Drinking tea is a simple way to help you relax if you have a mildly upset stomach. Certain herbs like peppermint and ginger have a reputation for calming a churning abdomen, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey notes green tea has traditionally been recommended in the Middle East, Asia and Africa as a stomach remedy. Peppermint may be beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome as well, although research specifically on the tea is lacking. You have to pay attention to certain conditions, though, as gulping the tea down quickly might only make your upset stomach worse, and you have to steep the tea for a certain amount of time.
Step 1
Sit down. Do what you can to slow down a bit so that you can calm down and lessen stress that might be contributing to the stomach problems. Do not lie down, though. Even if you occasionally sit up to sip the tea, lying down can make problems like acid indigestion worse.
Step 2
Steep herbal teas for at least five minutes unless otherwise directed by a doctor. The longer you steep the tea, the stronger the tea will be. Note, though, that green tea will become bitter if you steep it for longer than three minutes or so. Wait for the tea to cool a little bit so it won't burn you as you drink it. The tea doesn't have to be hot, but it may taste better warm. Add an ice cube to help cool the tea down.
Step 3
Take small sips of the tea, slowly at first so that your stomach doesn't react to the new liquid you're introducing. As it cools, you can take larger sips, but do not gulp the tea. That can cause you to swallow air and lead to burping and bloating.
Step 4
Relax and remain sitting after drinking the tea if possible. The tea can take some time to work, so don't be discouraged if the stomach upset doesn't go away immediately.
Things You'll Need
- Ice cubes (optional)
References
- MayoClinic.com: Bloating, Belching and Intestinal Gas: How to Avoid Them
- Kaplan University; Remedies From the Kitchen Cupboard: Ginger; Nancy Silva
- Penn Medicine: Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease
- "Phytotherapy Research"; Review of the Bioactivity and Potential Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea; DL McKay, et al.; Aug. 2006
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Does Drinking a Lot of Green Tea Prevent Stomach Cancer? Probably Not; May 2002
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Green Tea
