Best Tea for Gas and Bloating: 7 Carminative Teas That Help Trapped Gas Move
The best teas for gas are fennel (the classic carminative seed, with trials in IBS and infant colic), peppermint (relaxes the gut wall so trapped gas moves on, backed by IBS meta-analyses) and caraway (peppermint's partner in the best-studied herbal dyspepsia trials). Anise, ginger, chamomile and cardamom follow, each with smaller evidence or long tradition behind them.
Carminative is the old word for these plants, and it describes what they actually do: their volatile oils relax the smooth muscle of the gut, so gas that is trapped behind a tight, spasming segment can pass, and they slightly reduce how much the belly over-reacts to normal gas. No tea stops gas being made; that happens when gut bacteria ferment fibre and sugars you did not absorb, which is normal and healthy. What tea does is make the gas move with less pain and less bloating.
See a clinician rather than a teapot if gas comes with weight loss, blood in the stool, persistent diarrhea or constipation, severe or one-sided pain, vomiting, fever, a swollen abdomen that does not ease overnight, or if it started suddenly in someone over 50. Gas with diarrhea, fatigue and anemia should be tested for celiac disease; gas that is severe after milk or wheat deserves a proper intolerance check rather than guesswork.
Quick answer
- Fennel tea — the classic after-meal carminative; trials in IBS and infant colic
- Peppermint tea — relaxes gut muscle so trapped gas passes; IBS meta-analysis evidence
- Caraway tea — strong carminative; paired with peppermint in dyspepsia trials
- Anise tea — anethole like fennel; one 120-patient IBS trial of anise oil
- Ginger tea — speeds the stomach; best for gas that starts with fullness after eating
- Chamomile tea — gentle antispasmodic; the evening and reflux-safe choice
The 7 best teas for gas
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.
Fennel's anethole relaxes intestinal smooth muscle and reduces gas production and spasm, which is why fennel seeds are chewed after meals across India and the Mediterranean. In a 2003 trial of 125 colicky infants, a fennel seed oil emulsion eliminated colic in 65 percent versus 24 percent on placebo, and in a 2016 trial of 121 adults with IBS, curcumin plus fennel oil reduced bloating and overall symptoms significantly more than placebo over 30 days. Crushing the seeds just before brewing and covering the cup are what get the anethole into the tea.
- Key evidence
- Alexandrovich et al. 2003 infant colic RCT; Portincasa et al. 2016 IBS RCT, J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.
- How to brew it
- 1 to 2 teaspoons seeds, crushed, per 240 ml water just off the boil, covered, steep 10 minutes; drink after meals or when gas builds.
- Best for
- After-meal gas, trapped wind, and anyone who cannot take peppermint
- Cautions
- Fennel has estrogenic activity in lab studies; keep to occasional cups in pregnancy and with hormone-sensitive conditions. Cross-reactions with carrot, celery and mugwort allergy are possible, and large amounts may reduce ciprofloxacin absorption.
Trapped gas hurts because a segment of bowel is in spasm, and menthol relaxes that spasm by blocking calcium channels in gut smooth muscle. A 2008 BMJ meta-analysis found peppermint oil relieved IBS symptoms in 74 percent of patients versus 43 percent on placebo, and a 2019 pooled analysis of 12 trials confirmed benefit for abdominal pain and overall symptoms, bloating among them. Those were enteric-coated oils at 180 to 225 mg two to three times daily; the tea gives much less menthol, but a strong, covered steep is enough for mild to moderate trapped gas.
- Key evidence
- Ford et al. 2008 BMJ meta-analysis; Alammar et al. 2019 BMC Complement Altern Med meta-analysis of peppermint oil in IBS.
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped tablespoon dried leaf (or 1 teabag) per 240 ml water at 95 C, covered, steep 7 to 10 minutes; drink when the gas is trapped and painful.
- Best for
- Painful trapped gas with cramping
- Cautions
- Menthol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and worsens heartburn and GERD; if your gas comes with burping and reflux, use fennel or chamomile instead. Keep menthol products away from infants and small children.
