How can I treat indigestion?
How can I treat indigestion?
Three experts share
holistic fixes and prevention tips.
An Ayurvedic
practitioner says:
In Ayurveda, there are three varieties of indigestion: irregular digestion (when even a small amount of food turns into the gas), hyper digestion (when too much hydrochloric acid in the stomach causes heartburn) and hypo digestion (when too much mucus in the stomach creates a “heavy” feeling after eating).
Treatment: Explain your eating
and sleeping patterns to a practitioner to identify your type. For irregular digestion,
stick to a regular eating and sleeping routine. Adding bitter foods
to
your diet will ease hyper digestion, and for hypo digestion, eating hot foods
will help dissipate mucus.
Self-help: Eating breakfast,
lunch and dinner around the same time every day—and going to bed at the same
time each night—optimizes digestion and can ease symptoms.
— Helen Thomas, D.C., Thomas Ayurveda Chiropractic in Santa
Rosa, Calif.
A gastroenterologist
says:
Indigestion
may be described as heartburn, acid reflux or a generalized
feeling of discomfort in the stomach or chest after eating.
Treatment: Tell your doc which
medications you are taking and whether you use tobacco or drink alcohol; also
explain when you experience symptoms. Your doctor will look for recent weight
gain and check for food allergies. You might be prescribed medication for
heartburn,
and
your doctor may test for acidity or muscle function of the esophagus.
Self-help: If you have symptoms at
night, avoid eating three hours before bedtime (particularly high-fat foods).
Keep a food diary to discover foods that trigger your symptoms
and
start working out. Exercise stimulates digestive function.
— Lauren B. Gerson, M.D., M.Sc.; associate professor of
medicine, Stanford University
School
of Medicine in Stanford, Calif.
A herbalist says: Indigestion happens when the body does not properly process
food, and can cause cramping, nausea, gas, bloating, reflux, constipation and
diarrhea.
Treatment: Take a formula
containing bitter herbs such as artichoke leaf, orange peel, dandelion and angelica,
which help break down foods in the stomach by increasing
bile
flow. To prevent food stagnation in the stomach, take Chinese hawthorn or Bao
He Wan pills.
Self-help: Drink water with a
slice of lemon or lime and bite the peel before each meal. Ensure you’re getting
enough fiber (you need about 30 grams a day) and take probiotics,
which help the “good” bacteria in your gut properly colonize. Also, eat yogurt or take a supplement with FOS (fructooligosaccharide).
— Karen Vaughan, L.Ac., A.H.G., licensed acupuncturist and
registered herbalist in
Brooklyn
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