Best Tea for Acid Reflux and Heartburn: 8 Teas That Help, Ranked by Evidence
The best teas for acid reflux are licorice (ideally deglycyrrhizinated), ginger and turmeric, with chamomile, slippery elm and marshmallow root as gentle, caffeine-free options for a sore, irritated throat and chest. Peppermint tea, which people reach for first because it is 'good for the stomach', is the one tea most likely to make reflux worse, because menthol relaxes the valve between stomach and oesophagus. No tea neutralises acid the way an antacid does, and none has been tested head to head against omeprazole for heartburn. What the better-studied ones do is speed stomach emptying, calm the gut lining or reduce the inflammation that makes the oesophagus so sensitive.
Reflux is partly a mechanical problem: a loose lower oesophageal sphincter, a full stomach, lying down too soon, extra weight pushing up on the stomach. That is why the drink's temperature, volume and timing matter almost as much as the plant. A small cup of warm (not scalding) tea, sipped an hour after a meal rather than with it, is kinder to a refluxing stomach than a large mug of anything. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and fizzy drinks are all known triggers, so the biggest win for many people is simply what they swap out.
See a clinician rather than self-treating with tea if you have heartburn more than twice a week for several weeks, trouble or pain swallowing, food sticking, unexplained weight loss, vomiting blood or black stools, or chest pain that spreads to the arm, neck or jaw (that needs emergency care, not tea). Reflux that keeps going for years untreated can damage the oesophagus, and the drugs that stop it are well studied and widely available.
Quick answer
- Licorice (DGL) — soothes the stomach lining; a placebo-controlled trial cut dyspepsia symptoms by half in 30 days
- Ginger — speeds stomach emptying so there is less to reflux; best-studied for nausea
- Turmeric — curcumin matched omeprazole for functional dyspepsia symptoms in a 2023 trial
- Chamomile — mildly antispasmodic and calming; part of the best-tested herbal dyspepsia blend
- Slippery elm or marshmallow root — mucilage coats an irritated throat and oesophagus; traditional, not trialled
- Peppermint — avoid: menthol relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter and can worsen heartburn
The 8 best teas for acid reflux
Ranked by the strength of human evidence. Strong = multiple trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.
Licorice is the one gut herb with a reasonable modern trial behind it: in a double-blind study of 50 adults with functional dyspepsia, a flavonoid-rich licorice extract (GutGard, 75 mg twice daily for 30 days) roughly halved total symptom scores compared with placebo, including heartburn and upper-abdominal burning. Older work found licorice increases protective mucus in the stomach lining. The catch is glycyrrhizin, the sweet compound in whole licorice, which raises blood pressure and drops potassium with regular use, so deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) products are the safer way to get the benefit.
- Key evidence
- Raveendra 2012, 50-person double-blind RCT, 30 days, functional dyspepsia
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon cut licorice root per cup, simmered 10 minutes, or a DGL chewable 20 minutes before meals; limit whole-root tea to 1 cup daily and 2 to 4 weeks at a stretch
- Best for
- Heartburn with upper-stomach burning or an irritated stomach lining
- Cautions
- Whole licorice raises blood pressure and lowers potassium: avoid with hypertension, heart failure, kidney disease, diuretics, digoxin or corticosteroids, and in pregnancy. Keep continuous use under 4 weeks or choose DGL.
Delayed stomach emptying is a quiet driver of reflux, and ginger measurably speeds it up: 1.2 g of ginger powder cut the time to empty half a meal from about 16 to 12 minutes in healthy volunteers, and a crossover study in people with functional dyspepsia found faster emptying after ginger than placebo. Ginger's strongest human evidence is for nausea (dozens of trials), which often travels with reflux. It has not been tested directly against heartburn scores, so it is a mechanism-plus-adjacent-evidence pick rather than a proven one.
- Key evidence
- Wu 2008 and Hu 2011, gastric emptying studies with 1.2 g ginger
- How to brew it
- 3 to 4 thin slices of fresh ginger (about 3 g) in a cup of water just off the boil, steeped 10 minutes; sip an hour after meals, not with them
- Best for
- Reflux with a heavy, slow-to-empty feeling or queasiness after meals
- Cautions
- Doses above 4 g a day may thin the blood slightly: ask first if you take warfarin or other anticoagulants. A few people find strong ginger itself burns on the way down; dilute it if so.
