Common digestive issues like bloating, gas, nausea, and indigestion affect millions of people daily. I'm a proponent of using natural remedies like medicinal herbs rather than harsher pharmaceuticals for short-term relief.

My top 10 favorite digestive herbs (below) can offer gentle, effective relief; many of them contain bitter and anti-inflammatory compounds, which stimulate digestive enzymes, soothe irritation, ease gut spasms, and relieve symptoms such as gas, nausea and bloating. For a deeper dive into how to support digestive health naturally, check out my course Herbs for Healthy Digestion.

Here are Holly's Top 10 Herbs for Digestion, including their benefits, flavor profiles, cultural uses, best ways to use them in the kitchen, and any potential contraindications.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

The root of the ginger plant has a warm, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor that is distinctive and celebrated. It is a versatile medical remedy helpful for a wide range of issues, including sore muscles (used topically), upset stomach (used topically or internally), brain fog and mental clarity, and respiratory issues such as cough.

Check out our delicious and healing Thai Lemongrass Broth recipe and our spicy Healing Ginger Broth. For digestive complaints such as nausea, chew on a small piece of the root or enjoy a healing Hot Tea.

Ginger can be purchased as in powdered form and stirred into oatmeal or apple cider. It is also candied and covered in chocolate, and it makes a fantastic warm and spicy addition to hot cocoa.

Be aware of using ginger too frequently when you’re pregnant (even though it can help with pregnancy-related nausea, you still want to use it moderately), and avoid it altogether if you’re on blood-thinning medications because it can amplify the action of the medication. (For this reason, consulting with your health care team about switching from blood-thinners to herbs such as ginger can be useful, since ginger has fewer side effects and is usually safer in the long-term.) 

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Most of us are familiar with the mints: peppermint is refreshing and sharp while its sister spearmint is refreshing and cool. I usually advise using spearmint for digestive complaints because it is milder than peppermint. Spearmint is useful for gas and bloating, as well as mild spasms in the gut. Peppermint is better for moving blood around the body as a vasodilator and is useful in conditions where you feel stagnant or lethargic.

Spearmint is cooling, so use it when digestive issues feel hot; peppermint is warming, so use it when digestion feels cold or stuck.

Spearmint and peppermint (and many other cultivars) have been widely used since ancient time in Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and European kitchens. First aid cabinets around the world contain mint as a syrup, a paste, salve, ointment, or dried leaves for tea. Today, essential oils are sold and these can be useful for external issues when combined with a carrier oil, but I do not recommend taking essential oils internally AT ALL. Instead, brew a tea (herbal infusion) with the leaves, either fresh or dried. Here’s a guide for making a wonderfully soothing hot tea.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel is mildly sweet with a licorice-like taste. It is native to the Mediterranean and now grows wild in arid places such as California. It’s been used for centuries (millennia, in fact) as an edible herb (see our recipes for Healing Venison Broth and Healing Fennel Broth), and as a medicinal herb especially for breastfeeding women and for anyone dealing with digestive complaints.

With fennel, nearly the entire plant is useful. The stalks and fronds are fragrant and sweet and can be added to many dishes raw or sauteed. The root is a common vegetable especially in Italian cuisine, and the seeds are popular as an after-dinner chew, sometimes coated with a sugar glaze but often chewed raw.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Chamomile tastes mildly floral, slightly sweet and lightly bitter. It has a long European traditional use as a mild sedative (especially for children) and as a digestive aid, especially as a brewed tea. Because it is mildly bitter, it is excellent for short-term relief of gas and bloating.

You can take chamomile as a tincture, a dried capsule, or a tea, though a tea with honey is usually the preferred form. Be aware that chamomile may interact with anticoagulants and (sometimes) bothers people who have a ragweed allergy.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

The leaf tastes bitter, green, and bright. It’s great used as a vegetable baked on pizzas or stirred into soups, stews, stirfrys, and salads. The root is high in iron, but if you’re dealing with immediate, short-term digestive complains such as constipation, hard-stomach, bloating or gas, dandelion leaf is the best part of the dandelion.

Be aware that dandelion is called “piss-a-bed” for a reason: it increases the need to urinate. As a remedy, it’s best taken fresh or as a tincture (in apple cider vinegar rather than alcohol if vinegar tincture is available).

Contraindications: Avoid in cases of gallbladder disease or bile duct obstruction.

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

With its sweet, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor, licorice has long been beloved as a medicinal herb. It’s long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda for respiratory issues (easing spasmy and both dry and wet coughs, for instance) and for digestive issues (especially bloating, gas, spasms, and indigestion). Today in the west, we make licorice-flavored candies, but these are not medicinal. For use as a remedy, use the fresh or dried root and make sure you get it from a reliable source. If desired, you can purchase DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice).

Licorice makes a lovely tea and can be combined with other herbs and spices to make a chai-type beverage; consider black pepper, turmeric root, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and black tea. Licorice can also be taken as a dried powder mixed into oatmeal, or in capsules.

