Herbs for Digestion & Gut Health
In Ayurveda, digestion and the digestive fire are the very root of health and its counterpart, ill-health. In Sanskrit this digestive fire is called agni. More than just responsible for digestion, in its broader sense, it is said to be “the creative flame that works behind all life.”
Even mainstream media gives attention to the digestive system and digestive health supplements, such as probiotics, as people look for ways to support their gut health. Ayurveda takes a slightly different approach—encouraging easy to digest foods, or eating right for your dosha type. Ayurveda further supports digestive health through the use of Ayurvedic herbs.
How to Improve Gut Health
Digestion is a many-sided enterprise and is affected not only by what we eat but by how we eat as well. A healthy Ayurvedic diet is based on incorporating foods that cultivate strong digestion, a balanced gut microbiome, and a thriving community of good bacteria in the GI tract.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, the most important thing when trying to improve digestive health is to eat fresh, prana-rich foods that are appropriate for your dosha. Over time, this will help to eliminate toxins and cultivate balance in the gut.
Herbs, spices, and gut health supplements can also be incredibly supportive when seeking to activate robust digestion and create a healthy environment in the gut.
Herbs for Digestion
Like us, plants also possess a digestive fire (agni) in the form of photosynthesis. Light from the sun is digested and transformed into the nutrients a plant needs to grow. In this way, a plant’s agni can help us support our own agni. This is one way herbs are used in Ayurveda.
Herbs for digestive health are often either stimulating, such as ginger, or soothing, such as fennel. Knowing your dosha type gives you a wider understanding of the innate tendencies of your digestion and how to incorporate specific herbs for gut health.
Vata dosha tends toward an erratic appetite and often a weaker digestion. This can be supported by pungent and stimulating herbs such as cumin and pippali. Vata Digest is our go-to formula with a blend of herbs with heating qualities to enkindle vata’s irregular digestive fire.
The digestion of pitta dosha tends to be rather strong, and can sometimes be too strong. This is one reason pitta people are advised to avoid caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, and other stimulants. Herbs for pitta dosha are cooling and soothing, such as guduchi, coriander, and licorice. These make up part of Pitta Digest tablets, along with other pitta-supportive herbs.
Kapha dosha tends to have a slower digestion and may not often feel intense hunger. Similar to vata-supportive herbs, herbs for kapha dosha are also pungent and stimulating. Kapha Digest is the classic Ayurvedic formula Trikatu, which means “three pungents.” It is comprised of pippali, ginger, and black pepper, all of which serve to add some heat to the slow burn of kapha’s digestive flame.
Easy to Digest Foods
Exemplary to an Ayurvedic diet are foods that are easy on the stomach . Kitchari, a dish made of dal and rice, is considered one of the best foods to eat while cleansing because of its digestibility. Banyan Botanicals offers some of the finest quality Ayurvedic ingredients available for a gut health cleanse.
From our wide array of organic and sustainably sourced spices to our variety of dals, lentils, and basmati rice, we have what you need to help support your digestive health. For more on eating the best foods for your dosha, you may enjoy reading detailed tips on an Ayurvedic diet and for more comprehensive insight, take a look at our Digestive Health Guide.
Banyan Guarantee
For over 20 years Banyan Botanicals has been committed to providing organic herbs that are best for you and the planet. Dedicated to our values of stewardship, honesty, dignity, and respect, we want you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase. If for any reason you are not happy with your products or if one of our products does not support your health in a way that meets your expectations, we will gladly accept returns within 90 days of purchase with a refund of the price paid for the products. We apologize in advance for not being able to refund shipping costs; however, we offer free everyday shipping on orders of $60 or more.
