6 Spices to Aid Your Digestion

Spices are valuable health foods especially against stomach upsets. Discover six spices that help digest and fight against stomach aches.

Christmas and its large tables have sown their share of digestive inconveniences. Bloating, heartburn and digestion hinder us relentlessly from the excesses of recent days. Spices, far from being content to be tasty culinary aids, are nutraceuticals. Their beneficial actions for the body are a valuable natural adjunct to cure almost all mild ailments. Discover six healing spices for stomach disorders.

1. Dill

The dill that we use mainly in condiments belongs to the old pharmacopoeia of China and Egypt. To use against digestive discomfort after meals, drink an infusion of dill. Infuse a stem of dill with a cup of water and add a drop of dill essential oil diluted in a little honey if you wish.

Caution: Dill essential oil is prohibited in pregnant women, babies and young children.

2. Angelica

Reputed to enhance longevity, angelica, a rustic plant of the parsley family, fights against many ailments, in particular, digestive disorders: flatulence, hyperacidity, abdominal pain, irritation of the colon, inflammation of the walls of the stomach… Use 30 drops of mother tincture of angelica three times a day for three weeks.

3. Star anise

This pretty star-shaped spice with eight branches combines the useful with the pleasant. Its bewitching anise scent conceals a strong anti-bloating action. In decoction, star anise also helps to treat diarrhea or avoid colic (even in infants).

To prepare the beverage, just boil a dozen stars star anise in half a liter of water for a quarter of an hour, then let infuse for ten minutes. Then drink two to three cups a day for a maximum of fifteen days.

4. Asafoetida or Hing

Behind the uninviting name of asafoetida hides a spice widespread in Indian cuisine and whose taste is reminiscent of garlic. In the West, it is part of many homeopathic remedies, including those to fight against gastrointestinal disorders and it is found in powder form.

It is consumed in a tonic to facilitate digestion: a pinch of asafoetida, 1 tablespoon ajowan (seed of Indian plant), 4 tablespoons of fennel seeds, a small piece of ginger (2-3 cm), a dozen green cardamines, a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of salt (optional). After grinding all the spices, keep the mixture in a jar. Take a good pinch in a little hot water after heavy meals.

5. Cardamom

Also from Indian herbalism, cardamom is a small seed of the family of turmeric and ginger brimming with health. In the kitchen, its warm flavor goes well with both savory and sweet dishes. In medicine, it is effective in fighting against digestive disorders. It is recognized for its digestive and carminative properties (cleansing: it promotes the expulsion of intestinal gas).

In herbal tea, cardamom relieves nausea and difficult digestion. It helps fight against abdominal pain and colitis.

6. The carvi

This plant of the parsley family, also called "cumin of the near", is edible as a whole. To treat the ailments related to digestion, we use mainly its seeds. They have powerful carminative and digestive properties. It gently relieves colic of infants. For this, you infuse a teaspoon of chamomile flowers and caraway seeds in hot water. Once warm, add the tea to the baby's bottle.