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| fluid retention and elevated blood pressure associated with untreated licorice root. |
| Although many physicians recommend a bland diet with no spicy foods, cayenne pepper capsules, the hotter the better, are more likely to help, especially when bleeding is a factor. If you are taking cayenne capsules for the first time, be sure to swallow them with plenty of food and water. If you experience a sensation similar to heartburn within an hour of taking cayenne, drink apple juice or peppermint tea. The sensation is not heartburnand it isn't your ulcerbut rather a reaction to the peppers. Because cayenne pepper decreases sensitivity to pain the more often it is taken, this short-lived side effect doesn't recur if you remember to take 1 or 2 capsules twice or three times daily. Cayenne is a catalyst herb, meaning that it improves the effectiveness of other herbs by increasing circulation and digestive activity. Take a cayenne pepper capsule with any medicinal tea and you will speed and increase its benefits. |
| Comfrey root and other mucilaginous herbs, like slippery elm bark and arrowroot, soothe damaged tissue. A tablespoon of any of these powdered herbs can be added to a glass of water and stirred well before drinking to coat the stomach, relieve pain and strengthen the system. |
| Two ounces (1/4 cup) aloe vera gel or juice taken three times daily is another effective ulcer treatment. Whole aloe vera leaf is a cathartic laxative, but the inner gel of the succulent leaf does not contain any bitter cathartic ingredients. This inner gel is sold as aloe vera juice and aloe vera gel in health food stores. The English herbalist David Hoffmann does not recommend aloe vera to pregnant women or nursing mothers, but it is otherwise recognized as safe. Check labels for suggested dosages and to be sure the product does not contain chemical preservatives or ingredients other than cold process aloe vera gel from the plant's inner leaf. |
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