There are many herbs and spices present in our kitchen which are helpful in curing or managing health issues. Many of them are specifically good for treating some very common digestive complaints like low appetite, abdominal gas, nausea, and other problems associated with excessive gas. Three such spice that can be made into powder and used daily to improve appetite and manage gas problem are cinnamon, cinnamon leaf or bay-leaf and cardamom.
Ayurvedic View
This combination of three spices is known as Trisugandhi Churna. Tri-sugandhi means three aromatics and churna is powder. So basically it is powder of three aromatic spices. The Ingredients are Tvak or cinnamon, Ela or lesser cardamom and Patra or tej-patta or bay leaves. All ingredients are taken in equal amount in dried state and powdered separately to get fine powder which is mixed and stored for daily use.
This churna decreases Kapha and Vata but increases Pitta and digestive fire. It is stimulant, carminative/relieves flatulence and diaphoretic/ induces perspiration.
This combination is helpful in low appetite, indigestion, weak digestion, vomiting, gas, distention and discomfort due to gas.
Why this combination is good for digestion
Cinnamon, bay leaves and cardamom, all three are carminative in action. Carminative (derived from Latin carminare which means, to cleanse) are those agents that useful in expelling gas to relive flatulence. They clear toxins and relax contracting stomach.
Cinnamon has stimulating properties due to which it increase circulation and healing in the gastrointestinal tract, promotes secretion of gastric juices and kills foreign bacteria.
Cardamom is anti-spasmodic, cholagogue (promotes the discharge of bile), choleretic (increase the volume of secretion of bile), digestive, laxative, stimulant and stomachic (promoting the appetite or assisting digestion). All these properties make it an excellent spice for improving digestive strength.
Bayleaf has analgesic, antiseptic, carminative, cholagogue, digestive, gastrotonic, hepatotonic, and stomachic properties which again helpful in improving digestion.
So this combination of spices can be used as home remedy for treating poor appetite, digestive weakness, indigestion, nausea and excessive gas.
The recommended dose of this powder is 1-3 grams, twice/thrice a day with honey or warm water.