This digestion tincture is the go-to remedy in my household for dealing with various digestive issues. It’s easy to make and works wonders against bloating, IBS, or when you just need some digestive support.
Our modern diets often focus on sweet and salty flavors, leaving bitter tastes behind. But herbs like dandelion leaves, frisée lettuce, rosemary, orange peel, and coffee are great digestive bitters that can really improve digestive health. These bitters activate digestive secretions starting from the tongue, get saliva flowing, and promote bile release to help digest fats.
There’s also a group of digestive helpers called aromatics, which include pungent-smelling herbs with strong oils like mint, fennel, and black pepper. They work by relaxing smooth muscles and calming the nervous system to prepare your body for digestion.
For this tincture, I use a combination of peppermint, ginger, and fennel. Peppermint, besides being a tasty treat in mint chocolate chip ice cream, helps soothe the digestive system. However, if you suffer from acid reflux, be cautious, as it might trigger heartburn. In such cases, consider making the tincture without mint.
Peppermint is excellent for calming an upset stomach and easing nausea, making it beneficial during pregnancy or for motion sickness. It also has antiviral properties that can help with the flu.
Next up is ginger, which is known for boosting circulation and supporting the body during colds and flu. It’s effective against nausea, including morning sickness and motion sickness. Fresh ginger is gentler on sensitive stomachs compared to dried ginger. It’s shown promise in reducing nausea from surgery, chemotherapy, and seasickness.
Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare, is an amazing gentle herb for digestion, safe for all ages. It’s used in gripe water for soothing colic and constipation and helps release trapped gas in the intestines. However, use it cautiously during early pregnancy.
I’ve personally used this tincture during labor for nausea, to combat morning sickness, stomach bugs, and to alleviate indigestion and heartburn. If it worsens heartburn, simply replace the mint with more of the other herbs.
Addressing the root cause of digestive issues is always important. For instance, correcting diet can heal a leaky gut, and evaluating for oral ties or seeking chiropractic care can help colicky babies.
Fennel tea is usually safe during pregnancy, but the tincture isn’t recommended due to its potential estrogenic effects. It can, however, increase milk production while breastfeeding.
Mint helps with pregnancy nausea but might worsen heartburn in later stages. If you’re pregnant, replace fennel with chamomile for its similar digestive benefits but consult with your healthcare provider beforehand.
Nursing mothers should consider leaving out peppermint to prevent reduced milk supply, opting for more ginger and fennel instead.
I always keep this tincture and homemade chamomile tincture on hand, especially with kids. It’s great for external use on babies’ tummies for colic and gas, or even applied on the head for headaches. It’s also handy when the kids indulge too much in unhealthy foods while we’re out.
Adults can take up to a teaspoon mixed with water or tea for heartburn, indigestion, or nausea, adjusting doses as needed. During my pregnancy, I used half a teaspoon for morning sickness, with more doses throughout the day if required. Children need less, around 10-20 drops, and for babies, just rub a few drops on their tummies.
Always consult a doctor or midwife if you’re pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition before using herbal remedies.
Most homemade tinctures use 80-proof alcohol, but the herbs in this tincture extract best with an alcohol strength of 50-60%. To achieve this, mix 95-proof alcohol with distilled water in a 2:1 alcohol-to-water ratio. This blend calls for 3 cups of liquid, adjusting as needed to cover the herbs. If using fresh mint and ginger, just go with undiluted 95-proof alcohol.
What have you tried to tackle digestive issues? Any other herbs you’d suggest for this tincture? Drop a comment and share your thoughts!