Your Tummy and You
By Dave Peyton

	Indigestion may be the most prevalent complaint people 
have, outside the common cold.
	It's little wonder that almost everyone suffers from 
indigestion and related problems at one time or another. The 
stomach is does some amazing things to its contents requiring it
to grind like a grist mill and release an acid so powerful it 
could burn the skin.
	Then what is the answer to indigestion? Well, if you 
suffer from indigestion  regularly, it's time to see a doctor 
since indigestion can be a symptom of some other problem.
	But, for those with occasional and simple indigestion, 
there are several natural remedies, some known for hundreds of 
years.
	It may sound unlikely that bran  can heal an upset 
stomach or indigestion, but an article in the British Medical 
Journal indicated that bran might work to sooth the stomach as 
well as the colon.
	A total of 70 patients with  diverticular disease of the
colon were given  bran to help their colon problem. Of the 70, 
11 of them had complained of nausea and stomach upset. After 
taking an average of two tablespoons of bran daily for several 
weeks, seven of the 11 said their nausea had disappeared and two
others said their symptoms were relieved. Many cases of 
heartburn were also relieved by the bran.
	Several natural foods and herbs have been shown to 
reduce stomach distress. Following are some of them:
	Papaya: This natural digestive aid helps in digesting 
protein. If papaya is out of season, you can purchase papaya 
supplements at health food stores. Papaya may relieve gas as 
well as stomach upsets and indigestion.
	Fennel: In the famed natural herb book ""Back to Eden,''
Jethro Kloss says  fennel  is a remedy for ""gas, acid stomach, 
cramps, colic and spasms.'' Many herbalists say a tea made from 
fennel seeds is a good treatment for indigestion.
	Catnip: Tea made from catnip leaves is a traditional 
remedy for stomach ailments, particularly among lchildren. Kloss
called it ""very useful in pain of any kind'' and said it was 
excellent in eliminating gas and stomach acid.
	Anise: Sometimes an over-acid stomach comes from too 
many sweets. Herbalists recommend anise seeds in that case. In 
his book ""Nature's Healing Agents,'' Dr. R. Swinburne Clymer 
notes that parents used to give their children cakes covered 
with anise seeds during the holiday season to soothe their acid 
stomachs which came from eating too many sweets.
	Mint: Both peppermint and spearmint leaves are excellent
for making a tea for nausea, vomiting, diaeehea and colon 
problems. A tablespoon of crushed leaves steeped in a cup of 
water for five minutes can help eliminate all sorts of digestive
problems.
	Sage: The slightly bitter tea made frokm sage leaves is 
said to be an excellent tonic for intestinal inflamations, 
including stomach inflamations.
	Yogurt: Milk which has been fermented by one of the 
yogurt bacteria has be n found to be soothing to the entire 
digestive tract. In the book ""Encyclopedia of Common Diseases''
by the editors of Prevention magazine, eating yogurt can sooth 
everything from an enflamed esophagus to colonitis. The book 
quotes a doctor of osteopathy as saying  ""If someone comes 
intok my office with a digestive complaint, I askd them to eat a
ckup of yogurt a day and come back in a week. Only if their 
problem exists - and it often doesn't - do I investigate 
further.''