3 Best Teas For Your Gut Health!
Video Transcript:
Hi everyone. Welcome back. Today we're going to talk about tea, and in particular, I'm going to discuss three different teas that have been shown to aid in gut health as well as to provide relief for some digestive issues.
I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a gut health dietitian at Oswald Digestive Clinic, where we help individuals improve and resolve their bothersome gut issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and more.
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms and would like to work with our clinic, you can easily schedule an appointment. You can download our Free Guide, Five Ways to Improve Gut Health as well, if you'd like to get started right away.
Okay, let's jump into today's topic.
What is Tea?
Tea is rich in polyphenols, which have been shown to promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut. They're also rich in antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation in the body.
So in general, tea is a great option because it provides us with these polyphenols and antioxidants that are so important for a healthy gut.
Also, there are specific compounds in different types of teas, some of which have been shown to be helpful in providing relief for those struggling with gastrointestinal discomfort.
Okay, so now let's talk about which teas, in particular, have been shown to help with some of these symptoms.
3 Best Teas For Gut Health
The first tea I want to talk about is chamomile tea. Now, chamomile has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Antiseptic just means that it may inhibit the growth of infectious microorganisms.
It is known as a digestive relaxant, and relaxation of the digestive tract can help with gas, bloating, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting, and stomach cramps. Chamomile has also been shown to reduce smooth muscle spasms associated with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's and colitis.
And the second tea I want to talk about is ginger tea. Now, ginger root has antioxidant compounds, and it helps reduce pain and inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. It has also been shown to help with gastroparesis by increasing gastric emptying.
Ginger root also stimulates the muscles in our intestines. It stimulates bile secretion as well as blood flow, which all help to improve the motility of our GI tract.
So last tea I want to talk about is peppermint tea. Now, peppermint oil that's found in tea leaves has compounds that help combat pain, and they also help promote smooth muscle relaxation in the body.
There's research showing that individuals with IBS in particular, can help decrease gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Peppermint is antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and recent studies have also shown that peppermint can inhibit the activity of bad bacteria.
I did want to mention that peppermint isn't for everyone.
We do not recommend that anybody who has GERD, reflux or hiatal hernia take peppermint because it can make those symptoms worse.
So in review, the three best teas for gut health that have research showing some benefits are chamomile tea, ginger tea, and peppermint tea. Now, these teas you could purchase these in bulk as loose leaves, or you could buy them already in tea bags for quicker use.
Or if you wanted to, you could also buy fresh ginger root or peppermint leaves and actually steep them yourself. You can also play around with the strength of the tea that you make to see what really works for your individual symptoms in providing relief.
The last thing I wanted to mention is to remember to read your labels when purchasing tea. Now tea can be contaminated with pesticides, as well as heavy metals found in the soil, or even some have artificial colorings and flavorings.
So I would recommend that you really look at your labels and look for a certified organic or non-GMO tea with no additives.
To wrap up our topic for today....
I highly encourage you to try incorporating a cup of tea into your daily routine.
Whether it be for general gut health or for those of you struggling with GI issues, I highly encourage you to try one of the teas I mentioned today to see if you can get some immediate relief from your symptoms.
Okay, that's it for today's topic.
I hope you found this blog to be helpful, and if you're interested in working with our clinic, you can click the link below. Thank you and until next blog.
If you'd like to explore any of this information further or obtain an individualized nutrition plan, you can schedule an initial appointment at our clinic. We also take insurance and some of our clients get full coverage, which is great.
Or you can just start by downloading our FREE GUIDE: 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH
