Evidence based
If you’re often plagued by digestive issues like constipation or upset stomach, you may be relying too heavily on laxatives and other OTC medicines to find relief.
But have you ever tried using tea for digestion?
A simple cup of tea has been used across centuries and cultures as the ultimate natural way to aid digestion and improve your gut health.
Certain teas support regular bowel movements, while others support a healthy immune system to help your body eliminate gunk that could upset your tummy.
A daily cup of these teas may be just as essential to your wellness routine as your daily probiotic. And they could be your best option for natural relief of your most troublesome digestive symptoms.
We’ll show you how that’s possible by diving into the best teas for digestion — and the research supporting them — in this guide.
Before we get to the good stuff, let’s answer this question first:
How Does Drinking Tea Support Digestion?
There are two significant ways drinking tea supports better digestive functioning.
First, drinking tea keeps your body hydrated. A well-hydrated body lessens the chances of constipation and helps your system maintain regularity.
As the water from the tea passes through your system, it bulks up your stools while also keeping them soft [1]. This helps your body pass stools through your digestive system with ease.
Second, specific teas contribute to better digestive health in their own unique ways due to what they’re made of.
Tea leaves boast a plethora of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other herbal compounds to help your digestive enzymes work smarter.
Tea polyphenols act as prebiotics, which feed the healthy bacteria living in your digestive tract. With the right balance, good gut health could lead to improved digestion, supported weight management, and immune support.
Natural ginger tea, for example, may be able to soothe upset stomachs and green teas may be able to help decrease the absorption of starches [2].
But these two types of tea aren’t the only ones to show potential health benefits for better digestive health.
The Top 9 Best Teas for Digestion
- Ginger Tea
- Peppermint Tea
- Chamomile Tea
- Cinnamon Tea
- Black Tea
- Green Tea
- Pu’er Teas
- Dandelion Tea
- Oolong Tea
When it comes to improving digestive health, these nine teas have the most research behind them:
1. Ginger Tea
You’re probably not surprised to see ginger tea on our list of the best teas for digestion.
As mentioned in our guide on ginger tea benefits, this powerful root may be helpful for soothing upset stomachs, indigestion, bloating, and gas.
Some of those benefits are because ginger root stimulates the muscles in your intestines, which improves digestive motility. This encourages your body to break down food and move it through your digestive tract.
Here’s our favorite ginger tea:
Pique Ginger Digestion Elixir
Spicy, tangy and caffeine-free. More soothing and warming than your fuzzy socks. Keep your tummy happy.
2. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is another herbal tea that may support a healthy digestive system.
Studies in humans show that peppermint oil, which is found in peppermint tea leaves, has analgesic effects. This can combat pain in the gastrointestinal tract [3]. It may also help support good bowel health [3].
Peppermint tea was also useful for helping to decrease gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain in IBS patients [4].
3. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea may provide soothing relief in times of need.
This herbal tea has been used to treat indigestion, diarrhea, gas, nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, a sluggish digestive system, and stomach pain for centuries [5][6].
Since chamomile is a relaxant, it may be able to help calm tense muscles in the digestive tract and help you feel more at ease [5].
4. Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon tea has also been used for centuries in traditional medicine in both China and Egypt [7].
Similar to chamomile tea, cinnamon offers anti-inflammatory benefits that may help with stomach cramps and intestinal spasms. It fights indigestion, nausea, gas, and diarrhea [7].
Cinnamon tea doesn’t usually contain caffeine. So you can try chai tea if you need a caffeine boost. This black tea carries spices such as ginger (#1 on this list), cardamom, cloves, coriander, and cinnamon.
Here’s our recommendation for cinnamon tea:
Pique Cinnamon Herbal Fasting Tea
Cozy, comforting and caffeine-free. Unwind your day with a hug in a mug
5. Black Tea
Research on black tea suggests it may help you get closer to reaching your weight loss goals. Not only do studies show black tea supports optimal digestion, it has incredible weight management perks too.
Researchers say it may help impact fat and complex sugar digestion and absorption, which naturally supports healthy weight management [8].
Black tea’s digestive support is possible thanks to theaflavins — a type of antioxidant polyphenol — found uniquely in black tea. Theaflavins are prebiotic compounds that may help support regularity as well.
