Heading Off Heartburn

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Gastrointestinal problems are epidemic in industrial societies. Whether they are attributable to toxins in food, pesticides, stress, or simply the fact that we were designed for a simpler diet than we are getting, ulcers, hiccups, heartburn, diarrhea, and the host of other ailments that you are only too familiar with afflict over 50 million Americans each year. For the most part, they are treated with antacids, very simple components of acid-neutralizing bases. There are some simple herbal remedies, however, you can make easily and inexpensively to relieve the discomforts of stomach irritation.

Indigestion usually produces a combination of symptoms including stomachache, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, and gas. And as Murphy's Law would have it, this problem always seems to happen at the most inopportune times. What can you do to deal with it? Try these remedies: Eat a large radish, but don't do it just before you're getting ready to pick up your favorite brunette for a romantic evening. It will help your stomach, but your breath may drive her away. Instead substitute peppermint tea made by placing some peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water, allowing it to steep for 10 minutes. This has a very soothing effect on the gastric mucus.

If you live in an area where grocery stores sell papaya, buy some and eat it fresh, or drink some papaya juice. This fruit contains a proteolytic enzyme that aids the digestion of meats, thus helping your tummy to do less growling after a steak or a hamburger. You can also bring to boil a teaspoon of alfalfa seed in a cup of water and let it steep for five minutes. Drink this tea half an hour after meals to aid digestion. Hiccups is another common gastrointestinal problem, and sometimes it seems they are impossible to stop. A hiccup is actually a spastic contraction of the diaphragm, which is the large circular muscle separating the chest from the abdomen. For hiccup problems, drink a glass of pineapple or orange juice. Or mix one teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of warm water and drink. You can also try a couple of teaspoons of honey. The sugar in the honey usually breaks up the hiccups. One final radical treatment is to gently inhale a little pepper. This should make you sneeze, and sneezing generally relieves hiccups.

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