This digestion tincture is the most frequently used item in my home remedy collection. It’s straightforward to prepare and highly effective against numerous digestive problems. Whether you’re experiencing bloating, IBS, or just need some digestive support, this is a great option.
Digestive Bitters for Gut Health
In contemporary diets, sweet or salty flavors often overshadow other tastes. Bitter flavors are no longer commonly used to enhance our meals. If you’ve tasted dandelion leaves or frisee lettuce, you’ll recognize their bitterness. Other widely used digestive bitters include rosemary, orange peel, and coffee. Bitters provide various benefits for digestive health.
These herbs enhance digestive secretions throughout the digestive system. The process begins with the tongue; tasting bitter herbs prompts saliva production, which aids digestion as it moves through the body. Additionally, they stimulate bile flow from the gallbladder, which assists in the healthy digestion of fats.
Aromatic Herbal Blends
Aromatics represent another group of herbs that support digestion through teas and remedies. With strong scents and potent volatile oils, including mint, fennel, and black pepper, aromatics aid digestion differently than bitters. Their volatile oils signal smooth muscles to relax and inform the nervous system it’s time to unwind and digest.
Herbal Tincture Ingredients
For this digestive tincture blend, I combine peppermint, ginger, and fennel.
Peppermint
While peppermint is delightful in mint chocolate chip ice cream, it’s also effective for calming the digestive system. However, individuals with acid reflux should be cautious, as medicinal amounts of mint can relax the esophageal sphincter and trigger heartburn. If you experience heartburn or reflux with this tincture, try it minus the mint.
Mint alleviates upset stomachs and nausea, making it beneficial for pregnancy-related nausea and motion sickness. It also possesses antiviral properties that can help with flu symptoms, relaxing and stimulating the nervous system simultaneously.
Ginger
Ginger, another herb in this tincture, improves circulation and provides support during cold and flu seasons. It also alleviates nausea, motion sickness, and morning sickness. Fresh ginger is gentler on sensitive stomachs compared to dried ginger. Some research suggests it has anti-inflammatory properties, particularly for arthritis, but this is still being examined.
Studies indicate ginger outperforms placebos in combating nausea. It has shown effectiveness against post-surgery nausea, seasickness, and morning sickness, and can also reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Fennel
Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare, is another exceptional digestive herb. It’s gentle and suitable for all ages, including children, and often found in gripe water formulations. Fennel helps with spasms, calms colic, and relieves constipation. It acts as a carminative, releasing trapped gas in the intestines. However, caution is advised during early pregnancy.
How to Use the Digestion Tincture
I’ve used this digestion tincture during labor to counteract nausea and to curb morning sickness and stomach bugs by preventing vomiting. It also addresses indigestion, heartburn, and other digestive disturbances. If heartburn worsens, omit the mint and replace it with additional herbs. This tincture is likely to help with any digestive issue.
Addressing the root cause of a problem is always ideal. For instance, if you have gut dysfunction or leaky gut, dietary changes can promote healing of the gut lining. If your baby is consistently colicky, there may be an oral tie or nervous system disruption causing issues. In such cases, evaluation for tongue or lip ties or chiropractic adjustments may be beneficial.
Pregnancy and Nursing
While fennel tea is generally safe and gentle for pregnancy, the tincture is not advisable due to potential estrogenic effects in large amounts. During breastfeeding, fennel can increase milk production and soothe nursing babies’ digestive troubles.
Mint is commonly used to alleviate pregnancy nausea, though it may exacerbate existing heartburn in later stages. In larger amounts, peppermint might reduce breastmilk flow in nursing mothers.
If pregnant, replace fennel with chamomile, which is safe during pregnancy and shares similar digestive benefits. Always consult with a doctor or midwife before taking any herbal supplements.
Nursing mothers may prefer to exclude peppermint from this tincture, opting instead for more ginger and fennel.
Babies and Children
I keep this remedy and homemade chamomile tincture on hand, especially for kids. This tincture can be applied externally on babies’ tummies for colic and gas. It can also be rubbed on the head, for both adults and children, to alleviate headaches. Moreover, I use it for my children when they’re away from home and have indulged in excessive unhealthy food.
How Much Do I Take?
Adults can take up to 1 teaspoon in water or tea, with one dose typically addressing heartburn, indigestion, or nausea. A second dose may be needed. During pregnancy, I used 1/2 teaspoon in the morning for morning sickness, along with additional doses throughout the day as necessary.
Children generally require 10-20 drops, while a few drops can be rubbed on babies’ tummies.
If pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition, consult a doctor or midwife before using any herbal remedy or supplement.
Digestion Tincture Alcohol Strength
Most homemade tinctures use 80-proof alcohol (40%). However, the herbs in this tincture extract best with a 50-60% alcohol strength, which is higher than standard vodka. A solution is to use 95-proof alcohol and dilute it with distilled water to achieve 60% alcohol strength.
This equates to 2 parts alcohol to 1 part water. This tincture requires 3 cups of liquid overall, but if additional liquid is needed to cover the herbs, adhere to the 2:1 ratio. For fresh mint and ginger, use 95-proof alcohol without adding water.
Digestion Tincture
This simple digestion remedy addresses a wide range of issues, from nausea and constipation to colic.
Prep Time: 3 mins
Maceration Time: 14 days
Total Time: 14 days 3 mins
Yield: 20 ounces
Author: Katie Wells
- Crush the fennel. Put peppermint, ginger, and fennel (or chamomile) in the glass jar.
- Fill the rest of the jar with alcohol and water. If additional liquid is needed to fully cover the herbs, add more alcohol and water with a 2:1 ratio.
- Cap the jar and store it in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks, or up to six weeks, shaking it occasionally.
- After 2-6 weeks, strain the herbs using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Compost the herbs.
- Store the tincture in glass dropper bottles in a cool, dark place.
What methods have you tried to address digestive issues? Are there any herbs you’d suggest adding? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
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