Smooth Sumac for Sore Mouths and Throats

Have you ever wondered what it's like to have an infamous surname? Like, say, Bin Laden? Or Manson? Or maybe Dahmer?  Maybe you're completely innocent and never even knew the famous criminals attached to the names, yet people shudder when they hear your name. If you can imagine and empathize with this, then you might be able to empathize with a wonderful herb that has the same problem.

Because Smooth Sumac is a lovely, useful herb that gets a bad rap because of another Sumac whose first name is "Poison."

What Poison Sumac does to human skin that touches it is, indeed, criminal; however, I would encourage you to take another look at the sweet and innocent Smooth Sumac because it is useful in so many ways.

I have been told that Smooth Sumac makes a wonderful Ade when its sour berries are added to water, strained and then sweetened. It is also used as a lemony-tasting spice in Indian Cuisine called Za'atar. Since we have found a large stand of Smooth Sumac Trees up here on Barefoot Mountain, I plan to try both of these when the berries ripen late this summer, but that is a blog for another day.

Where I do have extensive experience with Smooth Sumac is in a tincture of the berries.

The first time I used Smooth Sumac Tincture I was suffering with a mouth ulcer and had read somewhere that Sumac was found to be effective in a scientific study against h. pylori, which is the bacteria that causes many stomach ulcers. As a nurse, I know that h pylori can also be responsible for mouth ulcers, so I decided to try some of the Smooth Sumac Tincture I had made back in the summer.

And wow! I could not believe how soothing the stuff was. A few little drops on the end of a cotton swab applied to the mouth ulcer made it feel better for hours. Not only that, but with use 2-3 times a day, the mouth ulcer was gone in record time.

So when I came down with a sore throat some time later, I put the tincture in a spray bottle and used it like a numbing throat spray. Yes, it really is that soothing. Not only me, but my daughter and son also swear by Smooth Sumac Tincture whenever we have a sore throat.

But it's not only soothing to the throat, but probably antimicrobial as well. Studies have shown that different sumac varieties can be effective against strep aureus and a whole bunch of other nasties, and this has been our experience. It seems the sore throats go away much quicker with the Smooth Sumac spray.

We have also used Smooth Sumac to sooth and heal some mouth sores my aunt had gotten from ill-fitting dentures, and it is one of the ingredients in our teething liquid we will be using when my new granddaughter is born in the Fall since the Smooth Sumac really does seem to excel in areas of mouth, throats, and mucus membranes.

Differing varieties of Sumac have been studied in various scenarios, and they have all been found to contain antimicrobial, antibacterial, and even antiviral characteristics. The most studied variety is one found in other countries, but there is no reason to believe the variety found here all over the United States may not have the same medicinal value, especially in light of all the testimonies from people who have used Smooth Sumac, not to mention the Native American tradition with the plant.

In at least one double-blind scientific study, Sumac was found to lower blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 Diabetes. You can read about that study and other uses in Dr. Mercola's article entitled  Can Sumac Help Your Blood Sugar Levels?.

At any rate, as I sit here at the beginning of summer watching the Smooth Sumac flowers bloom, I am already dreaming of the fine harvest we'll enjoy later this summer. I plan to make some Sumac-Ade, or Rhus Juice as I prefer to call it, grind some berries up for spice like they use in the Indian dishes, and make a ton of tincture which I plan to add to a sore throat spray made from Smooth Sumac, Wild Cherry Bark, and raw honey. I'll let y'all know how all of this works out.

Until then, have a great summer!


***This blog is intended for encouragement and educational purposes only. It is not an attempt to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. As always, please check with your physician before trying any new medication, herbal or otherwise, or treating any disease process.***