Indigestion

Herbal Medicine

Pursue relief with peppermint. Studies dating back to the 1920s show that peppermint helps soothe gastrointestinal spasms. Peppermint is best taken in tincture form. Dr. Duke recommends putting 1 to 2 teaspoons in a glass of pineapple juice. That way, you get bromelain as well.

Calm your gut with chamomile. “Many studies show that chamomile soothes the digestive tract,” Dr. Duke says. To make chamomile tea, add 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of dried flowers to 1 cup of boiled water. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. If you prefer, you can take chamomile in tincture form -1 to 2 teaspoons of tincture in a glass of pineapple juice.

Get better with ginger. Ginger is among the most venerated digestive herbs. Studies show that it helps relieve motion sickness and the nausea of pregnancy. Many herbalists-including Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., an herb researcher in Salt Lake City and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine-recommend ginger for indigestion as well. To make ginger tea, add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated gingerroot to 1 cup of boiled water. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain.

Make your own herbal tincture. In medical lingo, indigestion is known as dyspepsia. DysPepsi-Cola is Dr. Duke’s tongue­in-cheek name for a tincture that he makes from several herbal stomach-soothers, or carminatives. “My recipe is pretty loose,” he says. “I just mix together any carminative herbs that I have on hand-peppermint, chamomile, ginger, anise, caraway seed, catnip, coriander, fennel seed, marjoram, rosemary, and turmeric. Then I steep the herbs overnight in the refrigerator in a mixture of alcohol and water-1 ounce of vodka per 1 cup of water.” Take 1 tablespoon of the tincture as needed, either by itself or mixed into tea or pineapple juice.

Home Remedies

Kiss your butts goodbye. If you smoke, here’s another good reason to quit. Smoking often contributes to indigestion.

Lose the booze. If you drink, cutting back often helps prevent episodes of indigestion, Dr. Gaby says. But you probably don’t have to give up alcoholic beverages entirely.

When indigestion strikes, take notes. If you have frequent bouts of abdominal distress, try keeping an indigestion diary, Dr. Simons suggests. Tracking your pain on paper can help you see whether your indigestion consistently arrives at certain times-after you eat certain foods, for example.