Caraway is the strongest-tasting carminative in European kitchens and the one that has been formally trialed alongside peppermint. In a 2000 randomized trial of 96 people with functional dyspepsia, a fixed peppermint-caraway oil combination reduced pain, pressure and fullness significantly more than placebo over 4 weeks, and a 2015 trial found even a warm caraway-oil poultice on the abdomen eased symptoms. Caraway's carvone and limonene relax gut muscle and reduce foaming, and the seed tea, while milder than the oil, is a reliable after-dinner cup, especially combined with fennel.
- Key evidence
- May, Köhler & Schneider 2000, Aliment Pharmacol Ther: peppermint-caraway oil vs placebo; Lauche et al. 2015, Digestion: caraway oil poultice.
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon crushed seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon caraway plus 1/2 teaspoon fennel) per 240 ml water just off the boil, covered, steep 10 minutes.
- Best for
- Gas and heavy fullness after rich or cabbage-family meals
- Cautions
- Generally safe at tea doses. Carrot-family cross-reactions (celery, carrot, fennel allergy) are possible, and animal studies suggest a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect, worth knowing with diabetes medication.
Anise shares fennel's anethole and has a trial of its own: a 2016 randomized, double-blind study in 120 people with IBS found enteric-coated anise oil capsules (200 mg three times daily for 4 weeks) reduced abdominal pain, bloating and gas significantly more than placebo and more than a peppermint-oil comparison group. Anise was also one of four herbs in the 2010 laxative-tea trial that improved constipation, where trapped gas often starts. The seed tea is gentler than the capsules but keeps the licorice-like aroma that many people find settles the stomach.
- Key evidence
- Mosaffa-Jahromi et al. 2016, J Ethnopharmacol: enteric-coated anise oil vs placebo in IBS.
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon crushed seeds per 240 ml water just off the boil, covered, steep 10 minutes; drink after meals.
- Best for
- Gas with cramping and a sluggish bowel
- Cautions
- Anise has estrogenic activity in lab studies and can cross-react with fennel, celery and carrot allergy; keep to occasional cups in pregnancy. Do not confuse with star anise, a different plant that is sometimes contaminated with toxic Japanese star anise.
Ginger acts higher up than the other teas here: it speeds gastric emptying by about a quarter in crossover trials (1,200 mg in healthy adults in 2008, and in functional dyspepsia in 2011), so food and swallowed air leave the stomach rather than sitting and fermenting. It has no trials for lower-bowel gas or flatulence, which is why it ranks below the carminative seeds, but for gas that begins as fullness and belching within an hour of eating it is the right first cup.
- Key evidence
- Wu et al. 2008, Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol: 1,200 mg ginger accelerated gastric emptying.
- How to brew it
- 4 to 6 thin slices (about 5 g) fresh root per 240 ml water, simmer 10 minutes or steep covered 15 minutes; drink 20 minutes before a meal or right after.
- Best for
- Upper-belly gas, belching and fullness soon after meals
- Cautions
- Mild antiplatelet effect; keep under 4 g a day with warfarin or other blood thinners and stop before surgery. Large amounts can cause heartburn and may add to blood-sugar-lowering drugs.
Chamomile's apigenin and bisabolol relax intestinal smooth muscle in tissue studies, and the plant is a component of two tested gut formulas: STW 5 (Iberogast), which reduced functional dyspepsia symptoms in a 2007 placebo-controlled trial of 315 patients, and ColiMil, a chamomile-fennel-lemon balm preparation that reduced crying time in 85 percent of colicky infants versus 48 percent on placebo in a 2005 trial. Chamomile alone has not been trialed for adult gas, so it is graded preliminary, but it is the choice for evening gas and for anyone with reflux.
- Key evidence
- Savino et al. 2005, Phytother Res: chamomile-fennel-lemon balm formula in infant colic; von Arnim et al. 2007 STW 5 trial.
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped tablespoon dried flowers (or 2 teabags) per 240 ml water at 90 to 95 C, covered, steep 5 to 10 minutes; after dinner or before bed.
- Best for
- Evening gas, a tense belly, and people with heartburn who cannot use mint
- Cautions
- Ragweed-family allergy applies; chamomile adds to sedatives, and its coumarins may slightly increase bleeding with warfarin. Pregnancy data are limited, so keep to an occasional cup.
