Digestive disorders can be helped enormously by herbal remedies. Digestion aids include plants that stimulate digestion, relax it or help expel gas. There are also herbal remedies that soothe inflammation and pain. Most herbs are used for the benefit of aiding digestion.
Some people tend to dismiss herbal remedies as nothing more than quackery. But the use of herbs and their medicinal properties is well documented throughout the old civilizations. Ancient healing and medicine is steep with accounts of natural digestive help, and how they heal a variety of ailments. More than a quarter of drugs in the market today, have in one way or another active ingredients that came from these plants.
Based on studies, it is estimated that nearly 80% of the world’s population use herbs as supplements, if not for direct healing. In the United States alone, there are more than 1,500 botanicals that are popularly sold in health food stores and natural organic markets,
In the United States, the top herbs are: echinacea, garlic, ginseng, ginkgo. saw palmetto, aloe, ephedra, Siberian ginseng and cranberry. Each of these herbs directly benefit the body while soothing digestive disorders. These are the natural digestive help the body can count on.
Herbal Remedies: Relieving Digestive Disorders
1. Dark bitters stimulate digestion. This means that once these foods are digested and are in the stomach, they prompt the body into making more digestive and gastric enzymes in the intestines. Bitter foods also help the gall bladder into producing more bile which helps in breaking down fatty foods, into small enough molecules so the body can absorb it.
Bitter digestion aids include: angelica, black cohosh, dandelion, skullcap and yarrow. A cup of tea everyday from these herbs should be sufficient to aid digestion. Dandelion is the most popular of this group of digestion aids. This bitter tea releases taraxacin, a popular diuretic.
Juniper is not exactly a bitter herb, but it helps in increasing hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach.
2. Carminatives get rid of gas in the intestines. Herbs that belong in this category are: fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary and juniper. Rosemary is a hard working herb. It increases the production of digestive juices and bile. The good thing is, rosemary and fennel are popular in cooking. So make sure you use them whenever you can. Another benefit of fennel and rosemary is that they help in digesting fat, so include them in fatty dishes when you cook, to help neutralize the fat.
Whenever you have sour stomach or too much gas, drink an infusion of these two herbs and feel it soothe your stomach. Fennel can be used for children, especially when paired with chamomile.
3. Antispasmodic herbs are those that help in relaxing muscle spasms. These are your natural antacids. Herbs in this category relieve muscle spasms and cramping. Make tea from this herbs: black cohosh, chamomile, lavender, lemon blam, mint, skullcap,
valerian, wild yarn, wormwood, and yarrow.
4. Herbs with demulcent properties. These are the herbs that soothe, coat and lubricate the intestines. These herbs are very good, too, for sour stomach and act as natural antacids. They include: marshmallow, mullein and oats. Cups of marshmallow and mullein tea each day should do the trick! Oats prepared as oatmeal is fine in this form, too.
5. Ginger. The Chinese have an affinity with ginger. In traditional ancient medicine, ginger was widely used to heal a variety of ailments. Ginger in its many forms are digestion aids, and is best in preventing nausea from becoming full blown. European angelica is similar to ginger and has the same benefits.
Clinical studies are currently underway to include more herbs on the list of those that are known to be effective and safe. The herbs mentioned here can be used to treat allergies, sour stomach, indigestion, inflammation and cramping.
Herbal medicine is an old and tested way of harnessing plants’ natural ability to heal. In this modern day, there is still room for them to work their magic.