A 2023 randomised, double-blind trial in 206 Thai adults with functional dyspepsia found curcumin (500 mg four times daily) improved symptom scores as much as omeprazole 20 mg over 28 and 56 days, with no added benefit from combining them. That is dyspepsia rather than reflux proper, and it used capsules holding far more curcumin than a cup of turmeric tea delivers, but it is the first decent head-to-head with a standard acid drug. Turmeric is also mildly anti-inflammatory, which may matter for an oesophagus that is sore from acid exposure.
- Key evidence
- Kongkam 2023, 206-person RCT, curcumin vs omeprazole, BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or a thumb of fresh root, simmered 10 minutes with a pinch of black pepper and a little milk or oil to help absorption
- Best for
- Upper-stomach discomfort and burning after meals rather than classic regurgitation
- Cautions
- Turmeric can increase bleeding risk with warfarin or antiplatelet drugs and may worsen gallbladder pain in people with gallstones. Concentrated turmeric supplements have been linked to rare liver injury; brewed tea has not.
Chamomile has almost no trials on its own for reflux, so its tier here is honest rather than flattering. Its evidence comes indirectly: it is one of nine herbs in STW5 (Iberogast), a liquid that beat placebo for functional dyspepsia in a 315-patient double-blind trial, and its flavonoid apigenin relaxes smooth muscle and is mildly anti-inflammatory in laboratory work. In practice it is the tea most reflux patients tolerate best, it is caffeine-free, and it is the one to drink in the evening, when late-night acid is the problem.
- Key evidence
- Madisch 2004, STW5 (contains chamomile) vs placebo in 315 dyspepsia patients
- How to brew it
- 2 teaspoons dried flowers or 1 bag per cup, water at 90 to 95°C, steeped 8 to 10 minutes, covered; drink lukewarm 1 to 2 hours before lying down
- Best for
- Night-time heartburn, and people whose reflux flares with stress
- Cautions
- Ragweed-family allergy can cross-react. Chamomile may add to the effect of sedatives and, in large amounts, to warfarin. Fine in pregnancy in normal amounts.
Slippery elm bark is mostly mucilage, a gel that forms when it meets water and physically coats the throat and oesophagus, which is why it has been a demulcent for sore throat and heartburn for well over a century. Human evidence is thin: a small pilot study used it as part of an IBS formula and the US FDA accepts it as a throat-soothing ingredient in lozenges, but no trial has measured it against reflux symptoms. It is best thought of as temporary comfort for a raw, acid-scoured throat rather than a treatment.
- Key evidence
- Hawrelak 2010 IBS pilot; FDA-recognised demulcent for throat lozenges
- How to brew it
- 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered bark whisked into a cup of hot (not boiling) water, steeped 5 minutes until it thickens; drink slowly after meals or before bed
- Best for
- A burning, scratchy throat or hoarseness from night-time reflux
- Cautions
- The mucilage can slow absorption of medicines, so take other drugs at least an hour apart. Avoid in pregnancy (traditional caution, no safety data).
Marshmallow root works the same way as slippery elm and is better characterised in the lab: aqueous extracts of its polysaccharides form a protective film on epithelial cells and stimulate repair in cell studies, and European monographs (ESCOP, German Commission E) list it for mild gastritis and oral and pharyngeal irritation on the strength of long traditional use. There are no reflux trials. Because the mucilage is destroyed by boiling, it is one of the few teas that should be made with cold water.
- Key evidence
- Deters 2010 cell study; ESCOP and Commission E monographs (traditional use)
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon dried root in a cup of cold water, left 4 hours or overnight, strained; drink at room temperature or barely warmed
- Best for
- People who want a coating tea but find slippery elm hard to find or gritty
- Cautions
- Can slow absorption of other medicines; separate by an hour or more. May lower blood sugar slightly in theory, so monitor if you use insulin.
Fennel is a carminative, meaning it eases gas and gut spasm, and trapped gas pressing on a full stomach is one of the routes to reflux. A randomised trial of fennel seed oil emulsion in 125 colicky infants reduced colic by about two-thirds versus placebo, and fennel oil combined with curcumin improved IBS symptoms in a 121-patient placebo-controlled trial. Neither is reflux, and the small amount of anethole in fennel can, like peppermint, slightly relax smooth muscle, so a few people find it unhelpful. Try it for bloating-driven heartburn specifically.
