Herbs with Rosalee ·Oct 7, 2026 ·54 min

Marshmallow for Heartburn, Sore Throats, and Gut Healing with Amy Boldt

Evaluation and Summary

7.1/10

Herbs with Rosalee features guest Amy Boldt, a registered herbalist with a Master's degree in Therapeutic Herbalism from Maryland University of Integrative Health, discussing marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) as a medicinal plant. The episode explores marshmallow's demulcent and moistening properties, focusing on its applications for soothing irritated tissues in the GI tract, sore throats, and heartburn. Boldt shares practical preparation methods including cold infusions, powdered root additions to food, and a homemade marshmallow candy recipe. A key takeaway is why herbalists often prefer cold infusions over hot tea for marshmallow extraction. The episode covers marshmallow's affinity for different body systems, how to assess root quality by taste and consistency, and an important caveat: why marshmallow's moistening qualities make it unsuitable for certain types of coughs. Boldt also discusses her personal journey into herbalism, her private clinical practice specializing in sleep, anxiety, and digestive issues, and her herb farm in Westminster, Maryland. The episode includes a downloadable illustrated recipe card for Marshmallow Root Electuary Balls. Host Rosalee de la Forêt is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild, bestselling author, and online educator. The show positions itself as exploring how plants heal through food, medicine, and nature connection, with each episode focusing on a single seasonal plant. The episode promises listeners will learn how marshmallow benefits the GI tract, understand preparation methods, recognize quality indicators, and grasp contraindications. The format appears conversational rather than heavily structured, drawing on Boldt's clinical experience and farm-based knowledge. No specific research citations or clinical studies are mentioned in the show notes, though both hosts have formal herbal training credentials. The episode delivers practical, actionable guidance alongside traditional herbal knowledge.

Verdict: A well-credentialed, practical episode on a specific herb that delivers on its promises, though it relies on traditional herbal knowledge rather than research evidence and may contain conversational padding.

Health & Fitness rubric

Evidence-based claims 3/5 20%

Discusses marshmallow's established demulcent properties and traditional uses, but show notes don't cite specific research or clinical evidence supporting the claims about heartburn, sore throat, or GI benefits.
Expert credentials 5/5 20%

Both hosts are registered herbalists with the American Herbalists Guild; Amy Boldt holds a Master's in Therapeutic Herbalism and runs a clinical practice; Rosalee is a bestselling author and established educator.
Safe and practical advice 4/5 15%

Provides practical preparation methods and includes an important safety caveat about marshmallow being unsuitable for certain coughs; advice appears grounded in clinical experience rather than extreme claims.
Substance 3/5 15%

Show notes indicate solid content covering preparation methods, quality assessment, contraindications, and personal anecdotes, but limited detail suggests some conversational padding likely fills the 54-minute runtime.
Delivers on its title 5/5 15%

Title promises coverage of marshmallow for heartburn, sore throats, and gut healing; show notes explicitly address all three applications plus preparation methods and practical recipes.
Value for time 3/5 15%

54 minutes for a single-plant deep dive with one guest is reasonable but potentially lengthy for the apparent content density; value depends on listener interest in conversational herbal education versus concise information delivery.

How we score Health & Fitness

Worth it if you're interested in herbal medicine, want practical preparation methods for marshmallow, or prefer learning from experienced clinical herbalists over research-heavy content.

#herbalism #herbal medicine #digestive health #natural remedies #plant medicine #wellness

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.

Show notes

Marshmallow ( Althaea officinalis ) is one of those plants that can be easy to overlook. It’s gentle, pleasant, and uncomplicated—but that simplicity is exactly what makes it so useful. In this episode, Amy Boldt and I explore what makes marshmallow such a versatile plant ally, along with some of the ways she has come to work with it over the years, from cold infusions to adding the powdered root to food, and even old-fashioned marshmallow candy! We discuss marshmallow’s moistening, demulcent qualities, and why it has such a strong affinity for soothing hot, irritated tissues throughout the body. Amy also shares her recipe for Marshmallow Root Electuary Balls, a staple in her apothecary perfect for soothing a dry, irritated throat. Download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here ! By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► How marshmallow’s gifts can benefit your GI tract from top to bottom ► Why many herbalists prefer working with marshmallow as a cold infusion rather than a hot tea ► What the taste and consistency of your marshmallow infusion might tell you about the quality and freshness of the root ► Why marshmallow’s moistening qualities make it less appropriate for certain kinds of coughs ► How growing some of your own herbs can help you to become a better herbalist ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Amy started her journey on the path to herbalism having been inspired by self-sufficiency. Her interest in medicinal plants and foraging led her to the Maryland University of Integrative Health (now Notre Dame of MD University) where she earned a Masters of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism. Since graduating from MUIH Amy has become a Registered Herbalist with the AHG and is one of Margi Flint’s Legacy Teachers. Amy also has a private practice as a clinical herbalist specializing in sleep, anxiety, and digestive-related issues, and grows many of the herbs she uses on her herb farm in Westminster, MD. When not seeing clients, she can be found teaching classes in local community spaces, as well as at a number of herb schools and community colleges. I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today! ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video. You can find Amy at TheWildWomanMedicine.com . For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter . If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com . ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine . She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here .

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