Those unpleasant indigestion feelings may send you running to the drugstore for relief, and if they do, you've got plenty of company. The American Gastroenterological Association says that digestive problems are one of the most common reasons Americans take over-the-counter medications.
Indigestion can be a symptom of something more serious, such as gastritis, an ulcer, severe heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, or diverticulitis. But if it's just the result of overdoing it at dinner, try some of these home remedies from the kitchen for relief.
Home Remedies from the Spice Rack
Snack on caraway seeds. These seeds act very similarly to fennel seeds. They help with digestion and gas. You can either make a tea from the seed or you can do what people in Middle Eastern countries have done for centuries -- simply chew on the seeds after dinner. Caraway seed tea: Place 1 teaspoon caraway seeds in a cup and add boiling water. Cover the cup and let stand for ten minutes. Strain well and drink up to 3 cups a day -- be sure to drink on an empty stomach.
Get things moving with cinnamon. This aromatic spice stimulates the digestive system, helping things move along the digestive tract smoothly. You can make a cinnamon tea by stirring 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder into 1 cup hot water. Let the tea stand for up to five minutes and drink.
Ingest some fennel seeds. This remedy is one of the most prescribed for gas and stomach cramps by medical herbalists. Try a fennel tea for your stomach: Place 1 teaspoon fennel seeds in a cup and add boiling water. Cover the cup and let stand for ten minutes. Strain well and drink up to 3 cups a day -- be sure to drink on an empty stomach.
Drink ginger tea. Ginger is a long-time helper for stomach ailments of all types -- particularly nausea and gas. Ginger helps food flow smoothly through the digestive tract, allowing the body to better absorb nutrients. Drink a cup of ginger tea to get your stomach back on track. To make your own ginger tea: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger to a cup of hot water, let stand for up to three minutes, strain, and drink away.
Eat some mint. A folk remedy for indigestion, mint (in the form of peppermint or spearmint) can soothe a troubled tummy. Mint helps food move through the intestines properly and eases stomach cramps. Sip a cup of mint tea to let the herb work its magic: Put 1 teaspoon dried mint in a cup and add boiling water. Cover the cup and let it stand for ten minutes. Strain and drink up to 3 cups of the warm tea a day. Be sure to drink it on an empty stomach.
Make a thyme cocktail. Thyme stimulates the digestive tract, helps with stomach cramping, and relieves gas pressure. Try some thyme for your tummy trouble: Place 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves in a cup. Fill the cup with boiling water and let stand, covered, for ten minutes. Strain and drink on an empty stomach up to three times a day.
Home Remedies from the Cupboard
Use baking soda. Make your own antacid with baking soda. (Remember to read the antacid instructions on the baking soda label before you take this home remedy.) Mix 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 glass water, and drink away. Also remember that baking soda is a sodium compound (sodium bicarbonate), so if you have high blood pressure or are on a sodium-restricted diet, don't use this remedy.
Snack on crackers. You haven't eaten anything all day, and you can't understand why your stomach is churning and burning. The answer is probably overactive stomach acids. And your best bet is to eat something, but to stick with something bland, such as nibbling on crackers.
Mix in rice. If an overflow of stomach acid bothers you, try eating 1/2 cup cooked rice with your dinner. It's a complex carbohydrate that keeps the stomach busy churning, diverting excess acid. Plus, it's a bland food that tends to be easy on the stomach.
Home Remedies from the Refrigerator
Eat an apple. Adding fiber to your diet will help alleviate stomachaches and keep your digestive system healthy. One study of fiber's effect on the tummy discovered that people who ate fiber-rich foods at the first sign of a tummy ache cut their chances of getting a full-blown upset stomach in half. If you haven't been eating much fiber, be sure to start slowly. Jumping in with loads of fiber-rich foods after living on burgers and fries will give you a mean case of gas. Add fiber gradually over a few months and drink plenty of water to avoid overloading your system. To get started, grab an apple and nosh away, but remember to eat the peel -- that's where you get most of your roughage.
Try some soda. Soda pop, particularly ginger ale or lemon-lime and other noncaffeinated varieties, help settle stomachs. Sipping on a can of decaffeinated soda can help settle your stomach. This trick is especially useful if you've eaten too much. The carbonation in the soda causes you to burp, which is the quickest way to get relief from an overfull belly.
Take fruit juice for stomach flu. If you have the stomach flu (which is not really a flu, or influenza, at all but generally some type of microbial infection, like food poisoning) and it is accompanied by diarrhea and/or vomiting, fruit juice will help resupply the potassium and other nutrients your body is losing.
Home Remedies from the Fruit Basket
Eat a banana. If you have a sensitive tummy, bland foods such as bananas seem to ease the pain. One study found that half the people who took banana powder capsules every day for two months eased their tummy pain. You can get similar results by eating a banana -- or better yet, a plantain banana -- every day.
Home Remedies from the Medicine Cabinet
Take an antacid. Antacids can help neutralize stomach acids, which can cut that burning sensation you feel when you have an empty stomach. Antacids are very effective in soothing stomachs, but they can have side effects. For example, magnesium-based antacids can cause diarrhea, while calcium-based antacids can cause constipation. Antacids with aluminum hydroxide can also cause constipation.
Try an antacid in tablet form. The dose in a tablet is lower than in liquid preparations and therefore may be less likely to contribute to secondary problems, such as constipation or diarrhea.
Improve digestion with hot water. Heat some water on the stove, and pour it into a hot water bottle. Put the soothing heat on your stomach after you eat to help increase circulation to the abdominal area. The improved circulation should help improve digestion.
As mentioned previously, mint can be an effective home remedy for stomach-related troubles. In fact, mint is so helpful that it deserves some further discussion. Continue to the next page to learn more about mint.
