Herbs for Digestive Health

We’ve all experienced those feelings of being bloated, nauseous and gaseous. Most of us opt to go to the nearest convenience store or pharmacy for the immediate relief promised by bottles of pink oozy fluid that often leave a chalky taste in our mouths, and sometimes do not work. A cheaper and more effective way of dealing with digestive distress may be to use herbs.

For nausea, ginger is particularly effective. Tea is a simple way to get it taken care of, and is hydrating which is helpful if your nausea is due in part to dehydration. Peppermint tea can help relieve feeling bloated. Interestingly, both ginger and peppermint can help fight infections.

Wormwood has many functions as a digestive aid and can be taken as tea or in a tincture. It stimulates digestive and gallbladder function. It has also been used to treat intestinal worms and is quite powerful.

Aloe Vera, while most commonly used as a topical aid for the healing of rough, burned or cut skin contains enzymes which help things run smoothly. This can be taken in pill or juice form.

Acidopholus can help eliminate both gas and constipation. This is a very popular supplement in pill form, and its popularity is likely due to the fact that it is very gentle.

Another often overlooked herb is chamomile. This is most frequently associated as a sleep aid or a calmative, meaning that it help to reduce stress, but it can also help sooth an upset stomach.

Senna tea can relieve constipation. Although it is a natural laxative and most consider Senna to be gentle, it is not always. Most prepackaged Senna tea will warn you to drink only one cup a day, and to drink it slowly or you may encounter another digestive problem. A bonus of taking Senna as a tea is that it is extremely tasty, it has a woody, earthy aroma and goes down easily.

Fennel seeds can be chewed to help with bloating. It is recommended that you do this after a meal to help with those symptoms, using no more than half a teaspoon. An added benefit is that it has the same affect on your breath as mouthwash.