Gut Friendly Teas to Try This Winter
There’s nothing like a hot beverage on a cold winter day. To be honest, I never used to be an avid tea drinker. I was always more into coffee. But, I let coffee go 2 years ago when I began my gut-healing diet.
I would be lying if I told you that the scent of fresh coffee brewing didn’t sometimes make me miss the days when I relied on caffeine to get me through the day. What is a girl who loves cozying up with a warm drink to do?! I ended up turning to tea, and I now have the tea kettle and a cabinet full of teas to prove it!
These days, I’m really into herbal tea. There is no caffeine in herbal tea, and I have found herbal tea to be the most friendly on my gut. According to GoodRx, “herbal teas, which come from herbs and spices, are best known to help with digestion issues.” If you’re looking for a cheap way to soothe a sore tummy, try it!
My Top 8 Gut Friendly Teas
Here are the herbal teas that have helped me the most on my personal gut-healing journey:
1. Peppermint.
Peppermint tea is very refreshing and minty. It is known to help with symptoms like bloating. I love to get myself a Mint Majesty tea from Starbucks as a treat! It’s nice to be able to order something warm to drink at a coffee shop while I’m out. On a hot summer day, I will ask for a cup of ice and turn it into an iced tea.
2. Ginger.
As the Brakence song goes, I “would rather blow it all on ginger tea”. Ginger is known to stimulate digestion by encouraging the MMC (migrating motor complex) to get moving, the mechanism known for sweeping your digestive tract clean and creating the sensation of hunger every few hours. I enjoy a cup of ginger tea right before my first meal of the day or with my breakfast for this reason. It’s warm and spicy.
3. Dandelion.
I feel better when I drink dandelion tea regularly, and there is a science behind why. Dandelion is known for the way kicks digestion into gear and assists with detox, aka getting the bad stuff out of the body. Dandelion is a mild tea that has a pleasant flavor, almost like black coffee. It helped me wean off of coffee!
4. Nettle.
Nettle tea is antibacterial, and is also known for its ability to help with detox. It’s slightly more bitter-tasting than dandelion. For that reason, when I’m not dealing with histamine issues, I will squeeze half a lemon into a cup of hot nettle tea to give it a smoother taste. Nettle can also help with histamine and allergies.
5. Chamomile.
Chamomile is the unsung hero of my favorite gut-friendly teas. I only recently discovered that I could get chamomile tea at Dunkin’ Donuts, which is kind of a big deal. Since then, I’ve started to drink it before bed, especially chamomile and lavender tea. It’s a very calming tea and is known to be a digestive relaxant.
6. Pau D’Arco.
On my journey with candida overgrowth and SIFO, I struggled with many uncomfortable symptoms. At times, I found myself desperate for relief. I first heard about pau d’arco tea from Dr. Axe. My functional doctor also suggested that I use it. It is a light and almost fruity tea, but not as flavorful as chamomile.
7. Blueberry.
Blueberry tea was first recommended to me by my functional dietician. She has been instrumental in my gut-healing journey. This tea is quite intense as far as the flavor, but it has always been a milder one on my stomach. It was one of the first herbal teas I ever tried. It’s harder to find, but worth checking out if you do.
8. Cinnamon.
My new favorite, as of this winter season, is cinnamon tea. It brings up memories of drinks I used to enjoy but haven’t had in ages, like hot apple cider or spiced rum. I was never a big fan of fake cinnamon candy or cinnamon-flavored alcohol like Fireball. This tea is nothing like that. It’s just sweet enough and soothing.
I hope my top 8 gut friendly teas give you some ideas for what to try the next time you’re in the mood for a warm drink on a cold winter day! What’s your favorite herbal tea? Let me know in the comments!
