Artemis Digestive Ease Tea

Artemis Digestive Ease Tea

What is Digestive Ease Tea?

Digestive Ease Tea contains a range of natural herbal ingredients that can help build and maintain digestive health. The mild soothing ingredients can also ease symptoms and discomfort associated with poor digestion and digestive disorders.

Why use Digestive Ease Tea?

Healthy digestion plays an important role in maintaining overall wellness and determines how our body manages the nutrients in the food that we consume. Good nutrition is also important but we cannot always avoid some digestive problems or conditions. Artemis Digestive Ease Tea is natural herbal preparation that can help support healthy digestion.

What are the Key Benefits of Digestive Ease Tea?

• Traditional medicinal plant formula 
• Provides natural support for healthy digestion
• Contains herbs that act as a carminative
• All ingredients are certified organic, GE free and vegan
• Naturally sweet and mild flavour
• Does not contain sugar or artificial sweeteners
• Does not contain added colours, flavours, preservatives, gluten, wheat or dairy

What are good vs bad bacteria?

The body is constantly inhabited by millions of bacteria. If the bacteria is invasive and causes disease, it is harmful and therefore, bad for us. However, “good bacteria” live in the intestines and make up the gut flora, which play and important role in helping the digestion of our food.

What is a Choleretic?

A choleretic is a substance that increases bile secretion by the liver.

What is a Carminative?

A carminative is a naturally occurring plant derived substance that helps prevent gas formation in the intestines or helps to get rid of the gas, reducing bloating, wind and flatulence.

What is an Emmenagogue?

An emmenagogue is an herb that stimulates blood flow in the pelvic area.

Common digestive problems

Reflux

Reflux is also known as heartburn or indigestion and is when acid from the stomach leaks into the oesophagus causing a burning sensation in the chest area. There are several possible reasons for reflux, including diet, stomach ulcers and some medications, and it can cause more severe symptoms like nausea and vomiting.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) covers a range of disorders characterised by inflammation of the intestines, with symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. The two most common disorders are Ulcerative Colitis, which is inflammation of the large intestine (colon, rectum and anus) and Crohn’s Disease, which is inflammation that can occur anywhere along the intestine and often penetrates through its inner lining. Causes include genetic factors, environmental triggers like bacteria or virus, and overreaction of the immune system.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder of the large intestine or bowel that does not involve damage or changes to the bowel tissue. Symptoms include abdominal cramping and pain, bloating, flatulance (wind), and diarrhoea or constipation. Causes of IBS include bacterial or viral infection resulting in gastroenteritis, disruption of normal muscular contraction of the intestines, stress, food sensitivity and changes in the gut microflora.

Dyspepsia (indigestion/heartburn)

Dyspepsia also known as indigestion is pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen region due to a problem with the digestive system. Symptoms include feeling of fullness, bloating, belching, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Causes include alcohol, overeating or eating certain types of food, food or lactose intolerance, stomach ulcers and some medications.

What are the Ingredients of Digestive Ease Tea?

Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum):

Aniseed is a flowering plant belonging to the Umbelliferae family that grows in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Southwest Asia, Egypt, the Middle East and Mexico. The seeds of the Aniseed plant (Anise) contain anethole, an aromatic oil that has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine for easing digestive discomfort and treating flatulence and colic. Aniseed is used in herbal medicine today as a carminative to reduce the discomfort of gas in the intestines, which relieves wind and bloating; also as an antispasmodic on the smooth muscle of the digestive tract, which promotes relaxation of the gut wall and eases intestinal griping or spasms^{1, 2.}

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla):

Chamomile is a flowering plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family and grows the world over. It has been used in traditional medicine by many cultures since ancient times for its calming and anti-inflammatory properties and to treat digestive ailments. Studies have identified many bioactive compounds in extracts of Chamomile including terpenoids, flavonoids and apigenin and Chamomile tea is used for its many medicinal properties. These include mild sedation, helping with sleep problems, digestive relaxant and wound healing. Chamomile tea is used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders and complaints including irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel, flatulence and heartburn; also colic and croup in children^{3, 4}.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum):

