Top 5 Essential Oil Pairs to Improve your Digestive System | Improve your Digestion with these Tips

Lifestyle factors such as diet, stress, and emotional factors cause your digestive system in a negative manner leading to constipation, gas, acid reflux among others. Essential oils treat the digestive system holistically, both addressing the root causes, such as anxiety, and providing relief from digestive upsets.

Remember these are just home remedies, and if you have an acute problem or it persists- please consult your doctor before using these remedies.

Bloating and Constipation

This unpleasant feeling occurs when you had too much salt causing water retention and thus bloating among other factors. It causes your abdomen to stretch and thus suffering through a very uncomfortable feeling.

You can avoid this feeling by cutting down on carbonated drinks, monitoring portion sizes, sitting down to eat, and getting regular exercise. Try increasing your daily intake of fiber by consuming fruits, vegetables, and cereals not laden with sugar.

Drink plenty of water too, exercise regularly, and keep active.

Remedies to ease Bloating and Constipation

1. Settling Carrot and Orange Compress

The combination of carrot seed, orange, and fennel in this warming compress has a soothing effect on your digestive system. Orange essential oil helps calms unsettled digestion and helps food move through the digestive tract, in turn relieving you of gas and constipation.

Carrot seed is mildly diuretic so it helps to reduce fluid retention, and soothing fennel eases nervous indigestion caused by emotional stress.

This remedy is not suitable for pregnancy.

Ingredients (Makes 1 compress)

1. Almond oil 1 tsp

2. Orange essential oil 3 drops

3. Fennel essential oil 2 drops

4. Carrot seed essential oil 2 drops

Instructions

1. Fill the bowl with hot water. add the essential oils to the base oil, then add to the water.

2. Soak a washcloth in the bowl, then remove the washcloth and squeeze out the excess water

3. Wrap the washcloth in a towel or plastic wrap to insulate it. Put the compress on the abdomen. Leave the washcloth in place while it cools to body temperature, then repeat 3 times.

2. Stimulating Spearmint Massage

Abdominal massage is an effective way to treat constipation. Cooling spearmint essential oil is extremely soothing for digestion since it helps calm nausea and indigestion and also improves a sluggish digestive system.

Ingredients (Makes 1 fl.oz.- 30 ml)

1. Grape-seed oil 2 tbsp

2. Spearmint essential oil 5 drops

3. Pine essential oil 5 drops

4. Rosemary essential oil 5 drops

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to a sterilized dark-glass bottle and seal with a cap or dropper.

2. Massage clockwise into the abdomen. Allow the oil to absorb into the skin before you get dressed.

3. Store the remaining oil in a cool, dark place. Keeps for up to 3 months.

3. Soothing Dill Bath Soak

This blend uses the antispasmodic effects of marjoram, together with the stimulating effect of black pepper and soothing dill to relieve trapped gas. It helps food move along the digestive tract.

Ingredients (Makes 1/2 fl.oz.- 15 ml)

1. Base oil such as coconut oil or olive oil or whole milk 1 tbsp

2. Black pepper essential oil 3 drops

3. Dill essential oil 3 drops

4. Marjoram essential oil 3 drops

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Disperse the blend immediately in a warm bath and enjoy a relaxing and soothing soak.

Indigestion

Indigestion can be felt as pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, or as a burning sensation behind the breastbone. Indigestion is related to eating and is often followed by heartburn or reflux. It can also be triggered by other factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, pregnancy, stress, or taking certain medications.

Try this massage to relieve the symptoms.

1. Cardamom Massage

Ingredients (Makes 1 fl.oz.- 30 ml)

1. Almond oil 2 tbsp

2. Mandarin essential oil 5 drops

3. Coriander essential oil 3 drops

4. Cardamom essential oil 2 drops

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to a sterilized dark-glass bottle and seal with a cap or dropper.

2. Gently massage into the chest and abdomen. Allow the oil to absorb into the skin before you get dressed.

3. Store the remaining oil in a cool, dark place. Keeps up for 3 months.

Reflux

Acid reflux is a condition where stomach acid comes back up into the mouth and causes an unpleasant, sour taste. It can also be accompanied by symptoms such as gas and bloating, and indigestion, and heartburn.

Peppermint and Ginger Massage

This blend helps ease the symptoms of reflux when massaged onto the chest and abdomen.

A slice of lemon or fresh ginger, or a sprig of fresh peppermint infused in a glass of hot water is helpful.

Ingredients (Makes 1 fl.oz.- 30 ml)

1. Sunflower oil 2 tbsp

2. Peppermint essential oil 7 drops

3. Ginger essential oil 5 drops

4. Dill essential oil 3 drops

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to a sterilized dark-glass bottle and seal with a cap or dropper.

2. Gently massage onto the abdomen, chest, and upper back. Allow the oil to absorb into the skin before you get dressed.

3. Store the remaining oil in a cool, dark place. Keeps for up to 3 months.

Reference:

Curtis,S. Thomas, P. Johnson, F. Essential Oils. Published (2016). DK Penguin Random House US.