Fix Indigestion Naturally With These Home Remedies

If you’re dealing with tummy woes, you’ll certainly want to cast a critical eye on the foods you eat, as well as how often you eat and how much you munch. There’s no free parking in your GI tract—once it’s in, you pay the price.

Thankfully, these tried and true natural home remedies for indigestion really work.

Well-rooted traditions

• Ginger is justifiably famous for settling stomach upset and improving digestion. You can take capsules with meals, eat candied ginger or brew up a cup of ginger tea.
• Chamomile is an age-old treatment for indigestion. It calms the stomach and soothes the intestinal tract. Drink a few cups of chamomile tea during the day or take a tincture up to three times a day.
• Peppermint soothes intestinal muscle spasms and helps prevent nausea. Take one to two capsules containing 2 mL (1 tsp) of oil three times a day between meals. If you prefer a cup of tea, then steep 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried peppermint in a cup of hot water. You can drink it hot or cold. (Note: If you have heartburn, peppermint is NOT the solution for you.)

Chewable resources

• Chewing and swallowing a spoonful of fennel or caraway seeds is a great way to stop indigestion. Both seeds contain oil that relieves spasms in the gut, soothes nausea and controls flatulence.
• Fennel or anise tea made with two to three teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds is another tasty solution.
• DGL (deglycyrrizinated licorice) sold in health food stores coats the lining of the stomach, reducing ingestion and stomach upset.

Sour solution

• Try drinking one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with a half-cup of water. This is particularly effective if you’ve overindulged at the dinner table. (But be aware, there is a right way to drink apple cider vinegar.)

Soda solution

• Stir a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water and drink it. This solution neutralizes stomach acid and helps relieve gas and bloating. Add a few drops of lemon to dispel some of the gas before it hits your stomach.

Sip this

• Sometimes sipping a plain old cup of hot water eases indigestion.
• Warm ginger ale, lemon-lime soda or flat cola are old standbys for stomach problems.

Beware of juice and dairy

• The fructose in fruit juices can cause abdominal pain and gas as it passes undigested into the colon. Start drinking your fruit juices with a meal to reduce their negative effect.
• If cheese or any other dairy products make you feel gassy and bloated you may be lactose intolerant. Try including some lactose-free dairy products in your diet and see if that solves the problem.

Eat slowly and early

• Eat slowly and chew your food. Wolfing your food down makes you swallow gas, which can contribute to bloating and gas.
• Eat your final big meal at least three hours before bedtime. You don’t digest very well when sleeping.

Next, check out our simple 10-minute yoga routine to help improve your digestion.