Natural Remedies for Heartburn and Indigestion

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ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF

Here are some simple natural remedies for heartburn and indigestion for stomach disorders you can make easily and inexpensively to relieve the discomforts of stomach irritation.

Gastrointestinal problems are epidemic in industrial societies. Whether they are attributable to toxins in food, pesticides, stress, or simply the fact that we were designed for a simpler diet than we are getting, ulcers, hiccups, heartburn, diarrhea, and the host of other ailments that you are only too familiar with afflict over 50 million Americans each year. For the most part, they are treated with antacids, very simple components of acid-neutralizing bases. There are some simple herbal remedies, however, you can make easily and inexpensively to relieve the discomforts of stomach irritation.

Indigestion usually produces a combination of symptoms including stomachache, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, and gas. And as Murphy’s Law would have it, this problem always seems to happen at the most inopportune times. What can you do to deal with it? Try these natural remedies for heartburn and indigestion: Eat a large radish, but don’t do it just before you’re getting ready to pick up your favorite brunette for a romantic evening. It will help your stomach, but your breath may drive her away. Instead substitute peppermint tea made by placing some peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water, allowing it to steep for 10 minutes. This has a very soothing effect on the gastric mucus.

If you live in an area where grocery stores sell papaya, buy some and eat it fresh, or drink some papaya juice. This fruit contains a proteolytic enzyme that aids the digestion of meats, thus helping your tummy to do less growling after a steak or a hamburger. You can also bring to boil a teaspoon of alfalfa seed in a cup of water and let it steep for five minutes. Drink this tea half an hour after meals to aid digestion. Hiccups is another common gastrointestinal problem, and sometimes it seems they are impossible to stop. A hiccup is actually a spastic contraction of the diaphragm, which is the large circular muscle separating the chest from the abdomen. For hiccup problems, drink a glass of pineapple or orange juice. Or mix one teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of warm water and drink. You can also try a couple of teaspoons of honey. The sugar in the honey usually breaks up the hiccups. One final radical treatment is to gently inhale a little pepper. This should make you sneeze, and sneezing generally relieves hiccups.

What about diarrhea? It can be caused by a number of factors, including overeating, bacterial infection, food poisoning, emotional anxiety, or extreme fatigue, Diarrhea depletes the body of potassium and magnesium, leaving you feeling depressed and dehydrated. Drink some blackberry juice or blackberry brandy. These are very ancient remedies that have stood the test of time. You can also boil a halfcup of brown rice in six cups of water for half an hour. Strain and sweeten the water with a little honey. Drink a cup of the rice water–honey mix every hour and the diarrhea should soon disappear.

  • Published on Dec 1, 1996
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