- Key evidence
- Alexandrovich 2003 (colic, 125 infants); Portincasa 2016 (IBS, 121 adults)
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seeds per cup, water just off the boil, steeped 10 minutes covered; sip after meals
- Best for
- Reflux that comes with bloating and belching
- Cautions
- Mildly oestrogenic in large amounts: avoid concentrated fennel in pregnancy and with hormone-sensitive conditions. Rare allergy in people sensitive to celery and carrot.
Rooibos earns a place not because it treats reflux but because of what it replaces. It is naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins, so it is the closest-tasting swap for the black tea and coffee that are among the most consistent reflux triggers in lifestyle studies. Small human trials show rooibos is well tolerated and modestly antioxidant, and there is no evidence it relaxes the oesophageal sphincter. If you drink four mugs of strong black tea a day and have heartburn, this swap is probably worth more than any herb on this list.
- Key evidence
- Marnewick 2011, 6 cups/day for 6 weeks, well tolerated in 40 adults; no reflux trials
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped teaspoon or 1 bag per cup, boiling water, 5 to 7 minutes; it does not go bitter, so steep as long as you like
- Best for
- Habitual tea and coffee drinkers who need a caffeine-free everyday cup
- Cautions
- Very large amounts (litres a day) have been linked to isolated case reports of raised liver enzymes. Otherwise no meaningful interactions known.
How to choose
- Burning in the upper stomach after meals (dyspepsia-type): start with licorice (DGL) or turmeric, the two with placebo-controlled symptom trials.
- Feeling over-full, slow to empty, or queasy: ginger, taken an hour after eating rather than with the meal.
- Raw throat, hoarseness or cough from night-time acid: slippery elm or marshmallow root as a coating tea before bed, plus raise the head of the bed.
- Heartburn that tracks your stress and sleep: chamomile in the evening; keep it lukewarm and small.
- You drink a lot of coffee or black tea: swapping to rooibos or a weak, cool green tea may do more than adding any herb.
- Whatever you choose, keep the cup small (150 to 200 ml), the temperature warm rather than hot, and finish it at least 2 hours before lying down.
What to skip
Peppermint tea
Menthol relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter: a classic Gastroenterology study showed peppermint lowering sphincter pressure within minutes, and GERD guidelines list it as a trigger. It is excellent for IBS cramps and useless to harmful for heartburn. Spearmint is milder but carries the same risk.
Apple cider vinegar in warm water
The theory that heartburn comes from too little acid has no trial support, and vinegar is acidic enough to irritate an already inflamed oesophagus. There is not a single controlled study showing it helps reflux.
Strong black tea, chai and coffee
Caffeine and the theophylline in tea both relax the sphincter, and the tannins in strong black tea irritate the stomach. If you cannot give them up, make them weak, add milk, and never drink them on an empty stomach or before bed.
'Detox' or slimming teas with senna
Senna is a stimulant laxative that does nothing for acid and can cause cramping and dependence. Marketing that links reflux to 'toxins' is not describing anything that happens in the body.
Safety and when to see a clinician
- Whole licorice root is not for people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, or anyone on diuretics, digoxin or steroids; it is also best avoided in pregnancy. Choose DGL or keep tea occasional.
- Ginger and turmeric both have mild blood-thinning activity: tell your clinician if you take warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel or daily aspirin and drink them every day.
- Mucilage teas (slippery elm, marshmallow) can slow absorption of other medicines; leave at least an hour between them and your tablets.
- Very hot drinks (over about 65°C) are themselves linked to oesophageal damage. Let every tea on this list cool to comfortably warm before sipping, especially if your throat is already sore.
- Antacids, alginates (Gaviscon-type) and short courses of acid suppressants are well studied and safe for most people; tea is an addition to them, not a replacement when symptoms are frequent.
- See a clinician if heartburn occurs more than twice a week for over a month, if swallowing is painful or food sticks, if you lose weight without trying, or if you vomit blood or pass black stools. Chest pain spreading to the arm or jaw is an emergency.
