Herbs For Digestion and Healing

Long before Pepcid®, Alka-Seltzer®, TUMS® or Pepto-Bismol® hit the shelves of your local “apothecary,” people everywhere regularly turned to the plants that were already growing around them to heal their digestive system complaints. Today, many of these same botanical remedies remain in widespread use for common symptoms of digestive system problems. Bouts of nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, vomiting, heartburn, dyspepsia, bloating, belching, flatulence, or diarrhea, when occasional or mild, can all be self-treated, frequently to good effect. 

These herbs soothe, reduce inflammation, and promote healing of the GI lining from top to bottom. They extract best in water and have a slippery feel. This soothes the GI tract when it’s dry, inflamed, irritated, or damaged, and helps create a temporary mucus-like lining. Strongly mucilaginous (mucus-like) herbs include marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, and aloe inner gel. Demulcent yet only slightly mucilaginous herbs include licorice root, plantain leaf, and meadowsweet flower.

Bitter herbs are helpful for indigestion. It is thought that their bitter quality has the effect of stimulating digestive capacity through enhancing production of saliva and helping support both digestive enzymes and stomach acid.

Best to use organic herbs and spices.

Herbal water can help with digestion and hydration. Check out Kami McBride's video on creating herbal water.