Many of our customers are looking for solutions for issues related to digestion. From bloating after meals to sluggishness, heartburn, and inflammation, digestive issues affect over 50% of all Americans. While serious digestive diseases require professional medical care, simple herbal teas can go a long way in providing comfort and relief for many mild to moderate discomforts.
But how do you know what tea is right for you? Read on to learn more!
Most of the teas that support the digestive system contain herbs that can benifit the stomach, liver, gallbladder, and intestines. The digestive system is complex, but so are herbs. Many of the teas that aid digestion are able to help in multiple ways, such as helping to relieve cramps while also relaxing the nerves. Some of the most important things herbs can do come from their flavor and aroma.
The bitter flavor is important, because once bitterness is detected by the brain, the entire digestive process is switched to “ON”. The remarkable thing is that even tiny amounts of the bitter flavor start the digestive process in motion. Most teas, including green and black tea contain a little bit of the bitterness that is so beneficial.
Aromatic herbs and spices like rosemary, cloves, and ginger all smell amazing because they contain essential oils. But more than just fragrance, aromatic herbs kill bacteria and fungus, help relieve gas and bloating, decrease cramping, and assist in the breakdown of fats. More examples of aromatic herbs include anise, fennel, mint, cinnamon, oregano, lavender, and chamomile.
All of Loose Leaf's digestive support tea blends are unique, and each one will benefit the digestive system in different ways. Hopefully this article will help you decide on the tea that will suit your needs so that you can feel amazing.
Aromatic Digestive is the tea you would choose if you feel bloated and gassy after meals. The aromatic herbs in this tea help to relieve gas, cramping, and discomfort, especially after heavy or fatty meals. The flavor is refreshing, with strong notes of peppermint and cardamom. It is best enjoyed unsweetened, as even natural sugars can contribute to the overgrowth of the candida fungus, which is a main culprit of indigestion, gas, and bloating.
Helpful tip: hot tea is better for digestive problems than cold tea. Iced beverages dampen the digestive fire, and can cause problems such as heartburn, low stomach acid, and poor absorption of nutrients.
Coffee Quitter makes a great coffee substitute, as it has a noticeably soothing effect on the stomach. The tea is earthy, rich, and pleasantly bitter. The slight bitterness stimulates the digestive tract, helping with regularity. This tea is perfect for you if you need a little help keeping your colon active on a regular basis. It is also great for people who find coffee irritating to the stomach.
Helpful tip: Coffee Quitter tea leaves can be brewed multiple times. Simply pour more hot water over the leaves for five or more cups of tea from a single serving. Resteeping the leaves is done during one sitting, and not intended for storing for future use.
Happy Place is an aromatic tea made with lots of ginger and lemongrass, both well known for their beneficial soothing effect on the digestive tract. This tea contains rooibos, a caffeine-free tea from South Africa that is used to settle the stomach. Rooibos contains high amounts of antioxidants as well. Along with boosting the mood, Happy Place can be used to help relieve nausea and bloating. For digestive support, drink Happy Place as a hot tea.
Read also: What Your Mood Says About Your Health
Lady Ginger is a blend of green tea with ginger, bergamot, and cardamom. Green tea stimulates the appetite, preparing your body to break down and absorb the nutrients from your food. Ginger relieves nausea, and helps you metabolize proteins and fats during the digestive process. This tea also contains cardamom, an aromatic spice that has been used to support gallbladder health. This tea is perfect for people interested in managing their weight and improving the effectiveness of their digestive system. Because this is a green tea blend, it will require a short steep time of 3 to 5 minutes.
Lucky Morning Spice is a blend of black tea with aromatic spices. It helps protect the liver, and metabolize fats. The cinnamon in this tea is thought to help with blood sugar balance. This tea is perfect for the morning, to wake up both the body and the mind. The flavor is naturally sweet without being sugary. This is the perfect brew for people who want to wake up their metabolism, increase alertness, and feel warm and comforted in their core.
Helpful tip: steep Lucky Morning Spice for 2 to 5 minutes, but no longer, to avoid the unpleasant tannic bite that comes from over-steeping black tea.
Click here to learn more about the health benefits of spices
Sleek & Slender is one of Loose Leaf’s most popular tea blends for many reasons: it tastes great, it does good things for the body, and it feels good. Unlike most weight management teas on the market, this tea is NOT a laxative, nor is it pumped with ultra-high levels of caffeine. Sleek & Slender contains a small amount of caffeine from white tea, but the overall caffeine content of this tea is quite low. The flavor is a very pleasing blend of cinnamon and mint, with notes of ginger. Sleek & Slender is ideal for anyone who wants to improve their digestion in order to get more out of their meals, and for people who want to manage their weight and curb sugar cravings.
Helpful tip: do not sweeten Sleek & Slender. This tea contains an herb called gymnema, also known as the "sugar blocker".
Stomach Soother is a tea blend for people who have digestive inflammation, gastritis, Crohn’s, and ulcerative colitis. It’s also healing and comforting when you’re recovering from stomach flu, or have indigestion. This tea is made with healing herbs that coat and soothe irritated and inflamed tissues in the stomach lining and intestines. Because it contains chamomile which is calming, this blend is useful for people who have stress-related digestive problems, including gastritis and IBS.
I hope this information was helpful! Feel free to post your questions or comments below.
*This information has not been evaluated by the FDA, and is not intended to diagnose or cure a medical issue, or replace professional medical care. If you are pregnant or nursing, are under the care of a physician, or on prescription medication, talk to your health care provider before making any changes to your diet or routine.