Brew Up: My Favorite Herbal Teas to Help IBD

There's nothing quite like a soothing cup of tea to start or end your day. For some, that might be in the form of traditional tea, Earl Grey, or perhaps even an iced tea. For others like me, herbal tea might be more their thing.

Caffeine and IBD

When it comes to hot drinks, most of us think of traditional tea and coffee. A study found that 73% of people with IBD patients consumed coffee regularly 38% felt it impacted their disease for the worst.¹

That's not to mean that everyone should avoid traditional tea and coffee, but it might be worth thinking about whether caffeine seems to affect your gut or if you rely on coffee for energy hits.

It's also worth noting that tea and coffee can act as both diuretics, making you urinate more and increasing your dehydration risk. They both also contain tannins, which means they shouldn't be drunk when taking supplements such as iron as they can prevent them from being fully absorbed.

Because of the above and due to the fact I am quite sensitive to caffeine (even in cold medication, I discovered recently!) I opt for herbal tea and wanted to share some of my favorites:

Fennel tea

If you are prone to bloating then fennel tea might be worth trying. Fennel tea is my go-to herbal tea when I've overindulged. I find it really helps with bloating and that uncomfortable full feeling. We don't know much about fennel and IBD, but I have heard it seems to help with IBS symptoms.

Peppermint tea

Peppermint tea is a great digestion all-rounder. Peppermint oil found in peppermint leaves and tea bags is thought to help with digestive complaints, and I personally find it really helps with stomach pain. I drink peppermint tea every morning and after some meals, if my stomach is in pain. I even pack peppermint tea bags when traveling so I'm never without it!

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is a really great proven relaxant to help you drift off to sleep – ideal if you find it hard to sleep or can't relax and get comfortable with stomach discomfort. However, it may help your belly too. Studies have found chamomile can inhibit H. pylori which is linked to stomach ulcers, and can also help with muscle spasms which we often experience with IBD.²

Rose tea

Rose tea is a new herbal tea discovery of mine. From my research, rose is thought to help with things like relaxation as well as your hormonal cycle and period pains. Many women with IBD (myself included) find that their menstrual cycle can change due to their IBD or suffer from period pains. So I have started to drink this in a bid to balance it out!

Turmeric tea

Finally, turmeric tea is another of my favorites. I recently shared my ginger, lemon, and turmeric tea recipe which is really simple to make with fresh and dried turmeric. There is some suggestion that turmeric may hold promise for helping IBD (although much more research is needed).³ Either way, it's thought to offer lots of potential health benefits so it's certainly worth trying to include it in your diet or herbal tea selections if you can.