What matters as much as the tea
- Raise the head of your bed by 15 to 20 cm with blocks (pillows alone do not work) and avoid lying down within 2 to 3 hours of eating. These two changes have the best lifestyle evidence in reflux reviews.
- Losing even 5 to 10% of body weight if you are overweight reduces reflux episodes measurably; pressure on the stomach is a large part of the problem.
- Smaller meals, less fat per meal, and identifying your personal triggers (commonly coffee, alcohol, chocolate, fried food, tomato, citrus, mint) matter more than any single food rule.
- Stop smoking: nicotine relaxes the sphincter and reduces saliva, which normally neutralises acid.
- Chewing sugar-free gum for 30 minutes after a meal increases saliva and reduced acid exposure in small studies; cheap and worth a try.
Frequently asked questions
Is peppermint tea good for acid reflux?
No. Peppermint is one of the few herbs with direct evidence of making reflux worse: menthol relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter, the muscle that keeps acid in the stomach. It is genuinely useful for IBS cramps and bloating, which is where its reputation comes from, but if heartburn is your problem, choose chamomile, ginger or licorice instead.
Is chamomile tea good for acid reflux?
It is well tolerated, caffeine-free and mildly antispasmodic, which makes it a sensible evening tea for reflux, but there are no trials of chamomile alone for heartburn. Its evidence is borrowed from a nine-herb dyspepsia blend in which it is one ingredient. Expect comfort rather than a measurable drop in acid episodes.
What is the best tea for GERD at night?
A small, lukewarm cup of chamomile, slippery elm or marshmallow root two hours before bed, combined with raising the head of the bed. Avoid anything with caffeine after mid-afternoon and do not drink a large volume of anything close to lying down; the volume in your stomach matters more than the herb.
Does green tea cause acid reflux?
It can. Green tea contains caffeine and theophylline, both of which relax the sphincter, and it is acidic, especially when brewed hot and strong. A weak, cooler brew (70°C, 1 to 2 minutes) after food is tolerated by many people; if it still triggers you, rooibos is the usual swap.
Is ginger tea good for heartburn or does it make it worse?
Ginger speeds stomach emptying and eases nausea, which helps the sort of reflux that follows heavy, slow meals. A minority of people find strong ginger burns on the way down, and doses over about 4 g a day can cause heartburn themselves. Keep it to a few slices per cup and sip it an hour after eating rather than with the meal.
Does licorice tea really help acid reflux?
Licorice has one of the few placebo-controlled trials in this area: a flavonoid-rich extract halved dyspepsia symptoms, including burning, in 30 days. The safety problem is glycyrrhizin, which raises blood pressure with regular use, so most clinicians who recommend licorice suggest the deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) form rather than daily whole-root tea.
Can I drink tea for acid reflux during pregnancy?
Ginger (up to about 1 g dried a day) and chamomile in normal amounts are generally considered acceptable in pregnancy and ginger has good trial data for pregnancy nausea. Avoid licorice, which is linked to higher blood pressure and, in large amounts, preterm birth, and skip slippery elm and concentrated fennel for lack of safety data. Ask your midwife or clinician before making any tea a daily habit.
References
- Raveendra KR, Jayachandra, Srinivasa V, et al.. An extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra (GutGard) alleviates symptoms of functional dyspepsia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012)
- Kongkam P, Khongkha W, Lopimpisuth C, et al.. Curcumin and proton pump inhibitors for functional dyspepsia: a randomised, double blind controlled trial. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine (2023)
- Wu KL, Rayner CK, Chuah SK, et al.. Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans. European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2008)
- Hu ML, Rayner CK, Wu KL, et al.. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia. World Journal of Gastroenterology (2011)
- Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, et al.. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion (2004)
- Sigmund CJ, McNally EF. The action of a carminative on the lower esophageal sphincter. Gastroenterology (1969)
- Ness-Jensen E, Hveem K, El-Serag H, Lagergren J. Lifestyle intervention in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2016)
- Katz PO, Dunbar KB, Schnoll-Sussman FH, et al.. ACG Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology (2022)
- Alexandrovich I, Rakovitskaya O, Kolmo E, et al.. The effect of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (2003)
- Licorice Root. National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthView source
- Peppermint Oil. National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthView source
- Heartburn and acid reflux. NHSView source
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Ask about tea for acid refluxThis guide is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.