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CENTAURIUM |
| Also
known as: |
Centaurium
umbellatum, Centuary. |
| Uses: |
Acid
stomach, Indigestion, Hiatus hernia, Anorexia,
Heartburn (reflux). |
| Description: |
Centaurium
has been used as the classic stomach bitter for many
years. Bitter herbs or bitter tasting foods used
to form a significant part of the diet.
Nowadays, these have practically disappeared with the
trend towards more convenient, inoffensive and easy to
eat foods.
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| How
it works: |
As
you may have surmised, Centaurium has a bitter taste and
owes this property to the group of compounds called
glycosides.
The bitterness of food
on the tongue plays a very important role in the
digestive process. The taste of bitter foods
stimulates the appetite and triggers the secretion of
digestive juices in the stomach, which in turn improves
the breakdown of food.
At the same time, the
hormone Gastin is secreted by the walls of the
stomach. This improves the digestive process, by
improving the passage of food from the stomach to the
intestines. Another important action of Gastin
is to tighten the 'valve' between the oesophagus and
stomach, which is important in reducing the symptoms
associated with hiatus hernia, such as gastric reflux.
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| When
to avoid: |
No
restrictions on use are known. |
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