Natural remedies to relieve gas & bloating

Before modern medicine spices were utilized to heal almost all gastrointestinal ailments including gas and bloating.

The first few days of my period I always suffer from extremely painful gas. One day I was desperately searching for a fix and discovered that cayenne pepper is a quick fix for bloating. I made a drink with the pepper, water and apple cider vinegar and within five minutes of drinking it, I felt so much better!

Anise has long been used by herbalist and natural healers to help with indigestion, gas and bloating. You can drink it as a tea, infuse water with it or munch on some anise biscuits.

Cilantro has historically been used in preparation of more gas producing foods like beans and legumes to help counteract some of the gas-causing properties of those foods. Include it in recipes to prevent bloating and gas or chew a few pieces to relieve gas.

Black pepper is categorized as a carminative–a substance that relieves flatulence. As a regular part of your diet it can help prevent gas from forming during digestion.

The potent anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric are excellent for keeping the digestive system functioning well, which leads to less gas and bloating. Make up a yummy latte with a plant-based milk.

Crunching on a few whole cloves when you're experiencing any gas pains can help you get some quick relief from the pain and discomfort.

Cumin stimulates the salivary glands and increased saliva production aids digestion, helping gas move through your system more easily.

Just like fennel seeds and cumin seeds, caraway is a carminitive and digestive aid that can reduce the occurrence of gas and relieve gas pain when you do get it. Use can steep it in hot water to make a tea or eat caraway crackers to help relieve symptoms.

Lots of herbs are useful for relieving gas, bloating and other tummy ailments. Tea is often the easiest and quickest way to reap the benefits.

Growing up my mom gave us ginger tea for pretty much every tummy related illness. It works wonders for relieving any digestion-related pains and can help stimulate your system so gas moves through more quickly.

Chamomile tea is an antispasmodic and a carminative and can help relax digestive muscles and relieve gas.

Fennel is a really common ingredient in herbal teas, and it's a good thing too. The licorice-tasting seed is great for curing indigestion and the associated gas pains.

Lemon is known to help relieve gas, especially when prepared as a tea or squeezed into hot water with honey. You can buy a natural lemon flavored tea or add fresh lemon to your favorite soothing herbal tea.

Dandelion tea has traditionally been used to alleviate gas and bloating. You probably don't want to pick the dandelions out of your yard to consume, so it's good news that dandelion tea is becoming more and more common on grocery store shelves.

Mint is excellent for tummy ailments including gas. Just keep a box of mint tea in your pantry and drink slowly to relieve gas pains.

Let food be thy medicine! Lots of foods including some unexpected ones can help prevent and alleviate bloating and gas.

Drinking a mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in one cup of warm water can help ease gas. You can even add a squeeze of lemon juice for more gas relieving power.

The herb thyme has tons of health benefits including gas relief. You can add it to your food like you do with cilantro and parsley, you can use thyme essential oil or you can simply steep it in hot water and drink it.

Garlic contains properties that stimulate digestion, which can get gas moving out of your system. You can take a daily garlic supplement or if you can handle it, eat a raw clove or make a garlic soup for faster relief.

Like cilantro, preparing recipes with parsley can help prevent gas. You might not want to drink parsley tea, but you can also steep a few stems with your favorite tea for fast relief.

Pumpkin is a good source of potassium and has a high water content, so including it in your diet regularly can have a positive effect on digestion and keep you from getting bloated and gassy.

Mustard causes salivation which help stimulate digestion to get gas moving out of your system, but it's also an antispasmodic which helps muscles involved in digestion work more efficiently. Include it as a regular part of your diet or eat a spoonful at the onset of symptoms.

Celery has anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce inflammation in the digestive tract resulting in improved digestion and less gas.

Fibrous foods are known to cause gas and papaya contains an enzyme that can break down that fiber to help prevent and relieve uncomfortable gas.

There are a number of natural supplements that you can include in your daily regiment to help prevent gas and relieve pain and discomfort caused by gas.

Food-grade activated charcoal can be consumed to help alleviate gas. The charcoal binds to toxins that may cause gas and other intestinal discomforts. You can purchase activated charcoal capsules at vitamin and health stores, or you can add the powder to drinks.

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar promotes healthy digestion which can aid in the prevention of gas as well as help relieve symptoms as they occur. You can drink a tablespoon straight, dilute it in a cup of water or take apple cider vinegar tablets.

Probiotics which naturally occur in certain foods and can also be purchased as a supplement, promote a healthy gut and proper digestion which can keep gas at bay.

Kefir is a fermented cow's milk product and as such, it's loaded with gut-healthy probiotics that can help prevent and alleviate gas.

Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled veggies and tempeh are also excellent and tasty sources of probiotics.

Certain lifestyle changes can almost entirely eliminate gas issues for many people. Eliminating processed food, staying hydrated and exercising regularly are all beneficial.

Very hot or very cold drinks are known to trigger gas. Instead skip the ice and let hot beverages cool a bit before you drink them.

Holding in gas is only going to make you hurt more. Sometimes the gas can even become trapped from holding it in for so long and then you'll really be in pain! Excuse yourself to a private place and let it out. You'll feel so much better!

Drinking enough water is good for lots of things, including digestion. Drinking plenty of water throughout helps your digestive system work more efficiently, reducing the risk of painful gas.

Eating smaller portions more frequently throughout the day is easier on the digestive system, which can help reduce the chances of developing painful gas.

Movement in general is good for easing out gas, but there are certain yoga poses that can do the trick quickly. There's even a pose specifically referred to as "wind relieving pose."

Getting regular exercise–walking, jogging, calisthenics and more–can both help prevent the build up of gas and help relieve it when it occurs.

Eating too quickly can cause you to ingest more air which translates to painful gas. Slow it down and chew well to prevent it.

Between the carbonation and all that sugar, soda can be a major gas-causing culprit. Ditch it and stick to water and herbal tea to reduce your risk of getting gassy.