Vomiting: Regurgitating an Old Remedy

Best Single Herb: Spearmint

Best Combinations: Ginger, capsicum, golden seal, licorice; spearmint; papaya

Other Helpful Supplements: Hydrated bentonite

Possible Causes: Food poisoning; virus/bacterial infection; emotional upsets

Complementary Help: Spearmint or peppermint tea (see treatments for nausea)

I’m sure you really won’t need me to explain what vomiting is — at some time or another, we all have been inflicted with this reaction! Vomiting is a reaction of the stomach, usually triggered to protect you from something that is deemed harmful to the body.

For example, when you catch a flu bug or swallow something poisonous, your body’s immediate reaction is to regurgitate the substance. Thank goodness for this mechanism — it protects you from absorbing poisons that reach the stomach. On the other hand, sometimes vomiting can be dangerous, especially when a person is in a weakened condition or if the person is tiny, like an infant or a young child. A couple of great herbal remedies can help stop this problem and settle the stomach — so let’s take a look.

Herb Lore: information related to holistic health

The stomach carries worry, so the vomiting mechanism can be triggered by anxiety and resistance to what we are experiencing. Think about the “butterflies” in your stomach you get before you are about to do something important. Naturally, you are worried — and, naturally, the stomach reacts. Because herbs work on more than just the physical level, they can also help ease your worry and stop you from getting sick.

Spearmint to Calm the Stomach

Spearmint (Mentha viridus) is a favorite anti-vomiting remedy herb. This good-tasting herb from the mint family is a popular plant used to flavor candies, gum, foods, and liquid chlorophyll. Its leaves have been used as a remedy to rid the intestines of gas and to rid the body of excess water. Spearmint can aid circulation and bring stimulation to the body and mental processes.

About overcoming an ailment with herbs

If you make a spearmint tea or infusion, do not boil the herb. Boiling it will cause the essential oils to evaporate, and the oils are the most medicinal part of this plant.

Spearmint is a great anti-spasmodic and is also especially soothing to the stomach, which makes its properties ideal for countering the effects of vomiting. This is especially true when someone is suffering from “dry heaves,” meaning that the stomach is empty, but the regurgitation process is still active (ugh!). A sip of spearmint, or a dab of spearmint essential oil on the tongue can ease the spastic stomach. You also can rub some of the essential oil of spearmint directly onto your skin over your stomach or rub a little near your temples to relax you. Keep in mind that because spearmint belongs to the mint family, it is very strong — and the essential oil is even stronger. If you have sensitive skin, make sure to dilute the oil before applying it directly to your body.

Other Things to Try

A great combination to help stop vomiting and ease nausea is listed in the table at the end of this chapter. The mixture contains ginger as the first ingredient, which is well-known for its anti-nausea effect. If you’re having trouble swallowing a pill, make a tea from the powdered herbs of this combination, and add a drop of the spearmint or leaf of spearmint last, for flavor. Sip the warm tea slowly, to calm your stomach.

When the vomiting is serious, due to poisoning or swallowing something contaminated, take a few tablespoons of hydrated bentonite to absorb and protect the body from the poison. This mixture is liquefied clay and has no nutritive value, but it is used for emergency poisonings or for detoxifying cleanses.

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