This is one of the simplest formulas I use, just four ingredients, and one of the ones I reach for most. Between my own family and the members who have come through my office, I’ve watched it handle acid reflux, bloating, nausea and motion sickness often enough that I trust it the way you trust something you’ve used a hundred times.
Used alone, it’s a gentle, effective aid. Paired with the liver and gallbladder formula, it becomes a quick, complete answer to nearly any upset in the upper digestion. I’d rather hand you four ingredients that work than a long list that only sounds impressive.
What a Good Digestive Tonic Contains
- Ginger Root, 4 parts. Warming and stimulating to the digestion.
- Fennel Seed, 4 parts. A soothing, mildly sweet seed long used to ease digestion.
- Peppermint Leaf, 2 parts. A classic stomach-soother with a bright, cooling taste.
- Peppermint Essential Oil. Added after straining, for a concentrated, cooling finish.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces each of Ginger and Fennel and 2 of Peppermint Leaf.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
Stir in the peppermint oil only after the herbs have been strained: about 2 ounces of peppermint oil per gallon of finished extract, or 1 teaspoon for every 12 ounces.
Situation by Situation
- Acid reflux: for mild reflux, 1 teaspoon in a glass of water usually brings fast relief. For worse reflux, take 2 teaspoons each of this tonic and the liver formula in a few ounces of water, then chase it with a full glass of water or juice. It brings fast, steady relief and protects the esophagus from irritation.
- Bloating and gas: 2 teaspoons each of the tonic and the liver formula, then lie on your right side, liver side down, for a few minutes. Relief often comes within 5 minutes as the pressure moves and the gas begins to release.
- Upset stomach and nausea: 2 teaspoons each of the tonic and the liver formula can settle a stomach within minutes, even when you feel you’re about to be sick. The tonic alone also works well after a meal that isn’t sitting right.
- Motion sickness: it tastes good enough to sip freely. Stir 1 teaspoon into a 32-ounce water bottle, start the trip with a full glass, and keep sipping through the ride.
A Couple of Related Helps
- Pain that flares with eating, even with a bite of banana, often points to too little stomach acid rather than too much. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a few ounces of water can bring relief within minutes.
- Hiccups: Lobelia is the more direct help, since it releases the spasm of the diaphragm itself. The tonic helps when the hiccups come from an irritated or acid stomach.
For more, see Heartburn or Acid Reflux.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
