Herby Solutions for Heartburn and Gas

In natural medicine we believe health comes from the inside out, and that is probably most accurate when we talk about the health of your digestive system. Do you suffer from bloat, abdominal pain or heartburn? In Naturopathic medicine, we believe that when digestion is working well, the body is more able to fall into balance. Optimal nutrient absorption through a healthy gut allows for your body to shine inside and out.

Below are two common digestive complaints and their herbal solutions.

Heartburn - Heartburn usually shows up as a burning in the stomach - typically after eating a meal. In my practice I’ve found the symptoms may be attributed to many different causes, such as: too little stomach acid, too much stomach acid, poor muscle tone, eating our food sensitivities and imbalance in flora in gut.

Herbal solutions:

• Licorice Root, Deglycyrrhizinated licorice - Licorice is an herb which is soothing to the tissue of the esophagus and stomach. Licorice tea is a lovely way to follow a dinner and stave off heartburn.
  
• Marshmallow root - Marshmallow soothes irritated tissue of esophagus and helps to heal it as well
  

Gas and Abdominal Pain - Pain in the abdomen is quite commonly due to the pain of pressure caused by gas produced by our native gut bacteria, however the cause can vary. Some causes of gas include: poor digestion, food sensitivities, diseases like lactose intolerance or Celiac, swallowing air repeatedly, drinking fizzy beverages, slow bowels, imbalance in good bacteria in the gut, anxiety and stress.

Herbal Solutions:

• Fennel - Fennel is a carminative meaning it helps settle the stomach and dispel gas; chew on fennel seeds, add fennel leaf to salads or drink as a tea.
  
• Peppermint - Peppermint is also a carminative -- beware, however, that some folks find mints worsen their heartburn symptoms; peppermint is commonly sipped as a tea, chewed in gum or added to salads.
  
• Ginger - Ginger can help soothe stomach irritation and dispel gas as well as decrease gut inflammation; try ginger chews, ginger tea or chop up ginger and add to a stir fry.
  
• Chamomile - Chamomile is yet another carminative and is also calming to nervous system - especially indicated for nervous abdominal complaints; try chamomile tea if you have nervous stomach.
  

Recipe: Herbal Digestive Tonic Tea
Ginger root, Peppermint leaf, Fennel seed - Measure ½ TBS of each herb into cup, cover with boiling water and steep for 10 minutes, drink as often as you experience symptoms (may be taken hot or cold).

Be well,
Dr. Disharoon


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