Herbal Treatment for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Home remedies for Nausea and vomiting


Ginger
Ginger is the herbal supplement most commonly employed to relieve nausea and vomiting. Ginger can be used to treat vomiting due to morning sickness, sea sickness, chemotherapy and surgery.
Although ginger is found to be effective in controlling nausea and vomiting

* some potential side effects. It increases the risk of bleeding especially in those who take medications like aspirin and clopidogrel. Anecdotal reports say that it can cause mutation and affect the growing fetus. But this is not proven by studies.

Home remedies for Functional dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen.

Banana
promotes gastric mucus secretion and has been found to relieve symptoms of ulcer disease.
Capsaicin
is derived from the dried fruit of red pepper. It blocks the signal conduction in nerve fibers that carry the sensation of pain from the abdominal organs to the brain. It has been found to improve symptoms like upper abdominal pain, nausea and bloating.
Greater Celandine
which is also called as tetterwort has the property of relaxing smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. It can be used for the relief of colicky pain. It can cause side effects like dryness of mouth, sleeplessness, diarrhea, fatigue and liver toxicity.
Liu Jun Zi Tang
which is also called as TJ 43 is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been frequently used to treat functional dyspepsia. It provides relief from abdominal bloating, acid reflux and nausea. The only adverse effect noted with it is the development of interstitial pneumonitis in which the lungs are affected.
Peppermint and Caraway
prevents smooth muscle contractions. Several studies have shown that they provide relief from abdominal bloating and pain. The side effects include diarrhea, allergic reactions and worsening of asthma. Among the herbal supplements used to treat functional dyspepsia, these two supplements are the extensively studied supplements.
Shenxiahewining
is a Chinese herbal preparation which contains many Chinese herbs like Ginseng, Pinelliae, Zingiberis and Glycyrrhizae. It provides relief from functional dyspepsia.
Tumeric
has been found to provide relief from the symptoms of functional dyspepsia. It increases secretion of bile, promotes contraction of gallbladder and act as an antispasmodic providing relief from colicky pain. It can cause fatigue and headache.

 

Home remedies for Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is defined as abdominal discomfort and altered bowel function in the absence of structural and biochemical abnormalities.
Psyllium
Psyllium is the most commonly prescribed supplement for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. It adds to the bulk of the stool and facilitates bowel evacuation.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil prevents smooth muscle contractions and can be used for relief from abdominal pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
STW 5
STW 5 is an herbal preparation that contains bitter candytuft, chamomile, peppermint, caraway fruit, licorice root, lemon balm leaves, celandine and milk thistle. It has got antispasmodic properties and has been found to be effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Home remedies for Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammatory diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract of which ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the common types.
Curcumin
Curcumin is extracted from turmeric. Studies have shown that it has got antioxidant properties and provides symptomatic relief in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera is a medicinal plant. Studies have shown that oral intake of aloe vera for 4 weeks provide clinical relief in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis.
Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is an extract from the bark of French maritime pine tree. It has got antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that Pycnogenol provides symptomatic relief and can be used as a supplement in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Home remedies for Diarrhea and constipation

In complementary and alternative medicine constipation and diarrhea are grouped together under the term colonic health.
Aloe
Aloe acts as a stimulant laxative. It promotes intestinal motility and relieves constipation.
Apple pectin
Apple pectin is rich in fiber and it adds to the bulk of the stool and helps in evacuation of bowel.
Cascara
Cascara is a stimulant laxative. It promotes intestinal motility and relieves constipation.
Fennel
Fennel has got intestinal motility promoting and antispasmodic properties and helps to relieve constipation.
Ginger
Ginger promotes intestinal motility and relieves constipation. But it can cause bleeding especially in those taking aspirin and similar group of medications
The other supplements which promote colonic health include hibiscus, Oregon grape, psyllium, raspberry, rhubarb, senna, spirulina and yellow dock.

Home remedies for Liver disease

Complementary and alternative medicine is commonly used to treat hepatitis B, hepatitis C and alcohol induced liver disease.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle is the most commonly used herbal preparation in the treatment of hepatitis due to viruses, alcohol and medications. Silymarin is the active ingredient of milk thistle and it has got antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and also slows down the scar formation in liver.
TJ -9
TJ-9 also known as xiao- chai- hu- tang in China is a combination of seven herbs. This herbal preparation has got antioxidant properties and also prevents scar formation in the liver.
Phyllanthus amarus

Pylllanthus amarus inhibits the multiplication of hepatitis B virus. It acts by inhibiting the enzyme HBV DNA polymerase.
The other herbal supplements that have been found to be effective in the treatment of viral hepatitis include fuzheng jiedu tang, kurorinone, Jianapi Wenshen, thymic extract, licorice and Picrorrhiza kurroa.

Home remedies for Gastrointestinal cancers

Estimates are that up to 64% of the adults with cancer employ complementary and alternative medicine at some point during their treatment.
Green Tea
Studies have shown that green tea help prevent adenomatous polyps in the colon and chronic atrophic gastritis. Adenomatous polyps lead to colon cancer and chronic atrophic gastritis leads to stomach cancer.
Garlic
Garlic has been found to prevent the development of stomach cancer. It is found to have antibacterial effect against the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori has been proved to cause stomach cancer.
Lycopodium clavatum
Lycopodium clavatum is a type of fern moss. There are reports that it is effective in the treatment of rectal cancer pain.

Reference: steady health.com

0 comments: