Indigestion and heartburn are the most common reasons for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, yet there are natural remedies that can help with indigestion and heartburn.
Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a real pain, to say the least, that can range from mild to severe. A severe case of indigestion or heartburn can have symptoms that resemble the symptoms of a heart attack or angina. The symptoms of indigestion and heartburn include:
- Bloated feeling
- Uncomfortably full or a heavy feeling in the stomach
- Discomfort in the upper abdomen
- Belching and or gas
- A burning feeling behind the breastbone
- Heartburn can cause mild to severe pain in the chest
- Nausea or vomiting
Herbal Remedies That Can Help Relieve Indigestion
Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the better natural remedies for indigestion. As mentioned, indigestion can be caused by not having enough digestive acids in the stomach.
Having apple cider vinegar can relieve indigestion and by having a glass with water each day before a meal can also keep you from getting indigestion.
The best way to take apple cider vinegar is to mix 1-2 tablespoons in a glass of water. Never drink apple cider vinegar alone without water as that can hurt the esophagus.
Dandelion and other bitter greens such as watercress, arugula, chicory, and radicchio are great herbal remedies that can all be used in salads along with some lemon juice to help the digestive system and relieve bloating and indigestion.
Dandy Blend is a great coffee substitute that is also great for digestion and indigestion.
Peppermint tea is known to help indigestion, heartburn, gas and bloating. Peppermint has menthol in it, and this is known to promote digestion and relieve stomach cramps.
Drink it shortly after a meal. You can also try drinking a cup before your meal, for some people that works better. Peppermint helps to stop the gastrointestinal spasms as well.
Herbal bitters are a combination of herbs. They contain artichoke, dandelion and other bitter herbs that improve liver function and digestion. This works because the tongue has four types of taste buds, and for the most part in our lives anymore, we hardly ever use the bitter taste bud. As soon as a bitter taste hits the taste bud, it starts the stomach digestive acids working.
Ginger is mainly thought of as something to relieve nausea during pregnancy and motion sickness. But it is also a great digestive aid helping with the bloated feeling, indigestion, heartburn, and burping.
Chamomile is a calming tea and is very soothing to the stomach lining and stops the stomach spasms which are part of indigestion and heartburn.
Cinnamon is a strong digestive aid. It stimulates the digestive enzymes that break down food. Make sure to use Ceylon cinnamon,which is real cinnamon.
When you add cinnamon to tea, some say to use powder and others say to use cinnamon sticks and crush them using a mortar and pestle or blender because the power will make an over spiced tea, or put a cinnamon stick in a cup of any kind of tea. With the ability to help digestion, cinnamon can help with indigestion.
A good book about making herbal teas:
Healing Herbal Teas: A complete guide to making delicious, healthful beverages by Brigitte Mars
Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes can help your gut digest your foods properly which can help relieve indigestion when you eat foods that cause you to have indigestion. These digestive enzymes are the same enzymes as your digestive system has already, but might be lacking.
Eat A Healthy Diet to Relieve Indigestion
Eating a diet of healthy foods can also be a natural remedy for indigestion. It makes sense that if a specific food or a food group always give you indigestion, it would smart just not to eat those foods.
Sometimes you need to keep a food diary and write down what you eat and how it makes you feel. Sooner or later you will eat the food or foods that give you indigestion, and you can either be prepared for it or just eliminate that food from your diet.
There are some common foods that can cause indigestion including:
- Fried foods are one of the most common causes of indigestion
- Tomatoes and tomato sauces
- Garlic and onions
- Coffee and other products that contain caffeine
- Peppers
- Spicy foods
- Sodas
- Milk and dairy products
- Alcohol is one of the main causes of indigestion and heartburn
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © 11 December 2008-2019 Sam Montana
