Ulcers Eating Away at You?

Best Single Herb: Irish moss

Best Combinations: Golden seal, capsicum, myrrh; aloe vera; Irish moss; liquid chlorophyll

Other Helpful Supplements: Food enzymes (without hydrochloric acid); Omega-3 oils; calcium; vitamin A

Possible Causes: H. pylori bacteria overgrowth; dehydration; stress; hiatal hernia; over-acidic body condition

Complementary Help: Drink lots of water; practice stress management; avoid caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol; drink carrot juice and eat alkaline foods

Ulcers can occur in two places: inside the body in the alimentary canal (digestive tract), as in duodenal ulcers, or gastric or peptic ulcers; or on the outside skin, as in diabetic ulcers due to improper circulation, bed sores due to pressure, and mouth ulcers (canker sores). Some ulcers found in the alimentary canal can be linked to an overgrowth of bacteria known as Heliocobactor pylori, commonly referred to as H. pylori. To effectively treat your ulcer, you will need to work with the specific cause of the ulcer. If it is aggravated by stress, refer to “Give Me Another A!” for more help with anxiety and stress. If you have ulcers due to diabetes, read about diabetes, for more. Here we’ll talk about some herbs that offer pain relief by soothing the tissues and I’ll give you the scoop on the best herb to kill the Heliocobactor pylori bacteria, but first, let’s get rid of that pain with some luck of the Irish.

Irish Moss: Gift from the Sea

Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) is an herb found in the sea that was used as a food by the Irish during famine times. This herb serves as an emollient, or demulcent, meaning that it soothes and softens tissue. This makes it useful for the inflammation and irritation that accompanies ulcerated tissues. Irish moss can be used to reduce duodenal and peptic ulcers and reduce the gastric secretions (acid) that aggravate these conditions. If you are using this herb to soothe your pain, be sure not to forget about treating the bottom-line cause of your ulcer. Just because the pain has been eliminated doesn’t mean the causative factors are gone.

Terms related to herbs or holistic health

An emollient, or demulcent, is used to describe an herb that has properties that soothe and soften tissue. Some examples of emollients and demulcents include aloe vera, marshmallow, slippery elm, plantain, and kelp.

Irish moss is also used as a food binder or thickener in puddings and ice cream. Sometimes you will see carrageenan listed on the ingredient label on these foods. This is another name for Irish moss. Topically, Irish moss has been used to treat wrinkles and is a common ingredient in many natural body, face, and hand creams and lotions.

Because Irish moss grows in the sea, it is rich in iodine. In fact, you may see this herb added to combinations of herbs designed to balance or nourish the thyroid, or it may be used in weight-loss products to help boost the metabolism by feeding the thyroid iodine.

Irish moss has also been used to soothe tissues in the respiratory tract. This herb contains protein and is a nourishing food.

Warnings about the use of herbs

Because Irish moss has some blood-thinning qualities, it should not be taken at the same time as blood-thinning medications; it could enhance the effect of the drug.

Soothing Ulcer Irritations

For ulcers caused by irritation due to Heliocobactor pylori, some herbs have been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria and are instrumental in fixing the cause of the problem. These herbs include pau d’arco, cloves, and inula racemosa (a species of the herb elecampane). Licorice root also helps soothe digestive tract inflammation and ulcer pain. Look for deglycyrrhizinated licorice extract (DGLE) specifically created to work against H-pylori infection, while counteracting discomfort.

Golden seal is an herb used by diabetics to help lower blood sugar and is also an excellent remedy for ulcers. Add some capsicum and myrrh, and you have a pain-killing, antibiotic-type effect. Aloe vera is another soothing, healing herb that is rich in calcium and that helps mend ulcerated tissues and soothe inflammation surrounding ulcers.

Mouth ulcers, known as canker sores, can be very painful. A drop of peppermint oil on your finger applied directly to the sore can help numb the pain. Treat yourself internally for canker sores as you would for any other ulcers of the alimentary canal. The body is usually in an overacid condition when you get a canker sore, so steer clear of acid-producing foods and eat more alkaline foods (see for a list of acid and alkaline foods). Chlorophyll is an excellent way to alkalize your system. You can also use liquid chlorophyll as a mouthwash to speed the healing process.

About overcoming an ailment with herbs

If you suffer from duodenal ulcers, you’ll have to give up the gum-chewing habit. The chewing action tricks the body into thinking that there is food entering the stomach, causing the secretion of gastric juices, but in reality you have no food in the stomach to soak up this excess acid. This can only aggravate and add to your problem.

Author and researcher F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., believes that when we become dehydrated, we are prone to ulcers of all types, and so do I; here’s why. The stomach creates hydrochloric acid to aid in the digestion of foods. Because of the special lining in the stomach designed to handle this acid, the stomach is the only place in the body that it can exist without causing severe tissue damage. When the stomach is finished churning a meal, the food is passed into the duodenum for further processing. In order to protect the duodenum and rest of the digestive tract from being burnt with this acid, the pancreas must create and secrete a bicarbonate solution into the duodenum as the food (and acid) is being passed along. The pancreas requires lots of water for this function. Of course, if the pancreas does not have the supplies it needs (plenty of water), damaging acids will pass into the duodenum and cause ulcers. See how simple natural healing is? All your body really needs is the right materials to help it do its job.

Warnings about the use of herbs

Antacids suppress stomach acid production and therefore inhibit proper digestion and can cause more serious problems later. Don’t treat your ulcer by suppressing the pain-find the cause, and utilize herbs. Drugs like Tagamet and Zantac not only stop your stomach from doing what it is supposed to do but also inhibit bone formation and can lead to liver problems and Candida.

In addition, avoid these instigators that can aggravate ulcers:

• Stress
• Cigarette smoking
• Coffee, cola, chocolate, and other caffeine-containing foods
• Alcohol

Support your digestive process when you have an ulcer by taking food enzymes without HCl before each meal. Usually two tablets or capsules are sufficient. Omega-3 oils have been used successfully to help with alimentary canal ulcers, and calcium is a tissue-knitter and also is alkaline in nature, which will tame some of that acid problem. Take extra beta carotene, too. Beta carotene will be converted into vitamin A in the liver, and it helps heal skin tissues and mucus membranes. You can skip the beta carotene supplement if you drink at least eight ounces of fresh carrot juice daily, which contains calcium and is also a source for vitamin A. Add a tablespoon of whole-leaf aloe vera juice to each glass of water, and drink at least one quart of water daily. This remedy alone has helped many heal their ulcers completely, sometimes within weeks.

Related posts:

1. GINGER Botanical name: Zingiber officinalis Family name: Zingiberacaea Part used: Rhizome MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS The major chemical constituents are volatile oils, including P-bisabolene and zingiberene, sesquiterpenes, including zingiberol, zingiberenol, the oleoresin shaogol, numerous monoterpene hydrocarbons, alcohols, and aldehydes, oleoresins, free fatty acids including palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic...