Top Natives for Super Digestion Support

Posted: December 2021
Author: Sharlene Bennett |  BHSc, AdvDip Nat, AdvDip Med Herb

Helping support everyday digestion is a growing area, as many of us experience some sort of stomach discomfort, or poor digestion. This is often exasperated at the end of the year as the festive season draws closer. With the silly season rush, Christmas feasts, New Year celebrations and all the summer spreads during the extra holiday time, that encourage us to relax and enjoy some time out.

How to calm and support easy digestion

There are certain herbs that can help support calm and easy digestion, help facilitate the breakdown of food, decrease bloating and deal effectively with discomfort. New Zealand native herbs can act as a powerful support, with their acute antispasmodic effects and astringent abilities for easing excessive food intake and digestive upset. While also helping to soothe and support daily gastrointestinal function and settle longer-term digestive issues for complete well-being.

NZ Native herbs that can act as everyday digestive soothers

There are five top New Zealand botanicals that are all great starting points for use in-clinic to help soothe difficult daily digestive issues like IBS, IBD or reflux conditions. They can also be useful adjunctive herbs or core botanicals in the management of on-going longer term generic digestive troubles. While also supporting more than just digestion, as research demonstrates our emotions, mood and gut are all closely interlinked via our gut brain axis, with one always affecting the other.

The perfect herbal addition to use in times of stomach discomfort, its natural soothing and antispasmodic action helps to settle stomach gripes and upset. It also has a carminative, antidyspeptic, alongside providing an antimicrobial action on the gut. Making it versatile for use as a soothing settling ingredient for IBS, IBD and any overindulging or food intolerances experienced after eating, that result in a tight and bloated stomach.

Kawakawa’s slight peppery taste also acts as a gentle digestive stimulant for facilitating digestion alongside assisting in healthy hepatic function and detoxification. 

2. Hoheria

Is the ideal alterative option for an herbal demulcent for gut health, acting as a New Zealand herb substitute for marshmallow or the endangered, but uniquely effective slippery elm. Hoheria and its main phyto constituents and key properties help to promote its core demulcent and coating action within the gut. It supports digestion by its mucilaginous like effect, much like marshmallow. Using higher doses can help as a type of bulk laxative for constipation.

This lesser known native herb is a unique addition if longer term discomfort is part of the case picture. Akeake's core actions are antispasmodic, antimicrobial and for supporting total body comfort. It can be used for those gastrointestinal spasm conditions and where extra pain management and additional gut support may be needed.

A well-known native herb for its powerful action on bacteria. Manuka also helps with its antispasmodic action in the GIT and has the added benefit of its anti-anxiety effect on a wired and tired nervous system. A common addition with digestive disorders, helping with more than just comfort but also worry and an overwhelmed mind, for a healthy brain-gut axis. We commonly see mood and gut conditions in-clinic and their close relationship and interlink is often evident.

The New Zealand botanical for settling overactive digestion, it is a rich source of tannins acting as an effective carminative and astringent. Koromiko helps to settle digestion and slow excessive movement through the bowel, making it a comprehensive herb for diarrhoea.

Depending on your patient needs and individual requirements, these top five New Zealand native herbs can help to soothe and settle digestive upsets over the merry, festive season and beyond. They work to bring gastrointestinal comfort and act as further restorative support for recovery regardless of condition.