Herbs to Maintain Gut Health

Which Herbs to Use for Good Gut Health?

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Peppermint is a classic soothing herb. It has that lovely refreshing taste, is a great looking plant and attracts many pollinating insects into your garden.

With regard to gut health, peppermint contains tannins that provide protection for the gut lining. For this reason, if you know someone who has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, encourage them to drink peppermint tea on a regular basis.

Peppermint is fantastic for troubled tummies. It helps to relieve spasms and therefore the pain associated with stomach aches including the stomach aches caused by colic, indigestion, constipation, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gas and bloating are eased and peppermint boosts appetite and digestion. A cup of peppermint tea after your meals is a great addition to your daily liquid intake.

Plantain (Plantago purpurea)

We have a new herb variety which is the red/purple leaved Plantain. This is a broadleaf variety and is a superior genus to the more common green plantain.

It is known to have many properties and is one of the best healing herbs used around the world. In relation to gut health, it is a great remedy for bowel infections, stomach problems, colic and urinary tract infections.

Blend into your smoothies to aid digestion or drink as a tea.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family and is very aromatic with a delicious lemon aroma. It makes a beautifully refreshing tea and can also be used in soups, stews and salads by chopping the leaves. Cut leaves from your plants from spring right through to autumn and make sure you dry some for use over winter too.

Lemon Balm has properties that help with heartburn, indigestion, nausea and flatulence. It is particularly good for relieving digestive cramps. As well as brewing a tea from the leaves, it is a really nice addition to your smoothies.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Calendula is one of the well known herbs that helps with improving and maintaining a healthy gut, in particular digestion and absorption of the good things your gut needs to stay healthy.

The Calendula variety we refer to is the single pot marigold (rather than the tagetes variety) where the flowers are yellow or orange petals around a brown centre and an open bloom. The petals for this variety have a sticky resin that is purported to make them more medicinally active.

Calendula can also reduce inflammation in the gut wall, detoxify pathogens in your body, help fight amoebic infections and worms and help to heal pelvic and bowel infections. It’s very diverse, gentle, and effective for clearing the gut and helping to heal your damaged gut wall.

Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita or Chamomilla matricaria)

This is known in our catalogue as German Chamomile. It is a well known fact that chamomile can calm the nerves and help us to relax.

That’s why it’s great at soothing stress-related digestive troubles. Did you know that chamomile contains bisabolbol which is an amazing type of alcohol compound that helps to speed up the healing process of ulcers? Both gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is also known for relieving indigestion, reducing heartburn and acidity, helping colic in babies and healing infections such as gastroenteritis.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel is a wonder herb when it comes to troubling gut health. It is commonly known to provide soothing for stomach aches, but it certainly does a lot more. It assists the human body to digest and break down fatty foods. It also aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings.

Fennel has the ability to give us energy by enhancing appetite, digestion and absorption. This is a great herb to incorporate into your diet if you are trying to make healthy eating choices.

Too much sugar and fat tends to upset the stomach, so Fennel can definitely help with settling your tummy, helping with colic and bloating. Fennel also relieves associated indigestion, heartburn, nausea and diarrhoea.

Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis)

Marshmallow root has a mucilage or sap like substance. This is a gel-like substance that attracts water which then forms a viscous fluid. This liquid helps to coat and soothe the mucous membranes of the digestive tract which makes it great for fighting against heartburn, Irritable bowel and constipation due to dryness.

Marshmallow root also has great anti-inflammatory properties making it great for healing gastritus and peptic ulcers which are in the form of open wounds in the digestive tract. The mucilage is not digested in the upper gut, but when it reaches the colon it is digested by gut bacteria.

Other herb varieties

There are many herbs that can provide help with your digestion. Tea made from any of these herbs will provide the enzymes to help digestion.

- Anise

- Tarragon Texas

- Pennyroyal

- Sacred Basil