Contraindications: Avoid long-term use due to possible blood pressure effects; avoid in kidney disease. Keep its use during pregnancy to a minimum.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Because nettle’s leaves act as a mild diuretic and also a mild laxative, it is excellent for providing short-term relief for constipation, especially when taken as a delicious hot herbal tea (herbal infusion). It’s got a smooth, earthy and grassy flavor, and it’s also extremely high in micronutrients and minerals and can replenish a depleted supply.

Nettles are generally very safe (GRAS, generally regarded as safe) and can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, and are considered safe during both pregnancy and breast-feeding, though of course be aware of any side effects (which could include mild dermatitis if you’ve touched the leaves, soft stools, or need to urinate more frequently).

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

In the mint family, catnip (sometimes called catmint) is a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) herb that is renowned for its gentle effects on calming the digestive tract. It has a minty, earthy, sometimes pungent, and generally pleasant flavor. It’s useful for mild spasms, gas, bloating, constipation, and unease, catnip is a wonderful remedy for children and adults.

I recommend making a tea with it as it has a lovely flavor and can be easily harvested. Its effects are similar to chamomile, and it pairs well with spearmint, lavender, oats milky tops or nettle. This is such a mild and safe type of mint that there are no known contraindications; as always, be aware and conscious of potential side effects, but with catnip (except for cats!) it is a safe digestive remedy.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric root has a warm and slightly bitter flavor and can be eaten fresh (like a carrot) or sliced and sauteed into stirfries. The root is dried and powdered and is an excellent anti-inflammatory herb valued for its medicinal effects for sore muscles as well as supporting brain and mental health. Go here for more details.

For digestive issues, make a delicious Golden Milk with Turmeric root; add it to curries and sauces (including spaghetti sauce!); and take it as a powder mixed with apple cider to ease immediate gas and bloating. It combines well with cinnamon, but avoid it in large doses if you suffer with gallstones or you’re taking blood-thinning medications.

For a deep dive into brain and mental health especially using herbs and foods, check out our Herbs for the Brain courses: Beginner or Certificate.

Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)

With its spicy, warm, woody and sweet flavor, cinnamon has long been used alongside apples and oatmeal, with pumpkin spice and autumn flavors. But this spice goes back centuries to kingdoms and cultures in which it was paired with cumin and tahini, with eggs and breads. In western herbal medicine, we use cinnamon as a digestive “warming” herb, an almost energizing herb similar to how rasayana herbs are used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Cinnamon is also being researched as a blood sugar regulating herb. To this end, this dry tree bark is useful for balancing blood sugar and potentially even supporting brain and mental health. Because Alzheimer’s Disease is now being characterized (at least, in part) as Type 3 Diabetes, regulating blood sugar may be a possibility in relieving a genetic or other tendency toward AD, though this is being studied.

Cinnamon is an excellent digestive support herb and has traditionally been used to relieve symptoms such as gas and bloating. It can be used as an anti-inflammatory and also as an anti-spasmodic, or spasmolytic, herb to help when one is suffering with mild abdominal spasms.

For digestive complaints, I recommend Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), also known as "true cinnamon," over other cinnamon varieties, such as Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Here’s why Ceylon cinnamon is a better choice:

Ceylon cinnamon is gentler on the digestive system, is milder and has a sweeter, more delicate flavor compared to the stronger, more pungent Cassia cinnamon. Its gentle compounds are easier on the stomach, making it less likely to cause irritation or discomfort.

Ceylon cinnamon has lower coumarin levels. Cassia cinnamon contains high levels of coumarin, a compound that can be harmful to the liver in large quantities (hepatotoxic) or with prolonged use. Ceylon cinnamon contains much lower levels of coumarin, making it safer for regular consumption.

Better digestive benefits. Ceylon cinnamon has carminative properties, meaning it helps relieve gas, bloating, and general digestive discomfort. It can stimulate digestive enzymes, improving digestion and nutrient absorption. Its mild anti-inflammatory properties can also help soothe irritation in the gut.

Use Ceylon cinnamon in hot teas (herbal infusions), sprinkled on oatmeal or yogurt, mixed with apple cider and other herbal powders, in scrambled eggs, in smoothies, and in hot milks such as Golden Milk with Turmeric.

Combine cinnamon with ginger for spasms and for nausea, and with catnip or chamomile for gas and bloating.

Check with your healthcare team if you are on blood-thinning medications, have diabetes, or are pregnant, as it can affect blood sugar and may interact with certain medications.

Herbs for Healthy Digestion Online Course

The Bellebuono School of Herbal Medicine’s online, on-demand Herbs for Healthy Digestion Course shares a myriad of ways to use herbs and foods to support a healthy digestive process. The course covers basic gut health and addresses the common issues we all face at points in our lives: the short-term digestive complaints as well as the long-term chronic issues that keep us from feeling vibrant.

The course includes webinar videos and student materials such as charts and e-books to support you as you address yours and your family’s digestive health.

This website and this web page are not intended to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any disease, and the information presented is for educational purposes only.