Gut Feelings?

Here are 7 home cures for your indigestion

Against your better judgment, you ate five of Mom’s famous cabbage rolls, and there’s not an antacid in the house. Search the cupboard: Here are some old folk remedies for battling indigestion that may work for you, even if doctors don’t know why.

► Apple cider vinegar. Mix one teaspoon in a glass of water and drink. It may seem counterproductive, but some people really do benefit from the extra acidification.

► Papaya. There’s no good scientific proof that papaya extract actually helps aid digestion, so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration no longer allows papaya products to make that claim on labels. You can still find papaya-enzyme tablets in health-food stores, however, and many people swear by them. An enzyme in papaya, called papain, breaks down proteins and may mimic two digestive enzymes in the stomach: pepsin and trypsin.

► Activated charcoal. These tablets, available in drugstores, are an all-purpose antidote used in hospital emergency rooms for most types of poisoning. Folks have used them for years to alleviate all sorts of gastric ills. They work by rounding up gases in the stomach.

► Cardamon seed. Many fragrant spices, such as fennel, coriander, cardamom and ginger, have a long history as digestive aids. They contain ingredients that may stop nausea, soothe intestinal spasms and relieve gas buildup.

► Baking soda. Mix a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water and drink. It’ll make you burp and ease your bloating. Sodium bicarbonate relieves stomach gas and neutralizes acid, which is why it’s found in a number of antacids. Since it’s high in sodium however, doctors suggest you use it only occasionally.

► Honey. The use of honey to remedy stomach problems dates back to Ancient Egypt. Homey has some interesting antibacterial properties. In fact, researchers in New Zealand found that a certain type of honey kills the bacteria that causes ulcers and gastritis.

► Kelp tablets. Take a few with water. kelp and other seaweeds contain substances that help form gels that bind up stomach acid and ease indigestion, explains Arthur Jacknowitz, Pharm.D., chairmain of the department of clinical pharmacy at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy in Morgantown. Seaweed is high in sodium, Jacknowitz cautions, so it shouldn’t be taken by men on salt-restricted diets.

Reference: Jeff Stevenson