Learn About Carminative Herbs

I have come across the phrase “this is a carminative herb” many times in the past and have always wanted to have my own glossary of terms. Instead of just listing them like most books do (usually towards the end of the book together with the index) I’ll write dedicated posts to each term as and when time permits.

Carminative herbs promote digestion, increase appetite, relieve gas as well as cramps. They can also add flavour to meals. Kitchen herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic, etc) and indian spices (ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, etc) would fall under this category (check out my post on the hot essential oils which covers both aromatic herbal essential oils and the spicy essential oils).

When Should we Use Carminative Herbs?

We should use carminative herbs for the following symptoms:

  • Painful gas
  • Diarrhea
  • A full stomach that feels heavy
  • Bloating
  • Tongue that’s swollen with white coating

List of Some Carminative Herbs

Carminative herbs tend to have aromatic volatile oils (think rosemary or sage essential oil, for example). They are great when added to meals.

The hot spices:

  • Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
  • Cayenne (Capsicum spp.)
  • Cinnamon (Cassia spp.)
  • Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
  • Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
  • Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

The aromatic kitchen herbs:

  • Sage (Salvia officinalis)
  • Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
  • Basil (Occimum basilicum)
  • Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
  • Dill (Anethum graveolens)
  • Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinale)
  • Mint (Mentha spp.)
  • Elecampane (Inula helenium)
  • Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
  • Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
  • Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
  • Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

There’s plenty more. Probably all of the herbs in your kitchen cabinet are carminative!

Make Your Own After-Meal Digestive Blend with Only 3 Herbs

The ingredients section contains affiliate links and I may make a profit if you buy through them at no extra cost to you.

Have you tried those funny looking seeds when exiting an Indian restaurant? If so, you must agree that although pungent they mix tastes lovely. Not only it serves to freshen your mouth from the strong meal flavours but it also acts as a blend that promotes digestion.

Ingredients

  • Fennel seeds (3 tablespoons) – get it here
  • Candied ginger (1 tablespoon) – get it here (mince the ginger into smaller bits)
  • Orange peel powder (1 tablespoon) – get it here

That’s it! Mix and enjoy after a meal.

Patri xx

2 Comments

  1. Hi Patti,

    So happy I found you on Pinterest. I’ve been looking for a natural remedy for gas and bloating, so I am anxious to try out your recipe.
    Can these herbs be put in a capsule and taken daily rather than in food or teas? How ofter do you recommend taking it to keep painful bloating at bay?

    Thank you in advance.

    1. Hi Lin – so sorry about such late reply, I’ve been swamped with messages! Glad to hear you’re happy you found me on Pinterest, I’m about to start posting again soon as I have a lot of great new content ready for it 🙂 I don’t know about the capsules, I tend to move away from them and try to keep the plant as whole as possible when using them for my health. I have taken herbal tablets, of course, but I always talk to the girls at the health shop about this. I’m very happy nowadays making teas and decocting, so I’m more inclined to not take the tablets if possible. Sorry I couldn’t answer your question and sorry I’m so late at answering altogether!

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