Cell Salts for Digestion Part II: Top gastric indications for each cell salt
Every person and constitution is different and you should always consult with your health care practitioner about your health complaints and when starting a new regimen. This is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
It's all in the dose
Cell salts are especially beneficial for digestive imbalances because they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the mouth, bypassing the digestive tract. This is particularly helpful if chronic inflammation or other inflammatory conditions are impairing nutrient absorption. Taken under the tongue, where there are large blood vessels, the dose is quickly absorbed into the body. Unlike vitamins, which must go through the digestive system, cell salts avoid this process, making them a preferred option for those with digestive issues or absorption irregularities.
Below is a table outlining each cell salt's special use in the digestive tract. This information is extracted from traditional homeopathic references which can be found here.
The cell salts in BOLD type have a special affinity to the digestive tract. Each has their own unique set of circumstances and symptoms which indicate where it could be beneficial.
Cell Salt |
Digestive Indications |
#1 Calc fluor 6X |
Hemorrhoids with lower back pain. |
#2 Calc phos 6X |
Pain after eating smallest amount of food. Great craving for smoked foods. Accumulation of gas in the stomach relieved by passing wind or eructating. Think of when no effect from #8 Mag phos. |
#3 Calc sulph 6X |
Great thirst and appetite. Craving for fruit and sour foods. |
#4 Ferr phos 6X |
Inflamed feeling in stomach with heat. Hemorrhoids |
#5 Kali mur 6X |
Gastric upset with white coated tongue. |
#6 Kali phos 6X |
Excessive hungry feeling or nausea soon after eating. ‘Gone’ feeling in stomach from stress. |
#7 Kali sulph 6X |
Digestive complaints with yellow tongue. |
#8 Mag phos 6X |
Neuralgic pains in stomach/intestines, relief from warm applications and bending forward. |
#9 Nat mur 6X |
Any stomach complaint with small bubbles saliva/mucus on edges of the tongue. Stomach complaint with involuntary uprisings of water, liquid. Headaches with indigestion. |
#10 Nat phos 6X |
Known as the homeopathic antacid. Gastric symptoms with excessive acidity. Special aggravation from fats; nat phos helps emulsify fats. Creamy coating at the back of the tongue. Pain comes on 2 hours after eating. |
#11 Nat sulph 6X |
Any digestive complaint involving the liver, gallbladder, or production of bile. Bitter taste in mouth. Aggravation from eating starchy food. |
#12 Silica 6X |
Chronic acidic stomach with acid burping. Disgust for warm food and meat. |
If you are not sure where to start, look at your tongue first. As Dr. Schuessler writes in Dr. Hering’s The Twelve Tissue Remedies (1874), “If in a disease, particularly a chronic one, there are only undeciding symptoms, then the tongue symptoms in most cases will determine the right remedy.” Read this article about tongue color indications (often related to digestion) here.
If you have a complex health situation with multiple types of symptoms, consider taking cell salts as needed for the symptoms as they come up. It has been found in practice and by practitioners that by doing it in this way you can help your body self-correct and regulate those levels better.
By taking it in this way, the frequency of dosage naturally dissipates as the complaint improves. In other words, if your symptoms improve, reduce how many pellets you are taking on a daily basis. If the same symptoms return, you can increase dosage amounts again. In time it should help ‘simplify’ your health picture and hopefully improve things.
Read more about using cell salts for digestion:
Cell Salts for Digestion Part I: Simple protocols to improve digestion
Cell Salts for Digestion Part III: Using cell salts to support nutrient absorption from food