Q: I quite often suffer from indigestion. I try to avoid fatty foods but wonder if there is anything you recommend for occasional indigestion?

I was taking antacids but have now stopped them. I realise it is probably best to avoid taking medication and so wonder if you know of any alternatives? I sometimes take slippery elm tablets and I often have peppermint tea and also try not to go to bed directly after eating.

A: The symptoms of indigestion can include pain or fullness in the chest area after eating, heartburn, burping and belching. The medical term for indigestion is dyspepsia.

As with any problem the most important thing is to try and find the cause, because if you can track down the cause the problem will be eliminated. At the same time, it is useful to have some natural remedies on hand when needed.

The main causes of indigestion are overeating, obesity, chocolate, fried foods, carbonated beverages, alcohol, stress, coffee, and cigarettes. The first thing is to see whether any of these are a trigger for you.

Also make sure that you are eating slowly. The first part of digestion is in the mouth so by mixing and breaking down your food well with saliva before it is swallowed the next part of your digestive system has less work to do. Don’t drink with meals as this dilutes the saliva while it is trying to do its job. Use fruit as a snack between meals and don’t have it straight after a meal.

Leave a couple of hours between eating and going to bed and try to sleep in a slightly more upright position so that gravity helps to prevent the stomach contents moving back into the food pipe (oesophagus).

Natural remedies can be helpful. Slippery elm helps to form a protective coating in the stomach and chamomile tea can have a calming effect on the digestive system. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) helps to soothe the tissue lining the digestive system and a good combination I use in the clinic contains DGL, cabbage and zinc (called Enteroplex). Also you can use an alkalising carbonate 30 minutes after eating for symptom relief (Bio-carbonate).

If the dietary recommendations do not make a difference then it is important to see your doctor to see whether there is another cause such as a hiatus hernia or helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is a bacteria that lives in the stomach and can cause symptoms like indigestion and heartburn. Up to 90% of people with a stomach ulcer have these bacteria. A simple breath test can show you whether you have an active H. pylori infection.

Q: I’m confused about green tea. I’m told it’s a good antioxidant and yet I’m also advised to cut out tea and coffee from my diet. How does green tea fit in, and should we be drinking it or avoiding it?

– Jane, Chipping Norton

A: It is rather confusing when a drink can have both negative and positive aspects. Green tea is made from the same plant as ordinary black tea but it is produced from unfermented leaves whereas black tea is made by fermenting green tea.

Green tea does contain caffeine but also high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols. These polyphenols have been found to have anti-cancer properties and can also help to reduce cholesterol and increase HDL ‘good’ cholesterol.

But the problem is the caffeine in the green tea. If you are aware that you have blood sugar swings and crave sweets or caffeine during the day or have fat around the middle then it is better to eliminate green tea for a couple of months.

Caffeine is a stimulant which prompts your body to release cortisol (one of the stress hormones) which in turn triggers the release of insulin. Over time caffeine will make your body resistant to insulin so your body will turn glucose straight into fat and store it around your middle. Caffeine will also make you feel more stressed.

Caffeine is addictive. Tea and coffee act like a drug. The trouble is that when the effect wears off you’re going to need another cup to keep you going. It’s a classic crutch for the 3 or 4pm energy dip when you could think you’ll never get through the afternoon without that cup of tea and biscuit.

So I would recommend getting your blood sugar in balance by eliminating sugar and anything containing caffeine for a while and then having a couple of cups of organic green tea a week will be healthy rather than acting as a caffeine-fix.

Q: What supplements do you recommend for an over-active thyroid?

– Andrea, London

A: The thyroid gland produces hormones which regulate metabolism. When the thyroid becomes overactive, metabolism is speeded up and calories are burned off quickly causing weight loss, restlessness, insomnia and the eyes can have a bulging appearance.

It is important to get a medical diagnosis if you have these symptoms and also to look at your diet and to add in certain supplements. With your diet, avoid any stimulants such as coffee, tea and sugar as these can make your body produce more adrenaline. It is thought that stress can be implicated in an overactive thyroid problem. The B vitamins are known are the ‘stress’ vitamins and so are important for an overactive thyroid.

Take a good all round multivitamin and mineral and add in a B complex together with extra vitamin E, as a deficiency in this vitamin can cause the thyroid gland to secrete too much hormone.