How to make a digestion tincture

This digestion tincture is by far the most used tincture in my home remedy cabinet. It's simple to do, but effective against many digestive problems. If you suffer from bloating, IBS, or just need some digestive support, keep reading.

Digestive bitters for gut health

In modern eating, sweet or savory flavors are often the stars of the show. We no longer naturally rely on a lot of bitter tastes to flavor our foods. If you've ever eaten dandelion greens or leaf lettuce, you'll know what they taste like. Other common digestive bitters include rosemary, orange peel, and coffee. Bitters promote digestive health in several different ways.

These herbs increase our digestive secretions throughout the digestive tract. It all starts with the language. As soon as we taste bitter herbs, it makes our saliva rise and aids digestion all the way. They also trigger the flow of bile from the gallbladder to promote healthy fat digestion.

Aromatic herb blends

Aromatics are another digestive class that supports herbal teas and remedies. These have a more pungent odor and contain strong volatile oils, such as mint, fennel and black pepper. Like bitters, they help with digestion, but in a different way. Their volatile oils signal our smooth muscles to relax and signal to our nervous system that it's time to settle down and digest.

Herbal Tincture Ingredients

For this digestive tincture blend, I use a blend of peppermint, ginger, and fennel.

Pepper mint

Peppermint is delicious in Mint and chocolate ice cream, but it is also ideal for soothing the digestive system. However, people suffering from acid reflux will need to exercise caution. Mint in medicinal amounts can soften the esophageal sphincter and trigger heartburn in those already prone to it. If you experience heartburn or reflux after using this tincture, try it without the mint.

Mint helps relieve stomach upset and nausea. This also makes it great for pregnancy nausea and motion sickness! Mint also has antiviral activity and can help against the flu. It relaxes and stimulates the nervous system to do its job.

Ginger

Ginger is the next herb in the digestion tincture. It stimulates circulation and is ideal for fighting colds and flu. Ginger too help with nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness. Fresh ginger is gentler on sensitive stomachs than dried ginger. There is some evidence that it has anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in relation to arthritis. However, the jury is still out on this.

Researchers found that ginger was more effective than placebo when it came to nausea. It has helped with nausea and vomiting after surgery, seasickness and morning sickness. It can also reduce nausea caused by chemotherapy treatment.

Fennel

Fennelalso known as Common fennel is another amazing digestive herb. It's gentle and calming for all ages, including toddlers. You will often find it in anti-flu water preparations. Fennel helps against spasms, calms colic and constipation. It is also a carminative and helps release gases trapped in the intestines. However, it should be used with caution at the start of pregnancy.

How to use digestion tincture

I have used this digestion tincture in transition during labor when nausea occurs. It is also helpful for morning sickness and stomach issues to help stop vomiting. I also use it for indigestion, heartburn and other digestive disorders. If you find that it makes your heartburn worse, omit the mint and replace it with more other herbs. If you are having a digestive problem of any kind, this will probably work.

However, finding the root cause of the problem is always the best idea. For example, if you suffer from intestinal dysfunction and leaky gut, diet changes can help heal the intestinal lining. If your baby is still colicky, there could be an oral problem or nervous system disruption causing tummy problems. In this case, a tongue or lip tie evaluation or chiropractor adjustment may be helpful.

Pregnancy and breast feeding

Fennel tea is generally considered mild and safe for pregnancy, but the tincture is not. It may have estrogenic effects when used in large quantities. Using fennel while breastfeeding can increase milk production and soothe digestive problems in the breastfed baby.

Mint is commonly used to relieve pregnancy nausea. In later stages of pregnancy, this could potentially make existing heartburn worse. Peppermint in larger quantities may reduce the flow of breast milk in breastfeeding mothers.

If you are pregnant, replace the fennel with chamomile. It is safe for pregnancy and has many of the same digestive actions. Be sure to consult your doctor or midwife before taking any herbal supplements.

Nursing mothers may want to omit the peppermint in this digestive tincture. You can replace it with more ginger and fennel.

Babies and children

I always keep this remedy (and homemade chamomile tincture) within easy reach, especially with children. This digestive remedy can be used externally on the baby's stomach against colic and gas. You can also rub it on the head (adult or child) in case of headaches. And of course, this is what I offer my kids when we are away from home and they indulge in too much unhealthy food.

How much should I take?

Adults can take up to 1 teaspoon in water or tea. For heartburn, indigestion or nausea, one dose is usually sufficient. However, you may find that you need a second round. During pregnancy I used 1/2 teaspoon in the morning for morning sickness. Then I took a few more doses throughout the day as needed.

Children don't need as much, about 10 to 20 drops. For babies, you can rub a few drops on the stomach.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, consult your doctor or midwife before using any herbal remedy or supplement.

Digestion tincture Alcohol content

Most homemade tinctures are made with 80 proof (40%) alcohol. The herbs used in this extract, however, are best with an alcoholic strength of 50 to 60%. That's a bit higher than you can get with your typical vodka. A simple solution is to use rubbing alcohol and dilute it with distilled water to 60%.

This works out to about 2 parts alcohol to 1 part water. This tincture requires 3 cups of liquid in total, but if you need more to cover your herbs, use the 2 to 1 ratio. If using fresh mint and ginger, use rubbing alcohol without water added.

What have you tried to help with digestive issues? Any herbs you would add to this? Leave a comment and let me know!