Cinnamon is obtained from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree, a tropical evergreen tree that originated in Sri Lanka and now is widely grown throughout Southeast Asia. There are two varieties of Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and Cassia Cinnamon, which contains high concentrations of the coumarin anticoagulants that could be a health risk. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine Cinnamon was used as a remedy for many ailments including respiratory, digestive and gynaecological and is commonly used today for its carminative properties^5. Cinnamon contains several bioactive compounds including the oil cinnamaldehyde with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, and preclinical studies have indicated potential health benefits including soothing digestive problems and preventing nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea^{5, 6.} In a recent clinical trial with healthy adults, its safety and efficacy were investigated and found to have lipid and blood pressure lowering effects^7.

Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale):

Dandelion is a flowering plant belonging to the Asteraceae family that is native to Europe but now grows ubiquitously as a wild flower. The Dandelion plant was used in traditional medicine in several ancient cultures for digestive and liver disorders as a bitter digestive stimulant and as a choleretic, which supports the natural digestion and detoxification process. It is now used to treat several ailments including dyspepsia and liver complaints^8,9. Dandelion root contains several bioactive compounds including vitamins, minerals, and sesquiterpene lactones, which gives Dandelion its bitter taste, and flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants, and may contribute to its biological activities^{9, 10.}

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare):

Fennel is a flowering plant belonging to the Apiaceae family (Umbelliferaceae) and found around the Mediterranean coast and other coastal areas. It has been used as a traditional medicine for many conditions including colic and digestive disorders. Fennel contains anethole, an aromatic oil that acts as a carminative and promotes relaxation of the gut wall and motility of intestinal smooth muscle. These properties are thought to contribute to Fennels’s antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory actions, which help to reduce the discomfort of gas in the intestines and relieves wind and colic^{11, 12.}

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra):

Licorice is derived from the root of the herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Legume family. It is native to Parts of Europe and Asia and the dried roots of the Licorice have been used in traditional medicine for many ailments particularly peptic ulcers and liver disease^13. Licorice contains the sweet saponin glycyrrhizic acid that has a wide range of pharmacological and biological activities including anti-inflammatory properties, and it is thought to contribute to protecting the stomach from irritation and spasm and relieving indigestion^14.

Peppermint (Metha piperita):

Peppermint is a flowering plant native to Europe and the Middle East and is known for its soothing effect on the intestines to relieve digestive problems like gas, bloating, nausea and stomach cramps. Studies have demonstrated antispasmodic and relaxation effects on the intestine as well as analgesic and anaesthetic effects^15, and indicate that Peppermint oil may be effective in reducing symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome^{16, 17.}

What are the Contraindications/Interactions of Digestive Ease Tea?

Caution:

Digestive Ease Tea should be used with caution:

• during pregnancy due to cinnamon's emmenagogic effect 
• if you suffer from stomach or intestinal ulcers due to the carminative effect of several ingredients in Digestive Ease Tea
• if you are taking lithium for depression as dandelion may affect the levels of lithium in the blood
• if you are taking anticoagulants (blood-thinning) medications like warfarin as licorice may reduce its effectiveness 

There are no documented herb-drug interactions within the recommended dosage. However, you should always check the ingredients for known allergies and to ensure you do not have any allergies or sensitivities to these ingredients. Stop using if you develop any irritation or allergy while taking Digestive Ease Tea. Always read the label and use as directed or seek advice from your healthcare professional.

Note:

Digestive Ease Tea contains ingredients with hormonal activity including oestrogenic and prolactin properties and can stimulate breast milk secretion.

What are the Directions for using Digestive Ease Tea?

