Natural Digestive Aids

Stomach and Pancreas

The stomach and pancreas are involved in digestion. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid which combines with digestive enzymes from the pancreas to breakdown carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Most doctors believe suboptimal operation of the pancreas is at the root of many diseases, and they believe that to have good organic health, you need to make sure your pancreas operates properly.

Various things can prevent the pancreas from operating properly. For instance, stress can increase acid output and weaken digestion over time. Overeating also causes pancreatic problems because it causes less acid to be produced. In both cases, poor digestion shows up as gas, belching, bloating, heartburn, stomach aches, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, burning sensations, or discomfort after they’ve eaten a meal.

To improve total digestive health, here’s a list of natural health remedies you can implement:

• Apple Cider Vinegar. Low stomach acid will improve if you add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 8 ounces of water, and drink it twenty minutes before your meal.
• Ginger Tea. Add about five pieces of chopped ginger root to 3 cups of water and boil. Ginger is a digestive stimulant, but also great for nausea, motion sickness, or morning sickness when you’re pregnant. It also helps improve lackadaisical digestion, which causes gas and bloating. Drink about one cup thirty minutes before eating.
• Lemon. Squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of water, and drink it twenty to thirty minutes before a meal to help with digestive and improve stomach acid.
• Orange Peel Tea. Orange peel tea also helps stimulate hydrochloric acids. Use organic oranges if you want to avoid Citrus Red No. 2 coloring, which is added to non-organic oranges to brighten and make them uniform in color. Trim the orange and add about half of the orange’s peel to 3 cups of water. Boil four to five minutes, and drink 1 cup thirty minutes before eating.
• Pineapple and Papaya. Bromelain comes from pineapples and papin comes from papayas. Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory and papin soothes the stomach, so this combination helps with protein digestion. The brand I buy is Trader Darwin’s Natural Papaya and Pineapple Enzymes sold by Trader Joe’s. Take it according to the directions.
• Rosemary Tea. Add four to five sprigs of fresh rosemary to 3 cups water. Boil four to five minutes. Again about 1 cup should be taken about twenty to thirty minutes before your meal to stimulate digestion.

By the time you’re sixty years old, hydrochloric acid production has usually dropped, and it continues to diminish with age. Diabetics, people with food allergies, and people with skin problems also show low hydrochloric levels. Additionally, if the body doesn’t have proper enzymes for digestion, it appropriates them from somewhere else in the body. This means you may not have the necessary enzymes needed for your bones, your immune system, or some other part of your body. So, over time this results in less nutrients being absorbed into the body and may lead to chronic fatigue, anemia, osteoporosis, allergies, insomnia, arthritis, poor skin and hair, and even cancer.

For total digestive health there are several other things you should know. When liquids are taken with a meal, they reduce stomach acid levels needed for proper digestion. Liquids should always be consumed at least a half an hour before a meal or an hour after a meal. If you need to drink with your meal, consume small amounts—less than a cup over the course of the meal. Another thing, when you eat smaller meals and portions, it is easier for your body to digest the food properly as a limited number of digestive enzymes are produced with each meal. Additionally, do not eat at least three hours before bedtime. Going to bed on a full stomach can cause acid reflux, indigestion, and weight gain.