Gastritis,abdominal gas and flatulence become a common problem in the modern time.Due to busy life no one is able maintain a healthy eating habits.The unhealthy eating habits leads to gas and many digestive disorders.Natural foods are very helpful to prevent and over come gas and other abdominal disorders.
Natural foods have been used in ancient medicine as carminatives-agents that expel gas and relieve flatulence.The main pharmacological agent is considered to be oils in the plants. These oils relax smooth muscles,thereby allowing gas to escape.In some cases the gas erupts upward through a relaxed sphincter muscle between the oesophagus and the stomach.Then it is called a belch. Carminative foods also have an antispasmodic,muscle-relaxing effect in the intestine.Spices and condiments with carminative activity include aniseed,asafoetida,bishop's weed,caraway seeds,cinnamon,clove,dill,fennel seeds,garlic,ginger and mint.
Aniseed:
Anisseed possesses gas-relieving property.It is an excellent remedy for flatulence and it helps expel wind from the stomach. It can also be taken,in combination with other digestive foods like ginger,cumin and pepper,in the form of an infusion.Boiled with milk and a large cardamom,it is an excellent carminative for bottle-fed infants.
An easy way to prepare the infusion is to mix a teaspoon of aniseed in a cup of boiling water and leave it covered overnight.The clear fluid is then decanted and taken with honey.This helps relieve gurgling in the abdomen.It is also useful in preventing gas and fermentation in the stomach and the bowels.
Aniseed can also be taken in the form of tea for relieving flatulence.This tea is prepared as follows: put about 325 ml of water in a saucepan and bring to boil.Ass 1 teaspoon of aniseed,cover with a lid,lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.Strain and drink hot or warm.This tea can be sweetened with honey and hot milk can also add to it. If ground aniseed is to be used,half the quantity of seeds should be used and the quantity of water should also be reduced by one quarter.
A tea prepared from aniseed,caraway seed and fennel seed has also been found beneficial in the treatment of flatulence.This tea is prepared in the same manner as aniseed tea.Using 500 ml of water and 1 teaspoon each of the three seeds.A cupful of this tea should be sipped three times a day after meals.The left over tea should be kept covered in a cool place.The quantity required each time should be heated before use.If ground seeds are to be used,the quantity of the seeds should be reduced by one quarter.
