically Speaking
There are more than forty species in the Malva genus, which are found worldwide. These species include: Malva sylvestris, M. mauritiana, M. neglecta, M. rotundofolia, M. verticillate, M. nicaenses, M. alcea, and M. moschata. Species in the Malva genus are widespread and found throughout temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In the U.S., some species, including M. neglecta, are considered an invasive weed.
Mallow grows in a variety of places — gardens, riverbanks, meadows, grasslands, and roadsides, as well as waste places — where it helps to remediate the soil. The plant has alternate palmately lobed leaves that are simple, membranous, pubescent, and velvety on both sides. Mallow may grow tall and upright or creep as a groundcover.
While the flowers are odorless, they attract people and pollinators with a range of colors, including pink, lilac, purple, white, or striped. Mallow plants are bisexual, with both the male and female reproductive parts in each flower. Its fruit are small, rounded, and disc-shaped, and resemble the shape of a miniature cheese wheel, reflecting its common name of cheese plant.
Plant Preparations and Dosage Suggestions
- Herbal infusion: 1–3 teaspoons of the leaf and flower daily. Steep for 15–30 minutes.27 When using fresh plant material, double the amount.
- Tincture: Mallow is best used fresh in water-based preparations, but can be made into a tincture. Dosage varies per need, but can be 25–30 drops 3 times per day.
- Oil infusion: Mallow can also be infused into olive oil and then made into lotions and creams for topical use.
Special Considerations
Mallow has no known safety concerns. It is suggested that long-term ingestion of herbs rich in mucilage may interfere with the absorption of certain medications.28 Mallow can be laxative and purgative in very large doses. There are no known interactions or concerns in pregnancy or lactation.
Summary
Mallow has been used as a traditional remedy for thousands of years and is an easy-to-find remedy throughout the world. It can be used as an alternative to marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) and is helpful in relieving digestive ailments, respiratory conditions, and pain, as well as for support for oral care and skin care.
Footnotes
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