Several herbal teas can help relieve heartburn by calming inflammation, coating irritated tissue, or both. Chamomile, ginger, slippery elm, and marshmallow root are among the most widely used options, each working through a slightly different mechanism. Not every tea is a good choice, though. At least one popular herbal tea, peppermint, can actually make heartburn worse.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is one of the most accessible teas for heartburn relief. Its anti-inflammatory properties can help calm the irritated lining of your esophagus and stomach, especially when heartburn is triggered or worsened by stress. Drinking a cup after meals or before bedtime tends to work best, since those are the times acid is most likely to creep upward.
Chamomile won’t neutralize stomach acid the way an antacid does. Instead, it reduces the inflammatory response in the tissues that acid has already irritated. That makes it a better fit for mild, recurring heartburn than for an intense episode that needs immediate relief. Use one teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers per cup of hot water and steep, covered, for five to ten minutes.
One caution: if you’re pregnant, limit how much chamomile tea you drink. There is some evidence it could stimulate uterine activity, and higher rates of preterm labor have been reported with large quantities. An occasional cup is generally considered low-risk, but it’s worth being aware of.
Ginger Tea
Ginger has a long track record for settling the stomach. It helps move food through the digestive tract more efficiently, which reduces the amount of time acid sits in contact with your esophagus. It also has anti-inflammatory effects similar to chamomile, though ginger tends to be more helpful when nausea accompanies your heartburn.
Fresh ginger works well: slice a one-inch piece, steep it in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes (roots need longer steeping than flowers or leaves), and sip it warm. Avoid adding too much ginger, since highly concentrated ginger tea can sometimes irritate the stomach lining rather than soothe it. For pregnant women dealing with heartburn and nausea, ginger tea in moderate amounts is considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Slippery Elm Tea
Slippery elm works differently from chamomile or ginger. It contains a substance called mucilage that turns into a thick gel when mixed with water. This gel physically coats inflamed tissues in the esophagus and stomach, creating a barrier between your tissue and stomach acid. Think of it as a natural, temporary shield.
Beyond coating, slippery elm can stimulate your body to produce more of its own protective mucus in the intestines, which helps guard against ulcers and excess acidity over time. For tea, use one teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of hot water and steep for 10 to 20 minutes. The resulting drink will be thicker than a typical tea, which is normal and part of what makes it effective. Some people prefer to drink it about 30 minutes before meals to get the coating effect in place before acid production ramps up.
Marshmallow Root Tea
Marshmallow root contains the same type of mucilage found in slippery elm, and it works through the same coating mechanism. When steeped in water, it produces a slightly viscous liquid that coats and soothes irritated tissue along the digestive tract. If you’ve tried slippery elm and found the texture too thick, marshmallow root tends to be a bit milder while offering similar protection.
Steep one teaspoon of dried marshmallow root in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes. Some herbalists recommend a cold infusion instead: soaking the root in room-temperature water for several hours to extract more mucilage without breaking it down with heat. Either method works, but the cold infusion will produce a thicker, more gel-like drink.
Licorice Root Tea
Licorice root has been used for stomach upset, reflux, and ulcers for centuries. It soothes and protects irritated tissues while promoting healing of the mucosal lining. The catch is that regular licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin that can raise blood pressure and lower potassium levels with long-term use.
For this reason, look for deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), which has that problematic compound removed. DGL is more commonly available as chewable lozenges than as a loose tea, but some specialty tea brands do sell DGL licorice root blends. If you’re using standard licorice root tea, it’s fine for occasional use but not something to drink daily for weeks on end. Steep the root for 10 to 20 minutes to extract the active compounds fully.
Why Peppermint Tea Makes Heartburn Worse
Peppermint is often recommended for digestive issues, which is why many people reach for it when heartburn strikes. This is a mistake if acid reflux is your problem. Peppermint relaxes the smooth muscles of the esophagus, including the ring of muscle at the bottom that acts as a valve between your esophagus and stomach. When that valve relaxes, acid flows upward more easily.
Research has found that ingesting peppermint is a risk factor for increasingly severe GERD symptoms. The American College of Gastroenterology specifically lists peppermint as a trigger to avoid alongside chocolate, coffee, greasy foods, and alcohol. If your heartburn is occasional and mild, a single cup of peppermint tea might not cause problems. But if you deal with heartburn regularly, it’s better to skip it entirely.
Other Drinks to Watch Out For
Beyond peppermint, several common beverages can trigger or worsen heartburn. Coffee, both regular and decaf, stimulates acid production. Citrus juices are naturally acidic. Carbonated drinks expand your stomach with gas, which pushes acid upward. Alcohol relaxes the same esophageal valve that peppermint does.
When choosing a tea, also be cautious with blends. Many “digestive” or “stomach soothing” tea blends combine helpful herbs like chamomile or ginger with peppermint or spearmint. Read the ingredient list before assuming a blend will help your heartburn rather than aggravate it.
Getting the Most From Herbal Tea
Timing matters more than most people realize. Drinking tea after a meal or before bed, when heartburn is most likely to flare, gives you the best chance of relief. Mucilage-based teas like slippery elm and marshmallow root work best when taken before meals, so the coating is already in place when your stomach starts producing acid.
Temperature also plays a role. Warm tea is generally better tolerated than very hot tea, which can irritate an already inflamed esophagus. Let your tea cool to a comfortable drinking temperature rather than sipping it scalding. And keep portions moderate: a standard cup (8 ounces) is plenty. Flooding your stomach with large volumes of any liquid can increase pressure and push acid upward, defeating the purpose.
For the strongest extraction, use one teaspoon of dried herb per cup. Leaves and flowers need 5 to 10 minutes of steeping, while roots (ginger, slippery elm, marshmallow, licorice) need 10 to 20 minutes. Keep the cup covered while steeping to prevent volatile compounds from escaping as steam.