Peppermint, fennel, chamomile, and lemon balm teas all have evidence supporting their ability to ease gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort. They work in slightly different ways, so the best choice depends on your symptoms and whether you have conditions like acid reflux. Here’s what each tea does and how to get the most from it.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is the most studied option for digestive relief. The menthol in peppermint relaxes the smooth muscles lining your digestive tract, which helps trapped gas move through instead of building up and causing pain. This muscle-relaxing effect also reduces the intestinal spasms that often accompany bloating.
The clinical data behind peppermint is strong. In one trial of adults with irritable bowel syndrome, 75% of those taking peppermint oil saw their symptom scores drop by more than half after four weeks, compared to 38% on placebo. Another study found a 40% reduction in overall digestive symptom severity with peppermint, versus about 24% with placebo. A study in children showed even sharper results: 76% reported meaningful symptom improvement, compared to just 19% on placebo. These studies used concentrated peppermint oil capsules rather than tea, so the effect from a cup of peppermint tea will be milder, but the underlying mechanism is the same.
One important caveat: the same muscle relaxation that eases gas can also relax the valve between your esophagus and stomach. If you deal with acid reflux or GERD, peppermint tea may make heartburn worse. For everyone else, it’s a reliable first choice.
Fennel Tea
Fennel seed tea has been used for centuries as a digestive aid, and the science points to a compound called anethole as the reason it works. Anethole relaxes the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract in a way similar to menthol, easing the cramping and tightness that make gas feel painful. It also supports the overall movement of food through your system, which helps prevent the fermentation that produces excess gas in the first place.
You can make fennel tea by crushing about a teaspoon of fennel seeds and steeping them in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger the flavor and the more anethole you extract. Many people find it mildly sweet with a licorice-like taste. It’s gentle enough that it’s traditionally given to infants with colic, though you should check with a pediatrician before doing so.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile works through a different pathway than peppermint or fennel. Its essential oils contain compounds that reduce inflammation in the digestive lining, which can calm an irritated gut that’s producing excess gas. Research on chamomile essential oils has shown they significantly reduce key markers of inflammation, including molecules involved in swelling and immune overreaction.
This makes chamomile a particularly good fit if your gas comes with a general sense of stomach upset or if stress tends to worsen your digestive symptoms. Chamomile has mild sedative properties too, so a cup before bed can pull double duty: settling your stomach while helping you relax. It’s one of the gentlest options and rarely causes side effects, though people with allergies to plants in the daisy family (ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums) should be cautious.
Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon balm is less well known than the others, but compounds in the herb have been shown to relieve bloating and indigestion. It belongs to the same plant family as peppermint and shares some of its digestive benefits, though with a lighter, citrusy flavor that some people prefer. Lemon balm also has calming properties, making it useful when digestive discomfort is tied to anxiety or tension. You’ll often find it blended with chamomile or peppermint in “digestive” or “stomach ease” tea blends.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is widely recommended for nausea and is a popular choice for digestive complaints, but its evidence for gas specifically is mixed. One study on people with IBS found that ginger didn’t outperform placebo for overall symptoms. Where ginger does shine is in speeding up how quickly your stomach empties: one trial found the stomach cleared food in about 2 minutes with ginger versus 16 minutes with placebo. That matters because slow stomach emptying is a common cause of that heavy, bloated, gassy feeling after meals. If your gas tends to hit shortly after eating and comes with a sense of fullness, ginger tea may help more than if your issue is lower intestinal gas and flatulence.
How to Get the Most From Digestive Teas
Timing matters. Drinking your tea about 20 to 30 minutes after a meal gives it the best chance of working alongside your digestion rather than washing through on an empty stomach. Drinking tea with nothing in your stomach can actually stimulate acid production and cause discomfort on its own.
Steep your tea for at least 5 minutes. Many of the active compounds need time to extract fully, and a quick dunk of a tea bag won’t deliver much. Loose-leaf versions and crushed whole seeds (for fennel) tend to release more of their beneficial oils than pre-packaged bags. Cover your mug while steeping to keep volatile oils from escaping with the steam.
Skip the milk and sugar. Adding milk introduces lactose, which is a common trigger for gas and bloating, especially if you have even mild lactose sensitivity. Added sugars can also ferment in the gut and create the very gas you’re trying to avoid.
Teas That Can Make Gas Worse
Not all teas are helpful. Black and green teas contain tannins, compounds that can irritate the digestive tract and slow digestion, leading to more gas and bloating rather than less. The higher the caffeine content, the more likely a tea is to stimulate acid production and speed up parts of digestion unevenly, which can trap gas in certain sections of your intestines.
Flavored teas with artificial sweeteners are another common culprit. Sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol are poorly absorbed and ferment readily in the colon, producing significant gas. If you’ve been drinking a flavored or sweetened tea and wondering why your bloating hasn’t improved, check the ingredients list. Chai teas made with milk are a frequent offender too, combining tannins, caffeine, and lactose in a single cup.
Stick with plain herbal teas from the list above, steeped properly and consumed after meals, for the most reliable relief.