From peppermint to liquorice, we’ve compiled the best herbal teas to help you digest after the evening meal. Discover more with our list of herbal teas to drink after dinner.
—
For many of us, dinner is the main meal of the day. Our busy lives mean breakfast is often rushed and we’re grabbing lunch on the go, so dinner is usually the first opportunity we have to slow down and take the time to cook and eat a more substantial meal.
But eating heavily close to bedtime isn’t necessarily the best move for our digestion, as anyone who struggles with indigestion, heartburn, or gut issues can tell you.
Large meals in the evenings can make it harder to fall asleep too, according to the Sleep Foundation – although they also note that a snack before bed is perfectly fine and may even have benefits.
Still, our modern lifestyles mean it is rarely practical to eat our main meal in the middle of the day, at least during the working week. So, what can we do instead?
One option is to follow your evening meal with a delicious cup of herbal tea. Not only can staying well-hydrated help your digestive system to work effectively, but there are herbs you can try that support your body as it works to process your food, helping you avoid the side effects of eating more heavily later in the day.
We’ve made a list of some of the herbal teas to drink after dinner for digestive support.
1. Peppermint
Clean and refreshing, peppermint is one of the most popular herbal teas to drink after dinner for good reason. This delicious herb is a great palate cleanser and has plenty of benefits for your digestion too, reducing the symptoms of indigestion, nausea, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
You can find peppermint as one of the star ingredients in our flagship Raspberry Leaf and Peppermint tea. Anyone can enjoy this blend, but it is especially good during pregnancy.
2. Liquorice
You’ll find liquorice as an ingredient in many of our herbal tea blends – this naturally sweet herb has many benefits, including supporting the digestion. It helps to calm indigestion and heartburn, while also encouraging your digestive organs to function as they should.
As an after dinner treat, we like to enjoy a cup of Liquorice and Cinnamon tea, especially since cinnamon helps with blood sugar management.
3. Chamomile
Another hugely popular herbal tea ingredient, chamomile is a calming herb to enjoy in the evenings. It helps to relax the digestive system, easing stomach cramps, IBS, and acid reflux. It can also help to treat diarrhoea, gas, and bloating. Plus, it should help you wind down ready for bed.
Chamomile is one of the soothing herbs in our NutraRelax blend, designed to help you get a peaceful night’s sleep.
4. Dandelion Root
A natural diuretic, dandelion root is one of our go-to herbs for combatting water retention and bloating. It has other benefits too, including stimulating the production of bile. Gross though this may sound, bile plays a vital role in the digestive process, making dandelion root another great tea to drink after dinner.
You can find dandelion root as one of the ingredients in our NutraRelease tea.
5. Fennel
Fennel is traditionally used to soothe gut complaints and encourage good digestion, making it an ideal herb to enjoy in your after-dinner cup of herbal tea. It helps to reduce the symptoms of IBS and can also be effective against diarrhoea and indigestion.
We use fennel in our NutraCleanse blend, alongside other herbs that support the digestion and help your body get rid of waste and toxins.