Enjoying a delicious dinner is a great way to end a long day, but eating too much can cause stomach bloating. If you experience bloating after eating a heavy meal, you can relieve painful symptoms by drinking fennel, ginger, peppermint, or turmeric tea.
Abdominal or stomach bloating occurs when your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or gas. When you’re bloated, your stomach feels full, tight, or swollen. You may also experience pain in your abdomen.
In addition, bloating can be accompanied by other symptoms like:
Gas is the most common cause of bloating, especially after you’ve eaten. Gas builds up in your digestive tract when undigested food gets broken down or when you swallow air.
While it’s normal to swallow air while you eat or drink, you can swallow more than others if you are:
Swallowed air leaves your body when you burp or expel gas. Delayed emptying of the stomach (slow gas transport) and gas accumulation can also cause bloating and abdominal distension.
The following medical conditions can also cause bloating:
Fennel, ginger, peppermint and turmeric tea can help relieve digestion, gas and other stomach-related discomforts.
Fennel tea
Fennel is an herb that can help boost your digestive health. It’s a natural antispasmodic, meaning it can help loosen up abdominal muscles when you’re experiencing painful spasms.
Findings from a 2017 study reveal that fennel seeds contain a compound called anethole. This compound is similar to dopamine and it has a relaxing effect on the muscles that make up the lining of the GI tract.
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Ginger tea
Ginger can help relieve an upset stomach. Research suggests that ginger extract has a carminative effect, meaning it can help prevents gas from building or helps to remove gas from the body.
Study findings have also shown that ginger can prevent reflux and bloating since it can increase gastrointestinal motility and decrease pressure on the esophageal sphincter.
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Peppermint tea
Peppermint has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and drinking peppermint tea can help improve your digestion. The tea is brewed from the leaves and the oil of the peppermint plant
Menthol, one of the main components of the plant, gives the tea a unique and refreshing taste. Studies show that menthol helps relax the muscles in the intestinal wall.
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Turmeric tea
Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory. In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is used to treat different inflammatory ailments.
The active component in turmeric is curcumin, and it is responsible for its many health benefits. In one study, researchers used curcumin and fennel to treat volunteers with IBS. Results showed that the treatment helped relieve all symptoms associated with the condition.
Scientists believe that curcumin stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile, which can improve digestion. Additionally, turmeric helps reduce bloating and flatulence if you have indigestion.
However, you should avoid turmeric if you have kidney stones, gallbladder disease, or are taking blood-thinning or blood-sugar-lowering medications.
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Relieve stomach bloating with a warm, soothing cup of ginger, fennel, peppermint, or turmeric tea.
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