Friday, February 3, 2012

Put Out The Flames of Heartburn With Medicinal Herbs


Heartburn is caused when stomach acid leaks back up into your esophagus. Usually, there is a small 'trapdoor' of muscle that keeps stomach acid where it belongs, but if you eat a large meal, or certain kinds of food, then you can suffer heartburn as the trapdoor opens and lets the acid leak out. There are medications, and herbal remedies that can reduce the pain of heartburn.

How To Douse the Flames

One good herbal medicine is Dandelion - it is a common weed, and can be found in many backyards. It is a common part of both native American medicine, and Chinese medicine. Dandelion tea is a good remedy - add hot boiling water to a mixture of leaves and flowers for a bitter, but effective dandelion tea. Alternatively, if dandelion doesn't agree with your system, you can use milk thistle which is found in abundance in the Mediterranean region.

Other medicinal herbs for treating heartburn, such as chamomile and meadowsweet, can help to decrease acidity levels in the stomach. One of the oldest medicinal crop known to human species is Linseed. It is well-known for its curative properties and therapeutic values. In addition to its many medicinal usages, Linseed is also known for its ability to cure digestive and respiratory ailments.

More Good Herbs For Stomach Ailments

Flax, fenugreek, and slippery elm are good herbs that can help soak up excess stomach acid. A preparation of the herbs in a tea is an effective way to reduce stomach pain. Mixtures such as chamomile, lemon balm, catnip, and fennel can be brewed into a very soothing drink.

Probably the most well known medicinal herb for treating heartburn is ginger root. The best way to prepare it is as a tea. Add freshly grated ginger root to one cup of boiling water, steep for ten minutes, add some honey and drink. It is absolutely delicious. Most known and used for quelling the nausea caused by motion sickness, ginger also helps to relax the muscles that line the walls of the esophagus so that stomach acids don't get pushed upwards. It's a perfect medicinal herb for digestive and stomach ailments.

Herbalist Recommendations

Herbalists also recommend teas made from anise, caraway, or fennel seeds - add two teaspoons of them to a cup of boiling water, and allow to steep for about 10 minutes before straining, then drink for instant relief.

According to Ayurvedic, the traditional medicine of India, teas made from cardamom and cinnamon have powerful medicinal properties, and are very effective for treating heartburn - again, allow to steep for a while, strain, then drink.




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