Indigestion -- or dyspepsia -- is characterized by uncomfortable fullness, often with burning sensations in your upper abdomen. Mild indigestion is usually not a cause for concern, but if indigestion persists, or is accompanied by weight loss, vomiting or black stools, MayoClinic.com advises contacting your doctor promptly. Although it may seem counterintuitive, some natural healers recommend mustard for indigestion. While clinical studies on the use of mustard for indigestion are lacking, research supports the beneficial effects on the digestive tract of constituents found in mustard. Consult your doctor before using mustard.
Features
Mustard is from the seeds of the plant botanically known as Brassica alba and Brassica nigra. Indigenous to Europe, Asia and Africa and presently naturalized in North and South America, the mustard plant is an annual herb featuring pinnate leaves, yellow flowers and seed-bearing pods. Mustard seeds -- along with vinegar, salt and water -- are used to make the commercial condiment mustard. Mustard has been traditionally used as a diuretic, as well as a topical treatment for arthritis, rheumatism, bronchitis and pneumonia. Small quantities of mustard were advised to stimulate appetite, while large quantities -- taken in hot water -- were employed as an emetic to cause vomiting after accidental ingestion of poisons. Mustard is also a time-honored remedy to soothe dyspepsia. It was endorsed as such by the 17th-century herbalist John Gerard, whom Botanical.com quotes as saying "it [mustard] ... doth help digestion."
Constituents and Effects
Mustard seeds are composed of 1 percent allyl isothiocyanate, the active ingredient in mustard gas. They also contain the antioxidant flavonoids apigenin and chalcone, as well as mucilage and sitosterol, a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Glycosides known as glucosinolates give mustard its characteristic bite. Drugs.com -- which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers -- credits mustard seed with antioxidant, anti-tumor and blood sugar-lowering effects. Mustard is also strongly antimicrobial and antifungal, capable of inhibiting both E. coli and salmonella pathogens. Mustard's content of a gummy substance called mucilage gives it emollient and demulcent, or soothing, effects. According to the Medicinal Plants website, mucilage acts as a barrier against the harmful effects of stomach acid on the esophagus and may also have a mild anti-inflammatory effects. The website Weight Loss for All notes that the vinegar in mustard is a weak acid that can actually help to lower the overall pH of stomach acid, thereby easing indigestion.
Research
Laboratory research supports the antimicrobial properties of mustard, which are so potent that they are being investigated for use in the processed meat industry. In a study published in 2008 in "Journal of Food Protection," researchers found that the glucosinolates naturally occurring in 2, 4 and 6 percent mustard powder had potent bactericidal activity against E. coli, a common pathogen responsible for gastrointestinal tract infections.
Usage and Considerations
The Modern Herbal website suggests simply eating 1/2 tsp. of prepared yellow mustard to treat indigestion. Drugs.com notes that allergies to mustard have been reported; make sure you are not allergic before trying mustard as a remedy. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, avoid using mustard in quantities higher than those found in food.
References
- Drugs.com: Complete Mustard Information
- Botanical.com; A Modern Herbal: Mustard; M. Grieve; 2011
- The Modern Herbal: Heartburn Home Remedies
- Weight Loss for All; Does Mustard Fight Indigestion?; 2003
- Journal of Food Protection"; Inhibition of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 in Ripening Dry Fermented Sausage by Ground Yellow Mustard; G.H. Graumann and R.A. Holley; March 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Indigestion