6. Green Teas
If black tea is good for digestive health, does that mean green tea is too? Yes!
Green teas, which boast a unique variety of catechins (antioxidants), have also been shown to help decrease starch absorption and digestion, which may aid in healthy weight management and metabolism [9].
Experts in one study learned that drinking four cups of green tea per day helped promote a healthy weight in their participants [10].
7. Pu’er Teas
As we mentioned in our pu’er tea guide, this fermented tea has been used for thousands of years by Chinese herbalists to “warm the stomach” and support digestion.
Pu’er tea (also called pu-erh tea) does this by helping your gut maintain a healthy balance of bacteria and digestive enzymes.
On top of that, pu’er tea also helps your body process fats. [11].
Here’s a high-quality pu’er tea:
Pique Pu’er Black Tea
Unrivaled polyphenol concentration. Fermented with probiotics. The ultimate supertea for gut health and digestion support.
8. Dandelion Tea
Yes, we’re talking about the same dandelion that might be growing in your yard right now! Did you know that the roots, leaves and flowers are all edible? You can also make tea out of each part of the dandelion plant.
Studies on animals have shown that dandelion extract can help stimulate stomach muscle contractions, which in turn support the movement of food through your digestive tract. [12]
While more dandelion tea studies on humans are needed, we do know that eating dandelion greens provides an excellent source of bitter vegetable fiber… something your gut microflora thrive on! So even if you’re not ready to jump into dandelion tea, maybe try adding some dandelion greens to your next salad!
7. Oolong Tea
In case you didn’t know, oolong tea is the perfect middle ground between black and green teas. It’s slightly more oxidized than green tea, but not as oxidized as black tea.
That means it uniquely provides BOTH the theaflavins found in black teas and the catechins found in green teas. Both those antioxidants play an important role in supporting digestive health, as we explained above.
So if you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck and can’t decide between black or green tea – consider choosing oolong!
Tea vs. Coffee: Is There a Clear Winner for Digestive Health?
Many people consider coffee their go-to when it comes to keeping their bowels on a tight and regular schedule.
But, as we discussed in this guide comparing tea vs. coffee, the latter may be too acidic for some people to handle and can lead to digestive upsets and discomfort. Coffee can also make heartburn and acid reflux worse.
On the other hand, the nine teas on this list may help support gut health without any of the tummy-troubling downsides. They all boast health benefits that help your body in unique ways.
Plus, coffee is dehydrating, whereas tea can hydrate your body. Dehydration is the last thing you need if you struggle with constipation.
Additionally, pregnant women experiencing morning sickness or nausea can sip multiple cups of caffeine-free herbal tea for relief. The same cannot be said about coffee.
In our opinion, there’s a clear winner here. Tea provides excellent health benefits like coffee but with much fewer side effects.
Historical Uses of Tea Supporting Digestion
People all over the globe have been harnessing the power of natural tea leaves for better digestion for centuries.
Traditional Iranian medicine used green tea to combat gastrointestinal disorders [13].
In both China and Egypt, cinnamon tea was commonly called upon to combat inflammation and nausea.
Chamomile and peppermint tea also have their roots in traditional medicine.
And traditional Chinese herbalists have been sharing the legendary pu’er tea for better gut health for hundreds of years.
When Should I Drink Digestive Tea?
Try incorporating a few of these teas throughout your day to maximize digestive support. Here’s a sample schedule you can work with:
-
- Start your day with 1-2 cups of black or pu’er tea, which contain caffeine.
- Transition to 1-2 cups of green tea post-lunch to help stimulate digestion.
- Wind down your day with 1-2 cups of caffeine-free herbal tea in the evening, such as peppermint, chamomile, or ginger.
This tea schedule gives you digestive support around the clock without much effort.
What Can I Drink To Help My Digestion? Final Thoughts
Now you know the best teas for digestion, and why coffee probably shouldn’t be your go-to when it comes to improving regularity.
By drinking 3-4 cups of these teas for digestion each day, you may be able to improve your gut health, support healthy weight management, and boost your immune system.
And that should all make your tummy smile.
So which tea will you try first today? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
