Relief for Holiday Pig-Outs - herbs relieving stomach pain - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 1999 by Ellen Cavalli

'Tis the season for heartburn, bloating, gas and stomachaches. We all know the best cure for those woes is to avoid what causes them in the first place. But that's not so easy this time of year, with all those tempting little morsels calling out your name from every holiday tabletop from here to your in-laws'. In addition to taking the healing botanicals listed below, there are some things you can do to prevent gastric distress. Santa Fe-based herbalist Blade recommends eating cooked, as opposed to steamed, foods, since the boiling process breaks down plant food walls and makes food easier to digest. She also suggests eating at the same time every day to condition the stomach to produce the hydrochloric acid necessary for digestion, as well as avoiding white flour products and coffee. (Good luck!)

Contributors to this month's column are Blade, founder of Earth Wisdom Teachings in Santa Fe; Colleen Burke, L.Ac., Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist in Santa Monica, Calif.; and Christopher Hobbs, fourth-generation herbalist and author of Foundations of Health: The Liver and Digestive Herbal (Botanical, 1994), based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Herb              Function

Asian (red)       Soothes stomach pain
ginseng           and bloating; boosts
(Panax            production and movement
ginseng)          of digestive acids.

Chamomile         Antispasmodic and
(Chamomilla       calmative. Soothes
recutita)         upset stomachs.

Dandelion         Relieves heartburn
root              and gas; strengthens
(Taraxacum        digestive tract.
officinale)

Gingerroot        Relieves gas pain and
(Zingiber         stomachache.
officinalis)

Licorice root     Absorbs acid that
(Glycyrrhiza      causes heartburn and
glabara)          acid reflux; boosts
                  digestive function.

Oatstraw          Antispasmodic;
(Avena            relieves stomachache
sativa)           and reduces gas.

Slippery Elm      Mucilage; it coats
(Ulmus fulva)     stomach and neutralizes
                  stomach acids,
                  relieving heartburn,
                  Absorbs intestinal gas.

Herb            Dosage(*) (20 drops = 1 milliliter [ml.])

Asian (red)     Tincture: 1 to 3 ml., 3 times daily in warm
ginseng         water, as needed
(Panax          Tea: Simmer 1 tsp. dried herb in 1 cup boiling
ginseng)        water for 10 to 15 minutes; drink as needed

Chamomile       Tincture; 10 to 30 drops, as needed until
(Chamomilla     discomfort subsides
recutita)       Tea; Steep 1 tsp. dried flower in 1 cup boiling
                water for 10 to 15 minutes; drink as needed

Dandelion       Tincture: t0 to 25 drops before or with meals
root            while symptoms persist
(Taraxacum      Tea: In mason jar, steep 2 oz. dried root in a
officinale)     quart of boiling water for 4 to 8 hours; drain,
                Drink 1 to 2 cups per day as needed

Gingerroot      Tincture: 1/2 to 1 tsp. ginger bitters (a patent
(Zingiber       formulation) in water before meals as needed
officinalis)    Tea: Steep 1 tsp. dried root in 1 cup boiling
                water for 20 minutes; drink as needed. Or
                grate 1 oz. fresh root into pint of boiling water;
                steep for 10 minutes

Licorice root   Tincture: 1 to 3 ml., 2 to 3 times daily
(Glycyrrhiza    Tea: 2 to 6 g. raw herb in 1 to 2 cups boiling
glabara)        water, 3 times daily,

Oatstraw        Tea: Infuse 1 oz. milky green oatstraw tops
(Avena          (sometimes hard to find; can be picked fresh) in 1
sativa)         qt. boiling water for 4 to 8 hours); drink as
                needed.

Slippery Elm    Powder: 1 tsp. dried inner bark mixed with
(Ulmus fulva)   yogurt, honey or oatmeal
                Tea: Steep 1 tsp. powder in 1 cup boiling water
                for 10 to 15 minutes; drink as needed.

Herb            Comment

Asian (red)     Because ginseng raises the heart rate,
ginseng         it's not recommended for people with
(Panax          hypertension.
ginseng)

Chamomile       Dried peppermint leaves, as a tea in the
(Chamomilla     same proportions, has similar properties
recutita)       and soothing effects.

Dandelion       Also try 10 to 25 drops of dandelion leaf
root            tincture, which increases production of
(Taraxacum      stomach acid and is good for
officinale)     stomachaches caused by fatty foods.

Gingerroot      Make tea with 1 tsp. each ginseng (above)
(Zingiber       and prepared artichoke leaves glycerides
officinalis)    (an herbal formula) for chronic gas problems.
                You can also eat crystallized or fresh
                ginger, but their flavor may be too strong
                for some palettes.

Licorice root   Not recommended for people with
(Glycyrrhiza    hypertension or hypothyroidism. They
glabara)        could try licorice lozenges instead.

Oatstraw        A sitz bath (fill tub with 6 inches of warm
(Avena          water) with 2 qts. oatstraw infusion offers
sativa)         the same relief.

Slippery Elm    A tea made in the same proportions with
(Ulmus fulva)   marshmallow root (another mucilage)
                functions similarly. Slippery elm lozenges
                also offer relief.