A Stroll Through the Garden:
Herbal Remedies for Indigestion
A few years ago, I wrote a column for a friend about helping arthritis in this person’s hands and I did some research for him and we worked together, and we were able to find some analgesics that occur naturally in a variety of herbs and vegetables and what I found out is that you can go outside and find any number of solutions to help with your arthritis. I have another friend that has had terrible indigestion for a long time and wanted some help with the problems that they are having.
The last time I wrote about using herbs as a solution to any health challenge, I said that we need to give a little disclaimer. These ideas are what I have researched and some I have tested. We need to make sure that there would not be any interaction between what your doctor would have prescribed for you and what you have been told by me that you could use this herb to solve the problem you are having. If you find that you get a change for the worse, I want you to first go to your doctor and tell them what you are doing and see if there would be some interactions between the herbs and the medicines that you may be taking. There are also professional herbalists that can help guide you as to what you would want to do.
Let’s first identify that if you have indigestion you can have gas, abdominal pain, a bloated feeling, rumbling noises, belching, nausea, and possibly a burning feeling. 1 I did not know that Indigestion or Dyspepsia is probably the most common disease in the western world. This disease if you have it on a continual basis can lead to food allergies, osteoporosis, anemia, degenerative diseases, and immune system diseases.
Carrot and beet juice as a drink will help correct the problem naturally. Papaya has an enzyme called papain and pineapple has an enzyme called bromolain and that both will naturally help you digest food. If you have a deficiency in calcium, magnesium, or vitamin D you can also find you stomach having a hard time digesting your foods. There are a number of natural solutions to poor digestion.
A cup of Chamomile tea at the end of each meal will soothe your stomach 2. Peppermint tea, Angelica root tea will both help with indigestion. To make your own herb tea for indigestion take 2-3 teaspoons of the dried herbs I mentioned above per cup of boiling water. Other helpful dried herbs you might encounter are coriander, marjoram, catnip, fennel, ginger, balm, bitter orange, celandine, hops, red peppers, rooibos, and yarrow.
There are South African physicians that recommend rooibos tea as an effective stomach soother that’s gentle enough to treat infants that have colic. You will have a hard time finding this herb in the US.
A count from one of the research articles I read they said that there were over 500 different carminative herbs which is defined as an herb that soothes the stomach and especially good for digestion. In Latin America, some people drink chamomile tea just before bedtime to help them sleep. There are conflicts in what the experts have said about peppermint. One of the premier research firms, that has done extensive research, called Commission E from Germany endorses peppermint tea for treating indigestion. Our FDA made a pronouncement and ruled that peppermint is ineffective for stomach distress. I don’t like conflicts like this myself, but if I can read about research done in a formal paper. Frankly, I put more weight on papers that deserve more weight. This Commission E did the work not the FDA.
Hope that you have a good stroll through your indoor garden this week and planning for your garden begins now. Maybe all of us should consider planting Chamomile, Peppermint, and Angelica next year. If you have any challenges in your garden you can send me an e-mail at