Tea for the Tummy

I can remember clearly the first time I was ever given hot tea to calm an upset stomach. We were visiting my grandmother in Germany and something I ate was not sitting well with me. She insisted I drink some hot chamomile tea. While I was not crazy about the flavor or smell of the tea,within just a short time, my stomach had settled and I no longer felt sick.

Once I began living on my own, I always kept chamomile tea in my home. My husband and son would not drink it because of the odor and the taste. If I had an upset stomach I would force myself to drink it but only after adding some honey and lemon to it. I found that not only did chamomile tea settle my stomach but it also relaxed me and helped me to sleep. Chamomile tea, made from the flowers of the chamomile herb, has been used for gastrointestinal problems, menstrual cramps, relaxation, and more.

When I became pregnant with my daughter, I suffered horrible morning sickness. It wasn't just morning sickness. It was twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, sickness. I could not keep anything down. It wasn't just food that made me sick either. I couldn't drink anything without getting sick. The smell of the chamomile tea was enough to send me rushing to the bathroom. At the beginning of my second tri-mester I was hospitalized because I was losing weight. I was put on a IVs and clear liquids. Surprisingly clear liquids included unsweetened tea. After three days of nothing but broth, jello, water and tea my stomach finally felt like it could tolerate food and I was sent home.

I went to the grocery store to by some tea bags and saw something called Grandma's Tummy Mint tea by Celestial Seasonings. I figured it was worth it to try some if my stomach started rolling again. Sure enough, the first meal I tried to eat made my stomach upset. My husband made me a cup of the tea and it calmed my stomach almost immediately. I loved the mint smell too.

Whenever Grandma's Tummy Mint was not available I would try to find peppermint tea. I found that this worked just as well on soothing an upset stomach. Celestial Seasoning discontinued Grandma's Tummy Mint but it is now marketed as Tummy Mint Wellness Tea, though I have had a hard time finding it in the grocery store.

If I find myself with an upset stomach and cannot get to a cup of hot mint tea, then I will suck on a peppermint. You know the ones I'm talking about. The circular red and white striped candies you get when you eat at a restaurant. For me, those will work in a pinch, though not as well as the hot mint tea.

If you can stand the smell and flavor of chamomile, then I would suggest drinking chamomile tea for an upset stomach. It seems to work very well and is very soothing. If you can't get past the smell and taste then peppermint is the answer. Whether it's mint tea or peppermint candies, it seems that something about mint, works to calm a rolling, upset stomach.