Natural Medicine — 4.
How to cure or cleanse the digestive system.
To begin with, we are going to mention the most common ailments affect the functioning of the digestive system, which many people have on a daily basis and which are not considered serious, but if they are not treated with plants and herbs, they can eventually degenerate into something more serious, and then require surgery or an aggressive treatment and, therefore, way too dangerous to the health.
These ailments are: heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, inflammation, pain or nausea. If these problems occur very frequently, and also with generalized discomfort, the right thing to do is to consult a doctor as soon as possible, since it may be a severe condition.
However, many people have mild stomach or intestinal conditions -or they appear occasionally- and in these cases herbs are a great help in curing them completely. As I am doing lately on Medium, I am going to tell you about the medicinal plants you can consume in a regular and safe way, and thus avoid ingesting chemical medications so as not to congest your organism. And most importantly . . . to heal yourself completely with Natural Medicine.
There are many herbs, many, but I am only going to comment on the most common and international ones so that everyone can see how to get them in their city or country in the easiest way. I will also mention some are most commonly obtained from herbalists or international e-commerce platforms.
Star anise
Here we refer to star anise (Illicium verum), which is native to the temperate zones of China and Vietnam, as it requires subtropical climates. Also ground, it is used as a spice in cooking. Not to be confused with Pimpinella anisum, whose seeds are used in liqueurs, bakery and confectionery. There is a star anise in Japan, called Illicium anisatum, which is considered toxic. Caution.
Star anise is antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial. It is recommended to relieve abdominal cramps, colic, constipation, gas, inflammation and indigestion. It is an excellent plant for a healthy digestive system. It also relieves arthritis pain, and has many minerals and vitamins (A, B, and C), calcium and phosphorus, and shikimic acid which is used in a product to fight the flu.
The best way to obtain the properties of star anise -as with almost all plants and herbs- is to take it as an infusion. As we have already seen in the previous chapters on Natural Medicine, you have to pour a cup and a half of water to boil and then add 2 or 3 “stars” of anise and let it boil very slowly for 1 or 2 minutes, and thus obtain a generous cup of tea.
After turning off the fire and letting the infusion rest for about 5 minutes, remove the stars and drink it hot. It is advisable to drink up to two cups a day, preferably after meals.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the bark of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum), native to Sri Lanka. Along with pepper or cardamom, it is one of the first spices to be used for gastronomic purposes by humans.
Its power lies mainly in its aromatic compounds. All of them have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In fact, cinnamon has greater antioxidant capabilities than those considered superfoods, such as blue or red berries. Cinnamon is very useful for Diabetes control and weight loss.
As cinnamon has antispasmodic, antiseptic and antiviral properties, it is excellent in gastro-intestinal disorders. It is effective against dyspepsia, insufficient gastric juices, gas and nausea. It also mitigates diarrhea thanks to its astringent and regulating effect on the intestinal flora.
There is cinnamon extract, which is taken with water; it also exists in capsules. But following my custom, I recommend cinnamon tea. It is sold in boxes with 20 sachets, or you can make it at home with the usual procedure already described. Start with three quarters of a cup -3/4 cup- and a quarter (1/4 ) teaspoon of cinnamon. If you feel like drinking more or stronger, increase the dosage. But please, do not overdo it because too much can irritate the digestive system. Drink it hot and slowly after meals.
Ginger Root
We have already talked about ginger in other chapters, since it is a root or subway horizontal stem, whose medicinal properties are well known. We mentioned it in Natural Medicine — 2, when we commented on how to cure respiratory ailments.
As far as the digestive system is concerned, it is evident it improves digestion and stimulates the appetite. It is also very useful to prevent or alleviate flatulence food can produce. As it is available fresh (the root) or in powdered form, it should be noted that the latter is more concentrated. Caution.
Fresh ginger root can be grated and added to fruits or breakfast cereals, and in vegetarian or vegan meals. As a regular habit, it can be used as a detoxifier in the morning, adding lemon, cayenne, oil and water to taste. Or sprinkle it into soups, smoothies, juices, dressings or as a healthy addition to your favorite herbal teas.
Linden
This plant is available in flowers, leaves and extracts, and its great health benefits have been known for centuries. This is because they have an important concentration of beneficial compounds, which give it anti-oxidant and sedative properties, being favorable to the immune and digestive system.
The presence of one of the above-mentioned compounds, tannins, helps to relieve constipation, fighting inflammation.
To make an infusion, dried linden flowers are used. Follow the pattern of adding a teaspoon of linden to one and a half boiling water, or buy boxes of 20–25 sachets.
Chamomile
Chamomile is considered the specialist herb for digestive problems, because its smell and taste is kind to children. Besides being effective in digestive problems, it also has good effects in any type of colic (1), so it is considered a healing herb par excellence.
This Roman herb is consumed in the form of tea using its leaves and also its small flowers. This infusion helps to alleviate the symptoms of any disorder in the digestive system.
It is a plant very easy to find in any country in the world and in all supermarkets. You can add 1 teaspoon of leaves and flowers (together) to a cup and a half of water and boil them for a few minutes, though the easiest way is to get boxes with 20 or 25 sachets.
Boldo
We commented in Natural Medicine - 3 the healing properties of Boldo to combat gallbladder and liver problems.
It is a tool with many healing properties, one of them is that it has the power to relieve stomach disorders because of its high content of cineol. It acts as a protector of the digestive mucosa, as well as the biliary tract.
This plant can be purchased in herbalists, but also in many supermarkets there are boxes with sachets to dip in boiling water.
Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)
Its great popularity is due to the fact it is one of the plants help to improve digestive problems effectively, especially when there is nausea, vomiting or heavy digestion. It is also excellent to combat the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
I already mentioned this herb in Natural Medicine — 2, because its components are also very effective to decongest the respiratory tract.
Peppermint can be bought in any supermarket in boxes with 20 or 25 sachets.
Melissa
A gentle herb, recognized since ancient times, this is one of the plants help improve digestive problems, such as intestinal inflammation, and relieves pain and discomfort caused by indigestion -gas, flatulence, colic.
It also reduces stress and anxiety, and improves appetite. It can be used to relax and sleep better.
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a natural anti-acid that will relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of intestinal problems associated with flatulence and heartburn. Take as an infusion to treat gas, peptic ulcers, reflux, moderate diarrhea and gastritis, or get it ready in the Internet.
Finally, I would like to cite a food is very beneficial for the digestive system: fennel or sweet anise. This vegetable smells like anise and has many active principles, in addition to fixed oil (vegetable oil), proteins, organic acids and flavonoids (2). It is good for dyspepsia and spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence and satiety.
Another food very favorable to the digestive system is papaya. It is a tropical fruit and very pleasant to eat.
As you know now, we have in Nature everything we need for a healthy intestinal tract, and cure ailments that, if they advance, would become very unpleasant and dangerous. And we can achieve this in a very simple way: making a tea.
Let us take care of our physical body, because it is not only the only one we have during the whole incarnation, but also we all aspire to have the best quality of life possible.
(1) Colic is a painful organic disorder, usually located in the abdomen, characterized by violent cramps, sweating and vomiting. Intestinal, renal, hepatic, menstrual, etc. colic may occur.
(2) Flavonoids, a group of natural substances, are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine. These natural products are well known for their beneficial effects on health, and efforts are being made to isolate them.
