Chronic Indigestion – Strategies For Coping

By: Jill Seimer
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:18:04
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Good digestion is the cornerstone of good health, because this is the sole means of supplying nutrition to the body. You may be eating the most nutritive diet, but if your digestion is poor for some reason, the body is not able to absorb properly the nutrients from food, resulting in low energy levels and a whole lot of health problems arising from increased acidic toxins in the blood.

Chronic indigestion commonly presents itself in the form of heartburn and acid reflux, accompanied by flatulence, abdominal discomfort and pain, excessive burping, and other acidity-related problems. The most commonly used medications to get relief from chronic indigestion are antacids. Though they do provide some temporary relief from acid reflux, they do not cure the root cause of chronic indigestion, and can have side effects in the long run.

Continuous use of antacid medications can disturb the natural acid–alkaline balance in the body, further enhancing the digestive problems. Moreover, antacids contain aluminum, which has been indicated as being related to senility and Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, the use of some time-tested natural home remedies and inclusion of alkaline foods in the diet seems more effective and safer method to get relief from symptoms of chronic indigestion.

A very potent remedy picked straight from the kitchen shelf is aniseed, or anise. The digestive power of aniseed is well known since ancient times. In many cultures, a teaspoon of plain/roasted aniseed is chewed after meals in order to aid digestion and to leave a lingering sweet smell in the mouth. One can also make a light herbal tea out of aniseed. But only the green variety, also called European anise or sweet anise, should be used.

Peppermint is another remedy for indigestion that is easily available in any kitchen. It has strong digestive and antibacterial properties and is helpful in stomach disorders, cramps, ulcers and flatulence. Roasted carom seeds (or ajwain), either chewed directly or taken in the form of a herbal tea, also aid digestion. One more spice that is known to aid digestion and is easily available on your kitchen shelf is cinnamon. Powdered cinnamon can be added to a number of dishes, not only to give its characteristic flavor but also to improve digestion.

Chicory root is a bitter herb containing endive and escarole. A herbal tea made out of chicory root reduces acid reflux and heartburn. It may also be added to salad. Yet another common herb known for digestive healing properties is lavender.

The best way to avoid developing chronic indigestion is to make alkaline foods a part of your daily diet, and to reduce the consumption of acidic foods (non-vegetarian foods, deep-fried foods, coffee and tea, refined sugars and starch), etc. For example, a cup of plain chilled milk gives almost instant relief from acidity.

Other alkaline foods include that have strong digestive properties are papaya (having the enzyme papain), pineapple (having the enzyme bromelain), pomegranate, grapefruit, banana, lime, a whole lot of vegetables like bottle gourd, fresh natural yogurt, etc.

Making these vegetarian foods a part of your daily diet, and minimizing the consumption of acidic foods, goes a long way in helping you cope with chronic indigestion and prevent further development of digestive problems.

Article source: Expert Articles