Bloating and trapped wind: the carminative herbs and how to use them

Share

FacebookWhatsAppEmailInstagram

0

Swallowing air while you eat is normal — a couple of litres a day goes down with food, drink and saliva. Swallow more than that and you get the tight, drum-like stomach, the endless burping and the gurgling that herbalists call a wind complaint. This page sets out the kitchen herbs traditionally used for it, and exactly how to brew them.

Where the air comes from

Excess swallowed air is usually a habit rather than an illness. The usual suspects:

• Eating too fast, often under stress or anxiety — food is wolfed down and air goes with it.
• Fizzy drinks, sodas and sparkling water in quantity.
• Very large meals, especially rich in fat and sugar.
• Chewing gum for long stretches.
• Producing a lot of saliva, sometimes because a denture fits badly.
• Inhaling cigarette smoke.
• Thumb-sucking in infants and small children.
• Repeated burping that has turned into a tic.

What it feels like

• Heaviness and tightness across the upper abdomen after meals.
• Frequent burping, gurgling and rumbling.
• Cramping, queasiness, sometimes a fluttery or light-headed feeling.
• Relief when the gas finally moves, upwards or downwards.

What they are credited with

• Green anise — traditionally taken as an after-dinner tea to ease a bloated, air-filled stomach.
• Star anise — long used in the same way in European and Asian household practice, chewed or infused after a heavy meal.
• Fennel seed — herbalists recommend it among the classic carminatives, the plants said to help trapped wind move along.
• Caraway and garden angelica — naturopathy credits them with supporting comfortable digestion after rich food.
• Cumin and coriander — used across kitchen traditions as seasonings said to make heavy dishes sit more lightly.
• Tarragon — has a reputation in folk herbalism for easing a gripy, spasmodic feeling in the belly.
• Lovage — traditionally used for a swollen, over-full sensation after eating.
• Peppermint — a standard after-meal infusion, credited with waking up a sluggish stomach.
• Thyme — used as a warming digestive tea, often blended with the seed herbs.
• Fresh basil — valued in herbal tradition for tense, hurried, stressed-out eating rather than for the gas itself.
• Pink radish — eaten as a raw appetiser in the old country habit of stimulating the appetite before a meal.

How to use them

The everyday after-meal infusion

• Use 1 teaspoon of seed or dried leaf per large cup of water, or 1 tablespoon per litre.
• Crush seeds lightly in a mortar first — whole seeds give up very little flavour.
• Pour water at a rolling boil over the plant, cover the cup or pot at once.
• Steep 10 minutes, covered, then strain.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon and a little honey to taste if you like.
• Drink one cupful warm, up to three times a day, preferably after meals.

A blend that works

• Equal parts fennel seed, green anise and caraway — the classic sweet-warm trio.
• Add peppermint leaf for freshness, roughly half a part, no more or it dominates.
• Mix a jarful in advance and take a teaspoon per cup as needed.

Root decoction

• Angelica and lovage roots are woody: simmer rather than steep.
• 1 teaspoon of chopped dried root per cup, simmer 5 minutes, then stand off the heat 10 minutes.
• Strong and bitter-aromatic — start with a small cup.

Straight from the jar

• Chew a pinch of fennel or anise seed slowly at the end of a meal, the way it is done across India.
• Cook caraway or cumin into the dishes that give you trouble: cabbage, beans, lentils, heavy bread.
• Scatter fresh basil or tarragon over the plate at the last moment, off the heat.

The habits that matter as much as the tea

• Slow the meal down; chew properly; put the fork down between mouthfuls.
• Cut back on fizzy drinks and long chewing-gum sessions.
• Smaller plates, less fat and sugar at one sitting.
• Sit at the table rather than eating standing or walking.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: a covered cup of crushed fennel, anise or caraway seed, steeped ten minutes and drunk warm after the meal, is the whole of the traditional practice.

Which herb should I reach for tonight if I feel bloated after dinner?

Fennel or green anise seed, whichever is already in the cupboard. Crush a teaspoon, pour boiling water over it, cover and leave ten minutes. Drink it warm and slowly rather than gulping it down.

Is star anise the same thing as green anise?

No. Green anise is a small Apiaceae herb grown for its seed; star anise is the woody fruit of an evergreen tree, Illicium verum. They taste similar because they share the same aromatic compound, and both are used in the same traditional after-meal way.

How long should I steep the tea, and how often can I drink it?

Ten minutes, always with a lid on, or the aromatic oils escape with the steam. One cupful up to three times a day, after meals, is the traditional rhythm. Take a break of a few days if you have been drinking it daily for several weeks.

Can children drink these infusions?

Only very weak and well diluted, and not at all for babies without professional advice. Star anise especially is not suitable for infants. For a child, a few seeds in a large mug of hot water is plenty.

Why do I swallow so much air in the first place?

Usually because of how the meal is eaten rather than what is in it: eating fast under stress, fizzy drinks, long chewing-gum sessions, very large rich meals, or a burping habit. Slowing the meal down often does more than any tea.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.