The catered office party is over and an important conference call starts in 10 minutes. There's no time for a break. What after-lunch remedy would you recommend to see your customer through the meeting?

Certainly not a chalky antacid, according to herbalist Ellen Kamhi of Nature's Answer. "Although it will alleviate the problem initially, an antacid really makes the overall condition much worse," she says. "It disrupts and disturbs the normal digestive process."

Instead, she recommends people keep traditional carminatives such as peppermint, chamomile and fennel on hand. "They have a direct relaxing action and are helpful for gas pain relief," she says.

Dan Lukaczer, N.D., favors DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and peppermint for his clinic patients. "Licorice often works quickly in individuals who have indigestion, ulcers and gastritis," he says. "Enteric coated peppermint oil works as a carminative to expel gas. For people who are really bloated and have a lot of trapped gas, this can work very quickly."

Capsules are also your customers' best bet when they're in a hurry, says Lukaczer. "You can drink peppermint tea, but if you want something that really works fast, you should go with the enteric coated capsule."

-C.M.