We love our eating culture here in Singapore, but for some of us it comes at a cost of indigestion. Some may even experience heartburn, constipation or even nausea. All of this is due to a disturbed gut. Lucky for us there’s a simple method to remedy the pain and relieve your gut from waste and toxins.
Teas are an everyday commodity. They are served during functions, gatherings, meetings, also for some quiet time alone. What is underrated are the benefits different types of teas come with. Commonly chamomile tea is known for relaxation and black tea gives us caffeine, but if you look more into it, many of teas have more to offer. Since they are made of herbs, each brew has endless beneficial properties. Here are 4 common teas that can help with digestion.
Ginger Tea
Ginger needs no introduction. It is a spice we all know and love, found in our food, drinks, spas, you name it. Compounds in ginger, known as gingerols and shogaols, can help stimulate stomach contractions and emptying. Thus, the spice may help with nausea, cramping, bloating, gas, or indigestion.
A study in 11 patients with indigestion found that taking supplements containing 1.2 grams of ginger significantly shortened stomach emptying time by nearly 4 minutes. While it is hard to compare ginger supplements and ginger tea, both should reap the same benefits.
Peppermint Tea
This famous Moroccan tea-time beverage have been adapted by many. Peppermint has a refreshing flavour and is widely recognized for helping soothe digestive issues.
Test-tube and animal studies suggest that plant compounds called flavonoids found in peppermint may inhibit the activity of mast cells that are abundant in your gut and sometimes contribute to bloating. Animal studies also show that peppermint relaxes the gut, which may relieve painful intestinal spasms that comes with bloating.
Conventional peppermint tea bags might be more potent that you think. Studies have shown it is 6 times more concentrated than a peppermint leaf capsule.
Fennel Tea
Fennel is a lesser known herb with a licorice-like taste. It comes from a flowering plant and this herb is more well known in the west.
Fennel is rich in antioxidants that help in fighting damages during ulcer development. This prevents stomach ulcers. It may also help relieve constipation and promote bowel movements, according to a study in 86 adults who drank fennel tea daily for 28 days. They are found to have more bowel movements. This tea is also friendly for breastfeeding mothers and is known to help with lactation.
Since it is less common, Fennel Tea can be bought from some Cold Storage outlets.
Black Tea
Found in English Breakfast, and Earl Grey, black tea is the most readily available tea in your pantry. This tea boasts several healthy compounds. These include thearubigins, which may improve indigestion, and theaflavins, which act as antioxidants and may protect against stomach ulcers. One study in mice with stomach ulcers found that 3 days of treatment with black tea and theaflavins healed 78–81% of ulcers by suppressing inflammatory compounds and pathways.
In some cultures, black tea is steeped with very little amount of hot water to the most concentrated yield. It is often drank to soothe digestion problems, including diarrhoea.
Supplements have seen a rise in popularity due to the awareness of herbal properties. It is sought after because it is easy to consume on the go and masks the taste that some may not be able to bear. Trimlite Essence from Byherbs are packed with many natural ingredients loaded with fibre to load the toxins out of your body for a healthy gut.