Does every meal seem to make you feel bloated and gassy? Or do bloating and gas kick in randomly, for no apparent reason at all?
Whatever the case, you're probably desperate for a fix to get rid of this nasty bloat.
There are many reasons for gas and bloating - and most of them have to do with your gut health.
What causes bloating?
Disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and celiac disease are the most serious causes of gastrointestinal bloating.
A sluggish bowel is also a major cause, especially when it leads to chronic constipation. When your bowel is not emptying often enough, your stomach can become too "full". Similarly, bloating can result from gastroparesis, a delay in the release of food from the stomach into the small intestine. This is often the result of low stomach acid levels.
Most often, poor gut bacteria are to blame. When “bad” gut bacteria overwhelm your “good” bacteria, dysbiosis results. Left untreated, this can lead to small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) (too many bad bacteria in the small intestine) or an overgrowth of Candida.
SIBO occurs when bacteria from one part of the digestive tract enters the small intestine, or when natural bacteria in the small intestine get out of hand. This imbalance of bacteria in the gut can cause bloating, diarrhea, and pain.
Similarly, overgrowth of the yeast Candida albicans can lead to gas and bloating. Candida yeast can usually live naturally in the gut without causing any problems, but when it gets out of hand, it can wreak havoc on your normal digestive function.
There may also be certain foods to which you are allergic or intolerant. Wheat and dairy products are among the most common causes of bloating, along with fructooligosaccharides (found in onions, garlic, apples, and other high FODMAP foods).
Of course, there are times when it's hard to avoid certain foods! For example, you may know that beans and spices give you terrible stomach pains, but your boss just yelled out lunch at your local Mexican restaurant... or you know you're into dairy but your best friend just gave you a box. candy for your birthday.
In these cases, it's good to know that relief is just tea!
7 Best Teas to Reduce Flatulence
There are many amazing medicinal herbs that can be brewed into a tea for bloating and gas relief. Drinking these teas throughout the day can help relieve pain and discomfort from digestive issues.
1. Mint Tea
Peppermint is a wonderful herb that has been used for centuries to treat digestive ailments. This is all thanks to its active ingredient, menthol.
Menthol is what gives mint its minty flavor. Menthol also provides great flavor while helping to reduce inflammation. The anti-inflammatory properties of peppermint tea help alleviate stomach discomfort that can cause bloating and gas.
Research shows that peppermint tea has strong antispasmodic properties, which simply means that it helps your intestines relax. It helps relieve that nasty intestinal gas and bloating.
Research has also shown that peppermint tea can have analgesic (pain relieving) effects that help relieve the discomfort associated with bloating.
2. Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is made from the root (rhizome) of the ginger plant. It is a spicy, warming fragrance that is both stimulating and nourishing.
Ginger is a strong antiemetic, which means it can help reduce feelings of nausea and indigestion. It has been used for hundreds of years as a home remedy for vomiting, indigestion, and even morning sickness.
Fresh ginger tea is especially effective in soothing a bloated belly due to its anti-inflammatory and carminative properties. It is also an anti-inflammatory agent, so it is especially useful for IBS.
Ginger tea has also been found to help your digestive system empty faster and more efficiently, which helps prevent feeling "full" after eating.
3. Chamomile Tea
This gentle tea is famous for soothing a sore tummy and boosting your mood at the same time! Made by immersing chamomile flowers in hot water, chamomile tea has a naturally calming effect on the body and mind. It can also help reduce water retention and improve overall mood and well-being.
Studies have shown that chamomile is especially beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome, helping to soothe the intestinal tract and “unclench” the abdominal muscles. It also seems that chamomile may help combat bloating caused by lactose-containing foods.
Regular consumption of chamomile tea can help improve sleep quality and relax. It appears to work on a chemical level by boosting GABA receptors in the nervous system to improve your mood.
See also: tea for better sleep
4. Green Tea
Among the many healing properties, green tea is a fantastic digestive aid. In fact, it may be one of the best teas for your gut, thanks to its high content of catechins and antioxidants. These catechins are not only powerful scavengers of free radicals (which can damage cells), they help to soothe the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.
Green tea can also help eliminate gas buildup in the intestines, which reduces bloating in your stomach. In addition, green tea helps your digestive system function more efficiently by stimulating the enzymes your body needs to properly break down food.
5. Hibiscus tea
We tend to think of hibiscus as just a pretty flower, but it's also a great digestive tonic. It is made by infusing bright hibiscus petals into boiling water. The result is an aromatic, decaffeinated tea with a distinctive taste. Some say it's even hints of cranberries!
The great thing about hibiscus tea is that it helps balance hormones. It can reduce water retention and eliminate bloating, especially at certain times of the month.
The high flavonoid content of hibiscus tea also helps modulate aldosterone, a hormone responsible for regulating water intake and electrolyte levels.
6. Fennel Tea
Fennel is a revered digestive aid that has been used for centuries. Fennel tea is made from the seeds of the fennel plant, which have a wonderfully sweet flavor similar to licorice root.
Research published in the journal Food Biochemistry has shown that fennel is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, especially in the digestive tract. The essential oils in the plant have also long been used to treat digestive disorders, perhaps because they contain estrogen, which suppresses muscle spasms. This helps your digestive system break down food more efficiently without bloating.
The aromatic and carminative properties of fennel also relieve flatulence, diarrhea, bloating or stomach cramps, which are often caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Fennel tea even helps reduce acidity in both the stomach and intestines.
7. Dandelion Root
Dandelion root is one of the best herbal remedies for the liver. Dandelion tea can be made from just the root or the whole plant: roots, leaves, and petals. However, most research has been done on the medicinal benefits of dandelion root.
Dandelion root tea is a natural diuretic, which means it helps the body flush out excess fluid and eliminate toxins. This greatly helps in relieving bloating caused by belly gas.
Dandelion root also stimulates the liver, which plays a key role in digestive function. It helps with cleansing and sluggish liver, and also promotes the secretion of bile by the hepatobiliary system. This makes it a very useful remedy for reducing liver and gallbladder congestion.
What is the best tea for bloating?
So, which tea is better for bloating? It's hard to choose one as everyone will have different preferences and symptoms. However, chamomile tea is generally considered to be the most gentle and effective for all sorts of symptoms. It is powerful yet soothing and only has a mild taste.
Best of all, chamomile has the added benefit of calming the mind and relieving nervous tension, which can be a factor in bloating.
Final Thoughts
While all of these herbal teas are helpful in relieving the acute symptoms of bloating and gas, they are still only a temporary solution. If you find yourself suffering from these digestive issues on a daily basis, it's likely that you have a problem with gut bacteria. The best treatment is through diet and probiotics.
Try removing high sugar foods from your diet. Cut down on red meat
Probiotic supplements are usually available in capsule or tablet form. They are a convenient way to deliver "live" beneficial bacteria to the gut, where they can repopulate and re-establish a healthy balance.
It's also important to check your diet for foods you may be reacting to. As mentioned above, wheat and dairy are common causes of gas and bloating, so it's important to eliminate them first and then monitor your symptoms as you reintroduce them into your diet.
Also, take a look at the list of FODMAP foods and consider which ones may be causing your symptoms. Remember, gas and bloating usually have many different causes!