How to Treat Digestive Disorders With Lovage

Digestive disorders are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA, mainly due to poor diet, lack of exercise and stress. There are at least 100 million patients in the USA and Canada that have recurrent, long-term gastrointestinal symptoms. More than 80 million people in North America suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Abdominal pain, distension with excess gas, constipation and diarrhea are the four prominent symptoms. Other digestive disorders are common - heartburn afflicts 44% of Canadians & Americans; peptic ulcer disease has an incidence of 8% and non-ulcer dyspepsia afflicts 20-40%.Most members of this large group will self-medicate and suffer long-term. Digestive disorders are common diseases that often originate in the food supply.

Things You'll Need

• Lovage

Instructions

How to Treat Digestive Disorders With Lovage

1. Consider a natural approach to treating your digestive complaints. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a large perennial herb with thick, hollow stems that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall. It has large leave split into wedge shaped segments. Its clusters of yellow flowers produce small ribbed fruits. The whole plant has a strong scent reminiscent of angelica or celery.

2. Use lovage as a culinary herb in salads, or soups. A few leaves before a meal will aid digestion. Use sparingly so its flavor wont drown out the taste of other ingredients.

3. Make a digestive tonic. Add 0.2 oz. lovage, 0.2 oz. mint, 0.7 oz. fennel. Boil in 1 pint of water and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain and bottle drink while warm or chill with ice.

4. Collect lovage seeds by cutting the stems while the seeds are still green. Hang upside down inside a brwon paper back. As the pods ripen and split the bag will collect teh seeds. Lovage seeds make a great addition to bread and pastries.

Tips & Warnings

• Fresh leaves can be picked at any time during the growth season but will taste freshest in the morning when the dew has fallen.

• To freeze lovage, blanch in cold water then freeze in zip lock bags.

• Leaves can be dried and stored in an air tight container.

• Jazz up your bloody Mary with a couple of lovage leaves.

• Add lovage to sea fish or shell fish to add a savory flavor.

• Lovage may cause sensitivity to sunlight leading to dermatitis.

• Because lovage increases urine flow, it is inadvisable for individuals with kidney problems.

• Lovage should not be used while pregnant or nursing.