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Rooted

Digestive

GERD / Heartburn

5 plants

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Demulcents can soothe an irritated esophagus after alarm features are out. They do not heal erosive disease, fix a hiatal hernia, or replace acid suppression when indicated. Peppermint oil is the wrong tool here — it can drop LES tone. Weight, meal timing, and night-time head-of-bed elevation still outperform capsules.

Primary plants

  1. Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
    1
    MarshmallowStrong traditional

    Althaea officinalis

    Root mucilage coats irritated mucosa; traditional demulcent for heartburn-type irritation.

    Typical. Dried root 2–5 g as cold maceration, several times daily (ESCOP / EMA).

    Safety. Food-like. Separate 1–2 h from other oral drugs — mucilage binds.

  2. Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)
    2
    Slippery elmStrong traditional

    Ulmus rubra

    Inner bark mucilage used the same way as marshmallow for irritated upper GI.

    Typical. Powdered inner bark slurry, typically 1–2 tsp in water, up to tid.

    Safety. Do not use outer bark. Same binding issue with oral meds. Pregnancy data thin for concentrated powder.

  3. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
    3
    LicoriceStrong traditional

    Glycyrrhiza glabra

    DGL (deglycyrrhizinated) is the reflux/dyspepsia form — whole-root glycyrrhizin is a mineralocorticoid problem.

    Typical. DGL chewables as labeled, often 380–760 mg before meals. Whole-root tea is not DGL.

    Safety. Whole root: HTN, hypokalemia, edema, pregnancy avoid. Confirm DGL vs whole-root on the label.

  4. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
    4
    German chamomileStrong traditional

    Matricaria chamomilla

    Mild spasmolytic/carminative tea; adjunct for epigastric discomfort, not an acid blocker.

    Typical. Flower infusion 1–2 g, tid. Not equivalent to a concentrated extract.

    Safety. Asteraceae allergy. Rare contact allergy. Sedation is mild.

Supportive plants1
  • Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
    GingerHuman data
    Zingiber officinale

    May help associated nausea. High-dose extracts are not a GERD strategy.

    Typical. Culinary 1–2 g dried rhizome/day. Extracts are a different object.

    Safety. Extracts: bleeding signal, gallbladder caution. Culinary is food-like.

Clinical notes

  • Skip peppermint oil and most mints — LES relaxation can worsen heartburn.
  • If already on a PPI or H2RA, demulcents are timing/adjunct questions, not a taper plan.
  • Alarm features (dysphagia, bleeding, anemia, weight loss, onset >60) are endoscopy, not elm bark.

When this is not enough

  • Dysphagia, odynophagia, GI bleeding, anemia, progressive weight loss
  • Cardiac-sounding chest pain — rule out ACS before calling it reflux
  • Failure of guideline reflux care or nocturnal aspiration symptoms

Rooted is a private clinical reference for licensed practitioners. It is educational, not a treatment protocol, and not a substitute for the chart, the exam, or pharmacy review. Plant medicines interact with drugs and can harm liver, kidney, heart, pregnancy, and children.

All digestive diagnoses