Herbs

Curcuma longa:Unlike with many spice-rack staples, you can get a therapeutic dose of turmeric from food. A pinch per serving is all you need, says Reenita Malhotra, an Ayurvedic clinician in San Jose, California. In supplement form, take 4 grams of turmeric daily.This staple of Indian cooking is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Some studies suggests it works to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also help with other inflammatory conditions, such as tendinitis, and it may even protect your heart, given what we now know about the role of inflammation in heart disease.

Mentha x piperita:For run-of-the-mill upset stomach, plain old peppermint tea can help. To treat IBS, take one capsule containing 0.2 milliliters of peppermint essential oil one to three times a day with water and before meals.“Peppermint will cause heartburn and worsen acid reflux in some people,” says Snow. If you experience either of these problems, stop taking the herb.You’d be hard-pressed to find a better stomach-calming herb than peppermint (hence after-dinner mints). “It’s really good for any kind of digestive upset,” says Bunting.

 And peppermint oil, which comes in enteric-coated capsules, is one of the most effective natural treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Because the capsules are coated, they pass through the stomach and open in the intestines, where they have an antispasmodic effect on the muscles that go haywire during IBS, leading to diarrhea and/or constipation, the condition’s main symptoms.

tags:mentha,cucruma,herbs