How to fight against aerophagia with essential oils?

Methylchavicol present between 50 and 75% inbasil essential oil is a powerful antispasmodic at the gastric and intestinal level. It is strongly recommended for digestive problems directly linked to spasmodic disorders (bloating, aerophagia, nausea, digestive spasms).

Linalool, between 8 and 30% in this essential oil, is a monoterpene alcohol which gives it calming properties; it increases the level of dopamine, a neurotransmitter (molecule ensuring the transmission of information between neurons), which helps calm excitability. Linalool is also a sedative. It acts on the autonomic nervous system and on different neurotransmitters, thus helping to regulate mood. Finally, this component is relaxing; these latter properties make it possible to limit the stress that could be the cause of aerophagia.

Limonene, a terpene, present between 38 and 50% incaraway essential oil gives it choleretic properties (production of bile by the liver) while carvone (50 and 58%), a ketone, completes this digestive action with its cholagogue properties (release of bile in the intestine). These properties allow the food bolus to move forward in the intestine, which avoids an overabundance of digestive bacteria in the digestive tract and therefore prevents the fermentation of food which then causes bloating and belching. Carvone is also carminative, meaning it facilitates the expulsion of intestinal gas; it therefore limits bloating and other intestinal pain. This molecule has antibacterial properties which will destroy excess bacteria. This Caraway essential oil reinforces the spasmolytic properties of Basil essential oil by inhibiting the action of acetylcholine and histamine, which are both spasmogenic. These fermentation phenomena, linked to the high presence of slow sugars (pasta, cereals), occur in the right colon (ascending) and are calmed by plants of the Apiaceae family such as Caraway.

The linalool present in major quantities in this essential oil (65 to 78%) gives it stomachic, carminative and digestive tonic (intestinal motility) properties.

L'coriander Seeds essential oil is also a good antibacterial and antifermentative and attacks the bacteria or germs in the intestine responsible for the fermentation of food if there are too many of them. In this way, it will help reduce digestive disorders. The phenomena of putrefaction produce malodorous gases and are linked to the digestion of proteins in the left colon (descending), the essential oil of Coriander Seeds contains constituents which will help the digestion of these proteins by preventing their putrefaction. This high concentration of linalool also gives it real calming properties since, as we have seen for Basil essential oil, linalool calms excitability and regulates mood.

The majority molecule oflemon essential oil is limonene. It has recognized properties on the digestive system: it has in particular a choleretic and cholagogue action, that is to say it increases the secretion of bile by the liver then promotes its release in the intestine which allows digestion fatty substances and neutralize certain toxins. Limonene also acts on gastric motility, that is to say the contraction of the stomach which promotes the progression of the bolus. All this therefore makes it possible to optimize digestion; However, good digestion of food will allow air to be better eliminated from the intestine.

Lemon essential oil, like Cardamom essential oil, has a carminative property, but this time this property comes from the activity of limonene and not that of an ester. The presence of two different molecules with the same property allows a greater field of action, which optimizes the expulsion of gases produced in the digestive tract.

Often indicated for all digestive problems in children thanks to its digestive tonic power,cardamom essential oil is particularly suitable for combating aerophagia thanks to its carminative property, that is to say its ability to promote the evacuation of intestinal gases.

Terpenyl acetate, present between 30 and 40% in this essential oil, also has powerful antispasmodic activity. Indeed, by acting by disrupting exchanges on the ion channels present at inter-neuron junctions in the nervous system, terpenyl acetate helps to calm or even eliminate the spasms of the smooth muscles surrounding the digestive tract, which will alleviate the pain caused by to bloating.

L'essential oil of Petit Grain Bigarade is composed of linalyl acetate, a monoterpene ester with strong antispasmodic properties; it in fact causes sustained and progressive relaxation of smooth muscles. It will lend a hand to the terpenyl acetate of Cardamom essential oil to relax the muscles surrounding the digestive tract and thus relieve pain linked to the pressure exerted by gases in the digestive tract.

Thanks to its neurotropic action (on the nervous system), this essential oil is rebalancing and nervous calming; it will thus reduce anxiety which can be one of the causes of the phenomenon of aerophagia.