| Angelica (Angelica
archangelica) and relatives. Aromatherapists wisely suggest oil of angelica as useful
for heartburn in adults and colic and gas in children. Angelica is a member of the carrot
family, and many members of that plant family seem to have a soothing action on the
digestive tract, a quality that herbalists call carminative. If you have heartburn frequently, you should discuss it with
your doctor. You might also wish to indulge in my Angelade, which contains six relatives
of angelica, all carminative. You'll need a juicer to make this one, as Angelade consists
of juiced angelica stalks, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, papaya and parsnips. (You may
have to add some water and spices to make it drinkable.)
If you don't have access to fresh angelica, it's
okay to leave it out and go with just the other ingredients. In fact, it doesn't really
make any difference how much of each you use. Simply pick your favorites, then mix and
match until you create a juice that tickles your fancy. |
| Camomile
(Matricaria recutita). Joe and Terry Graedon, co-authors of The People's
Pharmacy and Graedon's Best Medicine, share my opinion that camomile is the
first-choice herb for heartburn and stomach distress. |
| Licorice
(Glycyrrhiza glabra). I agree with Michael Murray, N.D., co-author
of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and several other scholarly books on
nutritional and naturopathic healing, that deglycyrrhizinated licorice
(DGL) successfully treats both heartburn and ulcers of the stomach and esophagus.
Many studies show that licorice is an antispasmodic and that it reduces
production of stomach acid, thereby decreasing heartburn. The caveat is that while licorice
and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts (up to about three cups of
tea a day) long-term use (more than six weeks) or ingestion of larger amounts can produce
headache, lethargy, sodium and water retention, excessive loss of potassium and high blood
pressure. A cup of licorice tea now and then to relieve heartburn is safe. |
| Peppermint (Mentha
pipe-rita). A while back, my daughter spent a vacation week with us, and we celebrated
by grilling up big slabs of spareribs, which gave me heartburn. So I headed out to the
garden and grabbed two handfuls of peppermint and one each of spearmint,
lemon balm (also known as melissa) and bee balm, along with some basil, sage and oregano,
and brewed up a tasty tea that helped. I know you might prefer a more specific recipe--one
teaspoon of this, two teaspoons of that--but I never measure herbs that are generally
regarded as safe. There is a controversy
about the use of peppermint for heartburn. I agree with herb advocate
Andrew Weil, M.D., professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson
and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine, who strongly recommends this herb.
Herbal lore certainly supports peppermint. Traditional cultures from ancient Egyptians to
present-day Icelanders use peppermint for all sorts of digestive problems, including
heartburn. A few esteemed herbalists, however, contend that peppermint can aggravate
heartburn. If that happens to you, don't use this herb, but personally, I doubt that
you'll have problems. Many, if not most, mints have the ability to ease digestion, with peppermint
and spearmint tops in my book. |
| Cardamom (Elettaria
cardamomum) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum, various species). Both of these herbs
help eliminate gas. When Mrs. Duke suffers occasional heartburn or acid indigestion, one
thing she does with my blessing is sprinkle one or the other of these two powdered herbs
on her toast. (We rarely have cardamom around the house, though; it's too expensive.) |
| Fennel
(Foeniculum vulgare). Fennel has been used as long as dill, and
for the same reasons. I'd use it, too. |
| Papaya (Carica papaya)
and pineapple (Ananas comosus). These fruits are loaded with digestive
enzymes and have been widely used to relieve heartburn and indigestion. papaya with a
little honey may even prevent it if eaten before a meal or between courses. Some
nutritionists suggest that kiwifruit might help as well. |
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Product Recommendations |
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- DGL Licorice flavonoids help inhibit acid
secretion, Increases blood flow to gastric mucosal cells, Promotes secretion of the
protective mucosa, Promotes the growth and activity of mucosal cells, Safe,
de-glycyrrhizinated licorice extract.
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