Easy Treatment for Indigestion by Dr. Andrew Weil
#8846 - 05/12/03 08:18 AM
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BarbBT
Reged: 04/05/03
Posts: 78
Loc: Chicago suburb, IL
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Hi,
The following is taken from today's Dr. Andrew Weil's tip of the day e-mail and thought it might be of interest:
"Tip: Easy Treatment for Indigestion
Eating on the run, overeating, and fatty, spicy foods can leave you with a bad case of indigestion. Before you reach for over-the-counter medications, try a soothing cup of peppermint tea. I suggest buying pure peppermint tea, brewing it in a covered container to retain the volatile components, and then drinking it either hot or iced. Do keep in mind that while peppermint tea soothes the lining of the digestive tract, it can also aggravate esophageal reflux syndrome by relaxing the muscular ring at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach. If you suffer from reflux, chamomile tea might be a better choice."
Barb
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I really like Dr. Weil, he always gives good advice. Thanks for posting this 
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Barb - a better way to take peppermint to aid digestion is ENTERIC COATED OIL OF PEPPERMINT - 1 after each meal with a glass of water (it has to be enteric coated though)
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danie,
Why is this better than the tea? Does it digest better somehow? Thanks!
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Peppermint is effective no matter how you take it - tea, Altoids candies, enteric coated capsules, etc. For some people, peppermint in the stomach can trigger GERD (as Dr. Weil notes). The enteric coated peppermint capsules don't dissolve until they reach the intestines, which prevents heartburn. However, the teas and Altoids will start working immediately, and the peppermint capsules will take a while. You could use a combination if you like.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Thanks Heather! Btw, I never drank tea so much until I read your books...and now I'm hooked! I don't know how I ever LIVED without tea!!! It's so relaxing.....just wanted to share (actually, as a kid I HATED tea or anything hot to drink...LOL)
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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I have found that, strangely enough, swalling 2 Altoids is MUCH more effective for my stomach than the Enteric-coated pepperment capsules (which can also be quite expensive). I wonder if this is because I need the peppermint in my upper digestive tract, not just the bowel....
ken
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I've found Altoids and peppermint tea more effective than the peppermint capsules too. I'm not sure why, but I do like the fact that I feel results from the Altoids and teas immediately.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Hi,
I think this question was asked before, but I can't find the answer:
For those people who find relief from Altoids, do you find that sucking them or chewing them works better? Or does it make a difference?
I suck my Altoids, and I've never really felt that they aided in anything but giving me sweeter breath! Maybe chewing them to ingest them faster would help?
Thanks,
Barb
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Barb,
There's certainly no harm in trying! What I usually do is bite 2 altoids in half, and swallow all 4 pieces. Then I suck on one just for the enjoyment I find that sucking on one at a time does help to some extent but I need a few more to really do the job
ken
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Thanks, Ken. I think I now understand why Altoids haven't helped me...I've only been eating (sucking) on one.
I will definitely try chewing more Altoids to see if that helps. (It's such a great option when I'm out and about and peppermint tea isn't an option.)
Thanks for your help,
Barb
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yes, not to mention that they are very cheap. I hope it gives you some relief...
ken
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When I need them, I chew them two at a time until I feel better. This can mean I end up chewing 8 or 10 of them in a pretty short period of time, but I've never had a problem from this.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Is indegestion the only thing the peppermint altoids help with?? do they do anything else for you?
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Thank You
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Altoids (and all other forms of peppermint) are smooth muscle relaxants, pain killers, help with nausea, and help with bloating. So they're good for just about every GI problem in the book except for heartburn/acid reflux, which they can worsen. They're terrific for IBS.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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