7 Herbs for Motion Sickness

Motion sickness can happen to anyone, anytime. But if you know yourself to have this particular sensitivity and if you have to travel more often than you’d feel like, you should consider one of the following herbal remedies.

Most of you know about ginger and its efficacy against motion sickness. And there are also a lot of stimulants out there that will help you get over, mint and citrics most of all. But there are also some herbs that, if taken 12 to 24 hours before departure, will help you have a safe ride.

Motion sickness is a rather common problem for people traveling either by car, bus and train, or by airplanes and boats (especially while being under the deck). It can start suddenly, with a queasy feeling and cold sweats, followed by dizziness, nausea and possibly vomiting. Why? Well, your brain senses movement by integrating the signals its receives from your inner ears, from the eyes, muscles and joints, and when those signals somehow do not match, you are most likely to get motion sickness. For example, down below on a boat, the vestibular apparatus in your inner ear senses motion, but your eyes cannot see the actual movement. What these herbs can do is either telling your body beforehand, in a herbal language, about the coming motion, or preparing it for the eventual confusion.

Here’s how you can use these herbs (do not take them all at once, but use them one at a time and see which one works best for you):

• Angelica (leaf tincture 1:5 with alcohol 45%)

2-5 ml in a glass of water, 3 times a day

• Angelica (root tincture 1:5 with alcohol 60%)

0.5-2 ml in a glass of water, 3 times a day

• Ginger (root tincture 1:5 with alcohol 60%)

Up to 30 drops in a glass of water, 3 times a day

• Lemon balm (capsules 200 mg)

1 capsule during a meal, 3 times a day

• Licorice

Add 1-2 teaspoons of root powder in a cup of hot boiled water and let steep for 10 minutes. Drink 2 cups a day.

• Nettle (leaf tincture 1:4 with alcohol 25%)

20 drops in a glass of water, after a meal, 3 times a day

• Sweet clover (aerial parts tincture)

35 drops in a glass of water, during a meal, 3 times a day

• Marjoram

Add 1-2 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup of hot boiled water and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Drink 3 cups a day.