Shake the can before opening as the contents may settle. Add one level teaspoon of Digestive Ease Tea (equivalent to 1g) per cup (150ml) and infuse with boiling water for 5-10 minutes.

Dosage:

For short-term use:

Take one cup 3 times daily, as required.

For long-term maintenance use:

Take one cup once daily for 6 weeks up to 6 months, to target inflammation of the digestive tract.

For best results:

Take directly after a meal.

Special instructions

Do not microwave your Digestive Ease Tea after infusing. Close the can immediately after use to avoid external contamination and keep away from heat and moisture. Store in the fridge in hot and humid climates.

References

The following references provide scientific support for the use of this product:

1. Shojaii A, Abdollahi Fard M. Review of Pharmacological Properties and Chemical Constituents of Pimpinella anisum. ISRN Pharm 2012; 2012: 510795. 
2. Valussi M. Functional foods with digestion-enhancing properties. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2012 Mar;63 Suppl 1:82-9
3. Srivastava JK, Eswar Shankar E Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Report. 2010 Nov 1; 3(6): 895–901
4. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Phytother Res 2006 Jul;20(7):519-30.
5. Ranasinghe P, Pigera S, Premakumara GA S, Galappaththy P, Godwin R, Constantine GR, Katulanda P. Medicinal properties of ‘true’ cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013, 13:275.
6. Ou JZ, Cottrell JJ, Ha N, Pillai N, Yao CK et al. Potential of in vivo real-time gastric gas profiling: a pilot evaluation of heat-stress and modulating dietary cinnamon effect in an animal model. Scientific reports 2016;6 33387. 
7. Ranasinghe P, Jayawardena R, Pigera S, Wathurapatha WS, Weeratunga HD et al. Evaluation of pharmacodynamic properties and safety of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) in healthy adults: a phase I clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017 Dec 28;17(1):550. 
8. Mir MA Sawhney SS, Jassal MMS. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytochemicals of Taraxacum officinale. Wudpecker Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmocology Vol. 2(1), pp. 001 - 005, January 2013 
9. Schütz K, Carle R, Schieber A. Taraxacum--a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. J Ethnopharmacol 2006 Oct 11;107(3):313-23.
10. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutr Rev. 2012 Sep;70(9):534-47. 
11. Rather MA, Dar B, Sofi SN, Bhat BA, Qurishi MA. Foeniculum vulgare: A comprehensive review of its traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety. Arabian Journal of Chemistry (2016) 9, S1574–S1583
12. Badgujar SB, Patel VV, Bandivdekar AH. Foeniculum vulgare Mill: a review of its botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, contemporary application, and toxicology. Biomed Res Int.2014;2014:842674. 
13. Li J-y, Cao H-y, Liu P, Cheng G-h, Sun M-y. Glycyrrhizic Acid in the Treatment of Liver Diseases: Literature Review. BioMed Research International, Volume 2014, Article ID 872139, 15 pages
14. Schröfelbauer B, Raffetseder J, Hauner M, Wolkerstorfer A, Ernst W, Szolar OH. Glycyrrhizin, the main active compound in liquorice, attenuates pro-inflammatory responses by interfering with membrane-dependent receptor signalling. Biochem J. 2009 Jul 15;421(3):473-82. 
15. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea (Mentha piperita L.). Phytother Res. 2006 Aug;20(8):619-33.
16. Grigoleit HG, Grigoleit P. Peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome. Phytomedicine 2005 Aug;12(8):601-6.
17. Ford AC, Talley NJ, Spiegel BM, et al. Effect of fibre, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ 2008;337:a2313.

 

About Artemis

Artemis is New Zealand owned and operated since being established in 1988. Founded by Sandra Claire who arrived from Switzerland was enchanted by Otago's natural landscape, lifestyle and people. The name 'Artemis' is borrowed from the Greek deity, goddess of the wilderness, protector of woman and children. The Artemis philosophy, like the goddess is to find and use natural resources to look after those they care for.