Cardamom is the carminative of Ayurvedic and Middle Eastern tradition, chewed after meals and added to coffee for exactly this purpose. Its oil (mainly 1,8-cineole and terpinyl acetate) relaxes gut smooth muscle in tissue studies and reduced aspirin-induced stomach lesions in animal studies, and human trials at 3 g a day for 8 weeks have shown it is well tolerated, though those trials measured blood markers, not gas. There are no human gas trials, so this is tradition and mechanism, and it earns its place mostly as the best-tasting way to drink a carminative.
- Key evidence
- Traditional carminative use; animal and in-vitro studies of cardamom oil on gut smooth muscle.
- How to brew it
- 4 to 5 green pods, lightly crushed, per 240 ml water, simmer 5 minutes or steep 10 minutes covered; combine with fennel or ginger for a stronger after-meal cup.
- Best for
- A daily after-meal habit, and people who dislike the taste of fennel or mint
- Cautions
- Generally safe at culinary amounts. Cardamom can trigger gallstone colic in people with stones, and large supplemental doses are not advised in pregnancy; the tea at a few pods a day is fine for most.
How to choose
- Trapped, painful gas right now: peppermint, strong and covered, then walk or lie on your left side with knees drawn up.
- Gas after most meals: fennel or caraway after eating, and look at what you ate: beans, onions, cabbage-family vegetables, wheat, milk and sugar alcohols are the usual suspects.
- Gas with heartburn or reflux: skip peppermint; use fennel, chamomile or cardamom.
- Gas that starts as fullness and belching soon after eating: ginger before the meal; this is a slow stomach and swallowed air, not fermentation.
- Gas with constipation: treat the constipation (see the constipation guide); a backed-up colon ferments more and no carminative will fix that alone.
- Gas most days for more than 3 weeks despite changing foods: pick a tea for comfort, and get checked for celiac disease, lactose intolerance or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
What to skip
Activated charcoal or 'gas relief' charcoal drinks
Trials of charcoal for intestinal gas are small and inconsistent, and charcoal binds any medicine taken within a couple of hours. It is not a tea and it is not a daily habit.
Carbonated or sweetened bottled teas
Carbonation adds gas directly, and sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol) in 'sugar-free' drinks are among the most reliable gas producers there are. Plain hot tea only.
Laxative 'debloat' teas
They contain senna or cascara, which cause cramping and more gas, not less, and lead to dependence with daily use. Gas is not something to purge.
Very strong black tea or coffee for gas
Caffeine speeds the colon and can worsen urgency and cramping in people with IBS, and neither has carminative evidence. A weak cup is fine; it is not a treatment.
Safety and when to see a clinician
- Peppermint can worsen heartburn and GERD because menthol relaxes the valve between stomach and esophagus; choose fennel, chamomile or cardamom if gas comes with reflux.
- Fennel, anise and caraway are all in the carrot family and can cross-react in people with celery, carrot or mugwort allergy; fennel and anise also have estrogenic activity in lab studies, so keep them occasional in pregnancy and with hormone-sensitive conditions.
- Ginger and chamomile each have mild effects on clotting; with warfarin or other blood thinners, keep to one or two cups a day and tell your clinician.
- Mucilage or carminative teas are not a substitute for diagnosis: gas with diarrhea, weight loss or anemia should be tested for celiac disease before any diet change, because going gluten-free first makes the test unreliable.
- Children: fennel, chamomile and diluted ginger tea are fine for older children; infant colic should be discussed with a clinician rather than treated with home-brewed tea, and peppermint products are not for infants.
- See a clinician if gas comes with weight loss, blood in the stool, persistent change in bowel habit, severe or one-sided pain, vomiting, fever, a swollen abdomen that stays overnight, or if it began suddenly after age 50.
What matters as much as the tea
- Find your fermenters: a 2 to 4 week low-FODMAP trial under guidance relieves gas and bloating in roughly half to three-quarters of people with IBS; the usual single culprits are onions, garlic, beans, wheat, milk and sugar alcohols.
- Soak and rinse beans, and build up slowly: soaking overnight and discarding the water removes some of the oligosaccharides that cause bean gas, and adding fibre gradually over weeks lets gut bacteria adapt.
