Home Remedies for Indigestion and Constipation

The primary purpose of herbal tonics is to restore strength, particularly to the digestive system, for the health of the entire body depends on digestion, absorption and assimilation. Tonics are slow acting but considered very effective in the long run. In his clinical practice Dr. Terry Willard uses meadowsweet, goldenseal root, fennel seed, fenugreek seed, lobelia and gentian in a combination formula for improved digestive function. Barberry and Oregon grape, Peruvian bark, while poplar, blessed thistle, myrrh are also considered tonics in his Textbook of Modern Herbology.

Using digestive enzymes, acidophilus, herbal tonics, chewing food well and keeping the digestive tract clean are all strategies that improve digestion.

Digestive enzyme complex breaks down food for storage in the liver or muscles for use when needed. There are three main categories of digestive enzymes: amylase, protease and lipase. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates and is found in saliva, pancreatic and intestinal juices. Protease helps digest protein and is found in the stomach juices and pancreatic and intestinal juices. Lipase aids fat digestion and is found in the stomach and pancreatic juices and is also present in food fats. Digestive enzymes should be taken after a meal, unless you are eating processed and/or cooked foods, in which case it is best to take them during the meal.

Acidophilus relieves chronic constipation and may be used freely. Capsules, or plain unsweetened yogurt containing live and active culture, will help relieve digestive and gas pain, as well as restore good levels of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.

Home Remedies for Indigestion

There are several tried and tested things you can do at the household level to get relief from indigestion problems. The following is an exhaustive list of the various home remedies available for indigestion:-

Extract the juice of a few leaves of the holy basil (Ocimum sanctum). Mix this juice with an equal quantity of the juice extracted from ginger (Zingiber officinale) and with jaggery taken in double the amount. Grind and mix them thoroughly and then make small pellets of them. Take one of these pellets every day with water. Within a few days, the indigestion problems will be resolved and there will be an improvement in appetite. This is one of the useful home remedies for indigestion.

Extract the juice of a sweet pomegranate (check that it is not sour to taste). Take some cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) and roast them. Make a paste of these two. Add some jaggery into the paste. Take one teaspoonful of this paste twice or thrice in a day till the indigestion is cured. This is one of the effective indigestion treatment.

A very simple natural remedy for indigestion is to drink two glasses of warm water, which is still giving out some fumes. This remedy is excellent for indigestion that is especially caused due to flour.

In case indigestion is caused due to an excessive consumption of pulses, then taking two pinches of rock salt helps to cure the problem. This is a good home remedy for indigestion.

Indigestion caused due to the consumption of sweet foods can be treated very effectively by eating the powder of the bark of a peepal tree (Ficus religiosa) in the quantity of one teaspoon, with water.

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Herbal Constipation Remedy

Sometimes, indigestion is caused by eating coconut or the fruits of the palm tree. Such indigestion, which occurs especially in children, can be solved quite simply by eating a bowl full of plain cooked rice.

The neem tree (Azadirachtha indica) is also a good remedy for the indigestion treatment. In case of indigestion caused due to eating things filled with synthetic preservatives, a tablespoonful of the powder of the neem leaves is a good remedy.

Jackfruit is a very sweet and delicious fruit, but eating it in excess can cause indigestion due to the sticky saps present in the fruit. This type of indigestion is seen more commonly in children. In order to treat this problem, the children must be fed one banana.