Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. David Hoffmann
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or a reaction to food, or it might be more chronic. If it lasts for a while, the causes that should be looked at are: eating wrong foods, alcohol, cigarettes (swallowed tar) and stress. Usually a combination of these factors will be involved. The treatment of gastritis is based on diet and herbs.
As far as diet is concerned, the primary short-term need is to avoid irritants that may cause or aggravate the inflammation. These may involve temperature, or irritants of a chemical or mechanical nature:—Very hot foods or drinks should be abstained from as these will directly aggravate the inflammation. Cold things will usually have a similarly painful effect.
—Chemical irritants will have an immediate impact. Commonly used foodstuffs which contain vinegar, which is diluted acetic acid, must be avoided. Vinegar should not be added to food; pickles must similarly be avoided. Alcohol in any form is out, as this acts on the stomach lining in a similar way to vinegar. Tobacco will also aggravate the problem as much of the tar is swallowed. Spicy food, curries, rich and greasy foods will all have an unpleasant effect.
—Mechanical irritants will cause discomfort as well. When there is acute inflammation it is best to have a diet that is very low in fibre, as fibre may have a similar effect to sandpaper on a cut! A bland diet is called for: no coarse bread, nuts, tomatoes etc. As soon as an improvement is established, then reintroduce roughage, as it is an essential component of a healthy diet.
Herbally, the following mixture will effectively soothe and heal the stomach lining:
| Comfrey Root | 2 parts |
| Marshmallow Root | 2 parts |
| Meadowsweet | 2 parts |
| Golden Seal |
1 part  |
Take this tea after each meal, until the condition clears.
If a lot of flatulence accompanies the inflammation, add one part of Calamus to the mixture. Similarly, if stress is part of the problem, Valerian may be added as a suitable nervine.
Gastric ulcer
When abuse of the stomach has continued, perhaps unconsciously, for too long, an inevitable breakdown occurs in the lining of the stomach. As the mucous membranes of the wall no longer deal with the unhealthy condition, the acid and the digestive enzymes can reach the wall and take their toll. A gastric ulcer develops.
The herbal treatment of these ulcers is quite straightforward and apparently fast. However, a relief of the pain must not be confused with the healing of the underlying problem. The herbal remedies will ease the symptoms and start the healing process, but a complete healing will take time and has to include a close look at one’s lifestyle. By developing a gastric or a duodenal ulcer, the body is telling us that something in the whole web of our lifestyle is inappropriate. It may just be the diet, but it may also often be the work pattern, our relationships, or even our country’s defence policy!
Herbs can heal the ulcer, but it may return very quickly, unless the lessons being offered are recognised consciously and acted upon.
The treatment is based on a careful diet and on the use of herbs. A useful herbal tea consists of equal parts of
Comfrey Root
Golden Seal
Marshmallow Root
Meadowsweet
The Comfrey and Marshmallow provide excellent soothing demulcent action combined with a healing effect upon the mucous membranes. A cold infusion of the demulcents is more mucilaginous and soothing than tea or tincture. For details see the chapter on preparing herbs. Slippery Elm may be added to the diet or taken as tablets. The Meadowsweet will settle the stomach content and reduce the impact of over-acidity. The Golden Seal will prove beneficial for the membranes and act to tone the tissue whilst providing a general tonic action upon the body. If bleeding occurs within the stomach, American Cranesbill may be added to the mixture. If there is a stress component—and there usually is—Valerian or perhaps Hops may be considered.
The diet should be very low in fibre during the acute phase of the illness. In addition there should be little protein, thereby giving the stomach less work to do. When the symptoms recede, fibre and a variety of proteins may slowly be reintroduced. Of great importance is the avoidance of alcohol and also the avoidance of tobacco. With tobacco, withdrawal may produce nervous tension and therefore make things worse. If this is the case, then stop smoking as soon as you can; you’re hooked.
The long stretch of the small intestine is the site where most nutrition is absorbed into the body. Thus any problems in the small intestine will affect the nutritional state, causing apparent deficiencies which are really malabsorption problems. Stress has a marked impact on this part of the body as is demonstrated by duodenal ulcers. The small intestines make up the longest part of the digestive system with a total length of about twenty feet, which is divided into three sections, the duodenum, the jejenum and the ileum.
Duodenal ulcers
The duodenum, the first stretch of the small intestine, starts at the pyloric sphincter, a valve at the end of the stomach. This valve controls the release of parts of the stomach content into the duodenum, and if it does not function properly, too much stomach acid can get into the duodenum and cause problems. When too much of the highly acidic stomach juices seeps into the alkaline duodenum, the walls of the duodenum will become inflamed and ultimately develop ulcers. A number of factors can cause the seepage, but by far the most common one stems from the fact that the function of the valve is influenced by stress and tension. Considering the highly competitive and charged environment many people live in, it is surprising that more people do not develop duodenal ulcers.
The approach to healing a duodenal ulcer is threefold, consisting of a herbal treatment, dietary changes and a consideration of the cause, which in most cases means a consideration of the factors causing stress and tension. The herbal treatment is based on a number of actions. Demulcents are called for to soothe the ulcer and the surrounding tissue. If a vulnerary action can be added to speed the healing process then all the better. This may be done with Marshmallow and Comfrey Root. The specific mucous membrane healing properties of Golden Seal will aid the healing of the lining of the intestine. An appropriate astringent like American Cranesbill should be used to strengthen the tissue. As a duodenal ulcer is often accompanied by a general debility and a reduction in vitality due to toxins from the ulcer entering into the blood and lymph system, appropriate alteratives and lymphatic tonics like Echinacea should be used. A good basic mixture would therefore consist of
| Comfrey Root | 2 parts |
| Marshmallow Root | 2 parts |
| American Cranesbill | 1 part |
| Echinacea | 1 part |
|
Golden |