We’ve been drinking tea for thousands of years. Legend has it the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered it – by accident – in the year 2737 BCE.
Within a few centuries, it would become China’s national drink, and an important beverage in cultures around the world. Tea helped inspire eastern philosophy and funded the British empire.
It’s also very good for your stomach. If you’re one of the millions of Americans dealing with chronic digestive disorders, here are 5 homemade teas to aid digestion:
1. Fennel
Fennel can help reduce bloating and gas, while also ridding the digestive tract of mucus, which is a sign of inflammation. And you can easily incorporate fennel into tea by making what’s known as CCF Tea. That stands for cumin, coriander and fennel. Taken together, these three herbs can do a lot of good for your digestive system.
To make CCF tea you’ll need:
- ½ tsp of who dried fennel seeds
- ½ tsp of whole dried coriander seeds
- ½ tsp of whole dried cumin seeds
- 3 cups of boiling water
Use a coffee grinder to turn all the seeds into a fine powder. Boil the powder in the water, letting it simmer for five minutes before removing it from the heat.
Stir the tea, then strain the powder through a metal strainer. You can add cinnamon, lemon or ginger for added flavor. CCF tea can be served hot or cold.
2. Chamomile
People drink this tea to aid digestion and eliminate IBS symptoms such as gas, cramping and diarrhea. All you’ll need to make chamomile tea are chamomile flowers, which you can find at your nearest health food store. But you may want to pair it without another powerful digestive aid, turmeric.
To make chamomile and turmeric tea, you’ll need:
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tbsp of dried chamomile flowers in a tea bag
- 1 to 3 tsp of cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1 ½ cup of unsweetened, non-dairy milk
- ½ tsp of ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp of ground ginger
- ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp of raw honey
Boil the water in a saucepan, turn off the heat and add the chamomile, letting it steep for up to five minutes. Strain the flowers, and stir in the other ingredients.
Adjust the spices, honey and coconut oil to suit your tastes, and reheat on low heat if necessary.
3. Peppermint
Peppermint is renowned for its ability to fight digestive disorders and aid digestion. To make peppermint tea, you’ll just need some fresh peppermint leaves.
Add two tablespoons to some boiling water, and let it steep for roughly seven minutes before straining, then drink. Add honey, lemon or ginger for added taste.
4. Licorice root
Like chamomile, licorice root is something you can buy from your local health food store. All you’ll need to do to make licorice root tea is add a teaspoon of the root to water and bring it to a boil.
Let it steep for about five minutes, then strain out the licorice. Once again, you can add lemon, honey or ginger for flavor.
5. Ginger
We’ve mentioned ginger as a flavor-enhancing ingredient, but it deserves to be on our list of teas to aid digestion all on its own. People use ginger to combat nausea, improve digestion and eliminate bloating.
And all you’ll need to do to make ginger tea is grate two or three inches of fresh ginger and put it in a mug of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes and strain out the ginger before drinking.
Finally, we should note that not every tea is safe for everyone. For example, licorice root can raise your blood pressure, and may not interact well with certain medications. Peppermint can be bad for people taking blood pressure or diabetes medications.
And other teas should be avoided during pregnancy. Be sure to talk to your doctor before adding these teas to your diet.
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