Herbs for Stomach Upset

Easy herbs to keep on hand in the kitchen

It’s nice to have a blend ready for a post-meal infusion or for a guest needing relief. This one has meadowsweet, marshmallow root, peppermint, chamomile, rose, licorice and slippery elm bark.

Typically when there is acute digestive upset, the culprit is the last meal or set of meals. If constipation is at all an issue (that is, not having at least one fully formed bowel movement per day), then symptoms can compound because food isn’t assimilating and/or moving through the digestive tract properly and thus may invite bloating, gas, and cramping. But it’s not always food related, as any person suffering from stage freight may tell you. Queasiness or “butterflies” in the stomach can be a distraction to say the least, and then of course worrying about it sends a feedback loop that can further even more nervous activity.

Thankfully, there are some helps that are easy to keep in the kitchen for such a time. Get to know them, and they will be a welcome relief when the time is right.

ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale): excellent for a queasy stomach, also warming and gas relieving. Sliced fresh and decocted in simmering hot water for 10 minutes, it makes an warming and welcome remedy.

peppermint leaf (Mentha piperita): good for a post meal digestive, especially if something you ate isn’t sitting right and/or feeling acidic. As an aside, all types of mint are helpful here; try experimenting with mixing in spearmint or fieldmint. This is also an easy herb to add into blends for flavor.

chamomile flower (Matricaria recutita): an anti-inflammatory that eases nervous or cramping digestion and soothes the mind too, one heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of boiling hot water, steeped for five minutes. It’s also cooling for those acidic stomach symptoms (or attitudes).

fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare): if you’re feeling too stuffed, crampy, or gassy after a large meal, it’s fennel to the rescue. I especially love using this with small children, even for colic symptoms. Simply make an infusion with whole or crushed seed.

lemon balm herb (Melissa officinalis): easy for most people to grow, this is a tasty nervine that calms even the most nervous stomach.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

meadowsweet herb (Filipendula ulmaria): very helpful for heartburn and other acidic symptoms, it blends well with the other herbs listed here.

slippery elm bark (Ulmus fulva): this is a powder that I keep on hand to use with stubborn stomach complaints. I’ve also used it to treat scours with my dairy goats to great success! It’s very soothing to an irritated digestive tract. Use 2-3 grams mixed with a little bit of liquid and down the hatch it goes. Or dust some over a herbal tea blend. Make sure to get your powder from a reliable source, as it is sometimes adulterated.

I would be remiss if I did not mention celery! I’ve had more than one man in my life who suffered a bout of heartburn and appreciated chomping down on a stalk of celery to soothe it rather than taking time to make and drink a herbal infusion. Granted, it’s the rush through life that encourages heartburn, but until they’re ready to slow down, keep celery in the fridge 😉

Here’s an easy stomachic to make and keep on hand for all kinds of digestive woes.

Mint-ginger chews

1/2 powdered ginger

1/2 powdered peppermint

honey to combine until easy to roll together and shape

dry and store in an airtight container

Benevolent Healer endeavors to encourage, empower, and equip others who desire to educate, feed, and heal themselves, their families, and their communities using food and plants as medicine.

If you’d like to work personally with Keri Mae for a clinical herbal consultation regarding your own unique health concerns, you can find out more HERE.

The above are some helps and herbs that I have found useful both for myself and for friends and clients I have helped along the way. Of course, I do not know your own health challenges or needs; these notes are for your education and for further research and experimentation as suits your own needs. PLEASE do not just start taking a herb without understanding proper dosage and if you have anything that would be a contraindication for you or for any medication you may be on. Some links may be affiliate links in which I receive a portion of your purchase price.