Herbs for Musicians

Word to know: Carminative

A few years ago, I discovered that I have an intolerance to corn. If I eat any corn products – even baking powder (which contains cornstarch), my body will react by swelling just a little in every cell, it seems. I get bloated and feel terribly uncomfortable.

After I stopped eating corn, these symptoms went away, along with one other symptom: extreme gas.

Gas happens. It is a fact of life. Burping and farting help our bodies expel the build up of gas.

But sometimes it gets stuck, and this is what would happen to me.

It would usually get stuck in my stomach, and it was so incredibly painful. I would start feeling panicked, sweaty, and my heart rate would increase. I would feel afraid that I was having a heart attack, except that I knew that the pain was lower in my abdomen and not under my sternum.

Plus, my belly would be extremely distended.

The distention and pain were so intense I intimately understood that goats, horses, dogs and some other animals can die from bloat. No kidding. I definitely felt like I could die.

At these times, I turned to carminative herbs to help relieve the gas, because my body was unable to get rid of it on its own.

Carminative herbs work by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes and helping to relax the muscles in the digestive tract. They also increase the mucous in the tract, allowing the contents to move along. Many carminatives also have anti-inflammatory properties which help to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and the associated bloating and pain.

Carminatives can be used before, during or after meals. Some carminatives are common culinary spices. Other carminatives are often used in tea blends and make a soothing after-dinner drink. Most can also be made into tinctures or powdered and put in capsules.

Carminative herbs include black pepper, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, chamomile, clove, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, thyme, tulsi/Holy basil, and more!

If you have ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, you might have seen the spice mix on the way out and scooped some into your hand to chew on. The base of this spice blend is fennel, but it also includes some other carminative spices. I keep a small plastic spice jar of fennel seeds in my purse in case I have a gas attack on the go. (Thankfully, since I have stopped ingesting corn, this occurrence is now much less frequent!)

Looking at the above list, you can see that many of the carminatives are commonly used culinary herbs and spices, especially in various ethnic cuisines. Perhaps this list will encourage to eat foods outside the Standard American Diet if you have not done so already!

A quick note about two specific carminatives:

Lemon Balm may not be suitable for people with hypothyroidism. If you have this condition, speak with your doctor before using Lemon Balm.

Peppermint specifically relaxes the sphincter at the top of the stomach where it meets the esophagus. This can cause reflux if there is too much acid in the stomach. If you know you have acid reflux, avoid using peppermint. If you experience a burning sensation (heart burn) after using peppermint, try a different carminative next time.

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I am finishing up the final touches of my book of herbal teas. It is called Tasty Herbal Teas & Tisanes and should be out later this summer!

Reach out to me if you have any herbal questions! Let me know if this is newsletter is helpful, or if there any improvements I can make! And if you know someone who might benefit from this newsletter, please forward it!

Your Herbal Ally,

Heather

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Remember to do research and speak to a doctor about your particular situation before using herbs. The herbal education I provide does not substitute for advice from a healthcare professional.

Herbs will not make up for a poor lifestyle. We must first take care of ourselves through a healthy lifestyle with a proper amount of sleep, nutritious food, regular exercise and avoiding harmful substances as much as possible.