- Stop swallowing air: eating fast, chewing gum, drinking through straws, fizzy drinks and smoking all add air to the stomach; a quarter of swallowed air ends up as flatus.
- Move after meals: a 10 to 15 minute walk after eating speeds gastric emptying and helps gas pass; lying flat traps it.
- Try alpha-galactosidase (Beano) or lactase with the specific foods that cause your gas; both have small trials showing fewer gas episodes after beans or dairy respectively.
Frequently asked questions
What tea is best for gas?
Fennel seed tea for everyday after-meal gas, peppermint for painful trapped gas with cramping, and caraway or anise if you want a stronger carminative. Fennel is the safest all-rounder; peppermint has the most trial evidence but can worsen heartburn.
Does fennel tea really help with gas?
Yes. Fennel's anethole relaxes gut muscle and reduces spasm, and it has trial evidence in infant colic (65 percent colic-free versus 24 percent on placebo) and, combined with curcumin, in IBS bloating. Crush the seeds and cover the cup while steeping, or most of the active oil escapes with the steam.
How do I get rid of trapped gas fast?
A strong cup of peppermint or fennel tea, then move: walk for 10 minutes, or lie on your left side with knees drawn up, or do a few gentle knees-to-chest stretches. A heat pad on the belly relaxes the spasm that is trapping the gas. Most trapped gas passes within 20 to 40 minutes with this combination.
Is peppermint tea good for gas?
Yes, especially painful, cramping gas. Menthol relaxes the bowel wall so trapped gas can move, and peppermint oil relieved IBS symptoms in about three-quarters of patients in a 2008 meta-analysis. The tea is a gentler dose. If you get heartburn after it, switch to fennel or chamomile.
Why do I have so much gas every day?
Most daily gas comes from fermentable foods (beans, onions, wheat, milk, sugar alcohols), swallowed air, or constipation, plus a sensitive gut wall in IBS. Less common but important causes are lactose intolerance, celiac disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Daily gas with diarrhea, weight loss or fatigue deserves testing rather than more tea.
Can I drink gas-relief tea every day?
Fennel, peppermint, caraway, chamomile and cardamom are safe daily for most adults. Keep fennel and anise occasional in pregnancy and with hormone-sensitive conditions, avoid peppermint if you have reflux, and skip any blend that contains senna or cascara.
Which is better for gas, ginger or peppermint?
It depends where the gas is. Ginger works on the stomach, speeding emptying, so it suits belching and fullness soon after eating. Peppermint works on the bowel, relaxing spasm, so it suits lower-belly trapped gas and cramping. Many people do well with ginger before meals and peppermint or fennel after.
References
- 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)
- Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Scribano ML, et al.. Curcumin and fennel essential oil improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases (2016)
- Ford AC, Talley NJ, Spiegel BM, et al.. Effect of fibre, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ (2008)View source
- Alammar N, Wang L, Saberi B, et al.. The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2019)View source
- May B, Köhler S, Schneider B. Efficacy and tolerability of a fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from functional dyspepsia. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2000)
- Lauche R, Janzen A, Lüdtke R, et al.. Efficacy of caraway oil poultices in treating functional dyspepsia: a randomized controlled trial. Digestion (2015)
- Mosaffa-Jahromi M, Lankarani KB, Pasalar M, et al.. Efficacy and safety of enteric coated capsules of anise oil to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2016)
- Picon PD, Picon RV, Costa AF, et al.. Randomized clinical trial of a phytotherapic compound containing Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare, Sambucus nigra, and Cassia augustifolia for chronic constipation. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2010)View source
- 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)
- Savino F, Cresi F, Castagno E, et al.. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a standardized extract of Matricariae recutita, Foeniculum vulgare and Melissa officinalis (ColiMil) in the treatment of breastfed colic infants. Phytotherapy Research (2005)
- Lacy BE, Cangemi D, Vazquez-Roque M. Management of Chronic Abdominal Distension and Bloating. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2021)
- Farting (flatulence). NHS (2023)View source
More tea guides
Beyond tea
Related conditions
Not sure which one fits you?
Ask AskMN. It knows these studies, checks interactions with the medications you tell it about, and it is free and unlimited, no account needed.
Ask about tea for gasThis 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.