15 Powders to Warm the Stomach

‘All disease begins in the Stomach’ was an aphorism taken from Hippocrates. The ability of the Stomach to digest properly is directly related to the maintenance of Health, and the development of Disease.

“All Disease begins the the Stomach“
Hippocrates
Therefore, making sure the Stomach is working properly is of prime importance. Medicines used to warm the Stomach and activate the Qi are used to stimulate digestion and absorption, clear Cold and Damp, and promote movement of food through the Digestive system.
The following are all related formulas traditionally used to warm the Stomach, promote Digestion, restore appetite, increases nutrition, and relieve Wind and bloating.

There are many, many variations, but basically they consist of warming spices along with aromatic seeds of the apiaceae (celery) family. Cinnamon and Ginger are the most important spices, Long Pepper, Mace, Nutmeg, Clove and Cardamon all being common additions.
Fennel and Aniseed are most commonly used of the seeds, these being sweetest and most grateful to taste and the stomach. Cumin, Caraway and Coriander are also often used.
Sugar is often added, or the seeds are used in their confected form. Sweetness is better liked by the Stomach and the sugar acts as a type of buffer to the very warming ingredients. Licorice was sometimes used with sugar, and can be used today in place of sugar, or else Honey can be used to form an Electuary.
These are pleasant, safe medicines for people with poor digestion, nausea, indigestion, bloating etc.

Remember: 3 scruples = 1 dram; 8 drams = 1 oz.

Common Tragea (1) Cinnamon	Imperial Powder Cinnamon
Ginger, 1 oz. each	Ginger, 2 drams each
Clove, 1 ½ drams	Nutmeg
Anise ½ oz.	Galangal
Mace, 1 dram	Amomum
Sugar, sufficientCommon Tragea (2) Nutmeg	Cardamon
Prepared Coriander, 2 oz. each	Long Pepper, 1 scruple each
Cinnamon	Calamus, 1 dram
Clove, 1 dram each	Clove, ½ dramSpecies Incisa Licorice, 1 oz. (8 drams)
Mace, ½ dram	Cinnamon, 6 drams
Sugar, 3–6 oz.Common Tragea (3) Cinnamon	Ginger, 5 drams
Ginger, ½ oz. each	Calamus ½ oz. (4 drams)
Coriander seed 1 oz. each	Nutmeg
Nutmeg	Galangal
Clove	Clove, 2 drams each
Mace	Aniseed
Galangal, 2 drams each	Caraway
Sugar, sufficientCommon Tragea (4) Confected Fennel seed	Fennel seed
Confected Aniseed	Coriander seed, 2 oz. each
Confected Caraway	This was beaten with Sugar.Tragea Optima Aniseed
Licorice, equal parts of each	Fennel seed
Ginger	Caraway
Long Pepper, of each a littleTragea Grossa Cinnamon, ½ oz.	Cumin
Ginger, 3 drams	Calamint
Nutmeg, 1 ½ oz.	Pennyroyal, 1 dram each
Mace, 1 dram	Long Pepper
Clove, ½ dram	Spikenard (or Valerian)
Confected Aniseed, 2 dramsTragea Grossa for the Stomach Calamus	Mastic
Licorice	Rock Salt
Gentian, 4 oz. each	Licorice
Tormentail	Cardamon, ½ dram each
Zedoary	Good for the Stomach and Digestion, clears Wind, benefits sight, Vertigo and Stones.Powder to Season food with Cinnamon 2 oz.
Amomum	Ginger, 1 oz.
Galangal, 1 oz. each	Long Pepper
Ginger	Galangal
Nutmeg	Amomum, 2 drams each
Long Pepper, ½ oz. each	Cardamon
Cinnamon	Nutmeg
Clove, 6 drams each	Sandalwood
Aniseed	Rose, 1 dram each
Fennel	Clove ½ dram
Caraway, 1 oz. each Tragea for the Stomach, Head, Lungs and Liver Cinnamon, 1 oz.	Saffron 1 scruple Optimal Powder to have with Food Amomum (Greater Cardamon)
Licorice, 3 ½ drams	Lesser Cardamon
Nutmeg, 3 drams	Aniseed
Ginger	Fennel seed
Galangal	Caraway
Aniseed, 2 drams each	Cumin
Clove	Zedoary
Mace, 1 dram each	Sage
Sugar, as desiredCommon Tragea (5) Cinnamon, ½ oz.	Long Pepper
Ginger	Clove
Clove	Saffron, 2 drams
Mace	Licorice
Galangal, 2 drams each	Nutmeg, ½ oz. (4 drams) ea.
Calamus	Cinnamon 1 oz.
Zedoary, 2 scruples each	Pennyroyal 2 ½ oz.
Tabasheer, 1 scruple	Powder, to be taken with food
	Purges the Brain; good against Vertigo, benefits Sight, restores when lost; strengthens digestion, increases appetite, clears intestinal wind, strengthens the cold and in convalescence, strengthens Lungs.

Examples from Ayurveda

Trikatu – Three Pungents Ginger	Asafetida 8 Powder Ginger
Black Pepper	Black Pepper
Long Pepper, equal parts	Long Pepper
Despite this being a simple formula, only composed of three spices, it is the foundation of many formulas to warm the Stomach, clear Cold and Damp, and promote Digestion in both Ayurveda and Tibetan Medicine. It is also used in the other traditions occasionally.	Celery seed
Because so much importance is placed on Digestion in Ayurveda, this combination appears in many traditional formulas of that system, and not only for digestive disorders. As it enhances digestion and assimilation, when added to large formulas, or formulas with hard-to-digest medicines, it enhances their efficacy.	Cumin
	Nigella
	Asafetida
	Rock Salt, of each equal parts
	The Asafetida is fried in Ghee, then the other ingredients are mixed.
	This again combines Apiaceae seed with Spices, but adds Rock Salt and Asafetida. Ayurvedic prescriptions regularly add Rock Salt to such digestive formulas, and Rock Salt could be added to any of the above formulas with benefit.
	Used similarly for Indigestion, Bloating, Abdominal Distention or Pain, Belching, Hiccups, Food Stagnation etc.
	Dose: 1–2 grams