Herbs for Gas Relief

When you have gas, also known as flatulence, herbal treatments can help. Easily accessible herbs for gas relief are dandelion and peppermint. You can find them at your local health food store or harvest them yourself. Dandelions that have not been treated with lawn chemicals or herbicides can be wild-crafted. Wild-crafted herbs are picked for medicinal purposes while growing naturally in the environment. Peppermint is easy to grow in a garden that receives full or partial sun.

Dandelion for Gas Relief

• The common backyard dandelion, taraxacum officinale and T. laevigatum, are an old homemade herbal remedy for gas relief. The flower, leaf and root all contain active ingredients, but only use the leaf for gas. In Germany, dandelion leaf has been approved to treat flatulence along with loss of appetite and indigestion. You can buy dandelion leaf dried in bulk at your local health food store and make tea, tincture and capsules. Harvesting your own dandelion leaf is also an option. Harvest the leaves before the plant blossoms and loses some of its potency. Place them on a screen out of the sun until they are dry. To make dandelion leaf tea for gas relief pour 1.5 cups of freshly boiled water over 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried leaf and allow it to steep for at least 5 minutes and up to 10 minutes. Sip slowly until you feel relief.

Peppermint for Gas Relief

• Peppermint is a popular flavoring in candy, dental products and cosmetics, but it has been used medicinally as a digestive aid and to provide gas relief since ancient times. According to a Harvard Health Publication from Harvard Medical School, "Peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle cells that line much of these gastrointestinal tract." As well, in clinical trials conducted on patients with Irritable Bowel Problems (IBS) "People with IBS who took peppermint oil reported less flatulence, abdominal pain, and bloating compared with those who took a placebo."

  The dosage recommended for peppermint oil by the Harvard Health Publication is "generally 0.2 to 0.4 milliliters three times a day...in enteric-coated capsules, which allow it to bypass the esophagus and stomach before it is broken down and metabolized." Another option is to make yourself a cup of peppermint tea. Use 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls of dried peppermint leaf for 1.5 cups of freshly boiled water. Allow it to steep for at least 3 minutes. Peppermint tea tastes delicious hot or cold, with or without honey or another sweetener.