Though we can avoid most infections and diseases through vaccinations and medication, the occasional problem with digestion is ineluctable. Some of us immediately head to the pharmacy nearby while others rely on natural remedies found in their kitchen. If you’re clueless about what you can take when you’re experiencing a bit of digestive discomfort, here are a few effective and natural means to resolve that.
Ginger
Aromatic freshness aside, ginger is a potent cure for all kinds of stomach ailments. Gingerol, an ingredient with powerful medicinal properties in ginger, deals effectively with exogenous factors such as germs and bacteria and helps stabilize the digestive process. This common kitchen spice helps treat many forms of nausea such as that during pregnancy, after surgery, and one related to travel sickness.
People revere ginger for the way it reduces blood sugar and risk factors related to heart disease. All in all, it enhances an individual’s health by promoting good metabolic activity. You can have a cup of ginger tea or add it as a spice while making dishes. It helps ease recurrent pain in the upper parts of the stomach. This is because it helps empty the stomach fast.
Consuming ginger helps reduce the LDL and total cholesterol levels in the body. Its fresh, sapid taste helps augment its claim to be the best natural, digestive remedy around. Now, 6-gingerol found in raw ginger is under study as an alternative medicine to cure cancer. If you don’t mind the taste, chewing a piece of raw ginger will help you digest your lunch faster.
Probiotics
The use of live bacteria that helps the inner workings of the digestive system is probiotics. You may experience a decrease in good bacteria after an illness due to the effect of antibiotics. The most common probiotic is lactobacillus — a bacterium you find in food items like yogurt. The other popular one is bifidobacterium which is found in many dairy products. It helps ease Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
The probiotics found in yeast is Saccharomyces boulardii. It helps fight digestive problems and diarrhea. Probiotics promote the passage of food through the guts by acting on the nerves that control the movement of the intestines.
Artichoke
A type of thistle, artichoke has wonderful medicinal properties — among which is its ability to promote digestion. It promotes heart and liver health and lowers blood sugar levels which is probably why people make it a point to include it in their menu. Symptoms of indigestion such as stomach pain, flatulence, and vomiting get reduced significantly by having artichoke in any form.
To calm tumultuous, stomach upheavals, drink a cup of artichoke juice daily. It reduces stomach cramps and gives relief for people suffering from stomach pain. It reduces cholesterol level, and this promotes heart health and enhances metabolic activity in the body. Abdominal pain comes down a lot through the use of this vegetable. Moreover, it has loads of folate, vitamin K, and fiber, among other things. Fiber helps improve the passage of food through the intestines and speeds up the digestive process.
Pineapple
Digestive enzymes in pineapple help treat indigestion and heartburn. Bromelain extracted from pineapple is a digestive enzyme that helps treat a variety of conditions. It might be useful for treating muscle soreness and similar inflammatory conditions. But you must avoid taking large amounts of bromelain as it can lead to an upset stomach. Moderate consumption of pineapple is advisable.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle can help rectify a variety of stomach conditions including liver poisoning and liver cirrhosis. When your digestion is not up to par, a dose of milk thistle in powder, capsule, or liquid form will help bring you back to top condition again. It does tend to lower blood sugar levels, so diabetics must watch out.
The efficacy of a herb, vegetable, or spice depends on the appropriateness and timeliness of the treatment. In most cases, we can quelch the unwelcome behavior within three or four days by taking the medicine for it. Though most of the benefits of herbs and spices used in natural therapy are overtly visible, a few may remain under wraps — known only to the practitioners of old. The next time you go through a bout of indigestion, try out these remedies!
