Tea For Bloating: 11 Effective Herbal Teas 2023

Bloating can range from an uncomfortable nuisance to a painful embarrassment. For some, bloating is part of a chronic health condition,^[1] such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while for others, bloating can be due to constipation or food intolerance.

One way to soothe and prevent discomfort is to drink tea for bloating, in the morning, before bed, or as needed. Tea can alleviate bloating by stimulating digestion, pushing gas out of the body, and encouraging bowel movements. This article will cover many varieties of tea that are beneficial for bloating. Try these tea flavors to decrease bloating in your body.

Tea For Bloating: 11 Types

Drinking hot beverages, particularly herbal teas with varying medicinal properties, can soothe an upset stomach and help you debloat fast. These teas include:

Fennel Tea

Fennel makes an excellent tea for bloating due to its anti-inflammatory properties and gut bacteria-feeding fiber. Additionally, fennel can act as a diuretic,^[2] helping to move excess fluid out of the body. Many people even eat fennel seeds in place of antacids for a bloated or upset stomach.

Green Tea 

Many people turn to green tea for bloating even though there is little known about the direct correlation between green tea and bloating. Rather, green tea contains antioxidants which provide numerous health benefits,^[3] including enhanced relaxation, largely due to the L-theanine^[4] in green tea. When the body is relaxed, digestion improves, and bloating can be reduced.

Ginger Tea

Ginger is an excellent tea for stomach bloating because ginger^[5] offers a range of gastrointestinal health benefits. Enjoy a daily cup of ginger tea for bloating or for other digestive disturbances, such as indigestion, nausea, and constipation.

Dandelion Tea

Dandelion root tea is a detox tea for bloating due to its ability to improve liver function,^[6] as well as improve the function of other digestive organs and support overall gastrointestinal health.^[7] Dandelion tea also contains small amounts of prebiotics, which can help reduce bloating by improving beneficial gut bacteria.

Turmeric Tea

Turmeric is another wonderful herbal tea for bloating thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, which have powerful healing effects^[8] for various digestive disorders. In particular, turmeric can be used as a treatment for IBS, helping improve gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating.

Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus, like dandelion root, may positively affect liver health,^[9] which can support the overall digestive process. More specifically, hibiscus may help reduce fat accumulation in the liver while also helping to balance water retention in the body, leading to less bloating and discomfort.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is another good option to improve bloating. Among its many health-promoting offerings, one of chamomile tea’s best^[10] outcomes is improved gastrointestinal health, including reducing bloating occurrences.

Peppermint Tea

Choose peppermint tea for bloating if you want quick and efficient relief.^[11] Peppermint has pain-relieving effects on the body, which can help soothe bloating. Additionally, peppermint is antispasmodic,^[12] reducing muscle spasms in the gastrointestinal tract and alleviating discomfort.

Wormwood Tea

Wormwood is a bitter tea that is great for digestion. The bitter taste helps release hormones, enzymes, and gastric juices needed for the digestive process. Consuming bitter foods, including wormwood tea, before or during meals can help improve digestion and reduce bloating.

Lemon Balm Tea

Like peppermint, lemon balm^[13] is also antispasmodic and has been used to treat various digestive symptoms, including gas and bloating, and soothe abdominal pain.

Licorice Root Tea

Though licorice root is most often used to ease an upset stomach and nausea, it can also help relieve bloating. Joining the ranks of peppermint and lemon balm, licorice^[14] can reduce muscle spasms associated with poor digestion leading to less gas and bloating.

How To Prepare Tea For Bloating? 

Do not underestimate the importance of preparation for the tea you drink. If you have tried many teas but still wonder why you’re so gassy, it may have something to do with the method of tea preparation.

Know Your Intolerances

If you drink tea that has ingredients you are sensitive to, you may inadvertently be adding to your discomfort. For example, peppermint tea may help with bloating, but it can aggravate reflux for some. Similarly, if you have a food intolerance to lemons, lemon balm tea may not be right for you. It is important to pay attention to how your body functions to choose the right tea to work with your body.

Adjust How You Steep The Tea 

Some teas require steeping for a few minutes in hot water to benefit from the extracted nutrients, whereas other teas should be steeped for longer periods. There are a few that even require being steeped in colder water to maximize benefits – Green tea is an example of this. Be sure to give adequate time and temperature for a tea to steep^[15] to increase its effectiveness.

Drink Tea Hot Or Warm

Part of the effect tea has on bloating is its temperature. For added medicinal benefits,^[16] do not let tea cool off before you drink it. While you may still get some of the detoxing and bloating benefits from the tea ingredients if you drink the tea cold, additional bloating benefits can be had if teas are consumed warm or hot,^[17] including better bowel function.

Add Lemon

Lemon has many medicinal properties^[18] that can benefit digestive health and relieve bloating. Adding a squeeze of lemon to hot water and drinking it first thing in the morning can help cleanse the system and stimulate digestion–this can be as good as drinking tea. Or, receive added benefits to whichever tea you choose by adding a squeeze or slice of lemon to tea.

Do Not Add Sweetener Or Milk

Both dairy^[19] and sweeteners can induce bloating. Drink your tea plain or with a squeeze of lemon, but do not undo the tea’s benefits by adding honey, sugar, artificial sweeteners, or milk to it.

Drink Tea Throughout The Day And At Bedtime

Bloating can occur any time of day. However, many individuals experience bloating when they wake up in the morning. You can get ahead of this by drinking tea after meals to prevent immediate gas build-up, sipping tea throughout the day for maintenance, and just before bed to flush the system in preparation for sleep. This may help you avoid waking up feeling bloated.

Conclusion

A warm cup of plain tea can be extremely soothing to the digestive tract, especially hibiscus, lemon balm, peppermint, chamomile, ginger, turmeric, and licorice root, which are particularly helpful for relieving bloating and gas. These teas contain healing properties–anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and analgesic–that make them beneficial for bloating.