The Best Herbal Teas for Digestive Health

This post was written by Heinen’s partner, Halle Snavely.

Digestive discomfort is all too common for so many people. Thankfully, whether you have an upset stomach or slow digestion, there are herbal teas that can help ease your digestive woes.

While there are plenty of ready-to-brew options in the tea aisle, you can actually make delicious homemade herbal teas from common grocery store ingredients. For example, all of the ingredients listed below are known to promote healthy digestion:

• Peppermint eases stomach cramps, reduces flatulence and relaxes the digestive tract.
• Ginger stimulates digestive enzymes and soothes the stomach and gut lining.
• Cinnamon reduces bloating and gas.
• Lemon stimulates the digestive tract.
• Spices such as fennel seed, cardamom pods, caraway seed and cumin seed help activate the digestive tract.

Herbal tea, also known as tisane, requires a slightly different preparation from true tea – green, black and white – that comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. True teas don’t like boiling water as it burns the leaves. However, herbal teas need boiling hot water to extract the beneficial compounds from the plant. In fact, for the homemade options below, it’s best to boil them in a pot on the stove for about 10 minutes.

Whether convenient bagged tea is your thing, or you’re the more adventurous type that loves to experiment in the kitchen, there is a tea option for you. Here are a few bagged tea recommendations along with some simple homemade options, all of which encourage healthy digestion.

Store-Bought Teas

Traditional Medicinals Ginger Aid
This tea is a must-try! It’s calming and soothing to the digestive system and helps keep you regular. The blend of ginger, moringa, turmeric, caraway and cinnamon creates a soothing flavor that is bold, yet balanced. It is the perfect after dinner palette cleanser.

Yogi Tea Stomach Ease
This one is great if you have acid reflux or get an upset stomach after eating. Yogi Tea is known for their use of traditional ayurvedic spices like cardamom, coriander and ginger. The warming spices combine beautifully with the refreshing peppermint, sweet fennel and licorice root.

Rishi Chamomile Medley
Chamomile is known for its calming and stress relieving effect. Thankfully those benefits also extend themselves to your digestive system. This tea includes lemongrass, lemon verbena and mint, which are all known for helping improve digestion. These flavors blend together to create a tea that is both bright and grounding. And, as a bonus, it helps reduce bloating.

Traditional Medicinals Smooth Move
Sometimes you need something more assertive for moments when your digestion is “stuck in traffic.” This tea gets to the point without keeping you in the bathroom all day. Senna leaf, known for relieving acute constipation, is the star of the show here. It is combined with licorice root, fennel, orange peel, cinnamon bark, coriander and ginger to create a warming and soothing tea.

Homemade Teas

Peppermint Cardamom Tea

This tea is simple, light and delicious. The peppermint is less intense when you use fresh herbs, but it gives the tea a fresher flavor. This is the perfect stomach soother.

Ingredients

• 5-7 sprigs of peppermint
• 3 cardamom pods, smashed with the flat side of a large knife
• A squeeze of honey

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a pot, except for the honey.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain into a mug, add honey to taste and enjoy!

Spiced Ginger Tea

If you’ve ever had ginger tea, fresh ginger tea takes the experience to a whole new level. Bold, warm and bright, this tea is incredibly satisfying after a big meal.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water
• 5 slices of ginger
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 lemon slices
• A squeeze of honey
• Optional spices: cardamom pods, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds or star anise

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a pot, except for the honey.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain into a mug, add honey to taste and enjoy!

By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.