If you struggle with digestion, you may have already tried a number of products to help keep your gut health in check. From taking probiotic supplements to eating fermented foods, there are many things you can do to improve digestion—but there’s also one fast-working natural remedy you may not have heard of yet: dandelion tea. As it turns out, sipping on this hot drink can help relieve constipation and even promote long-term gut health.
To learn more about the benefits of dandelion tea for digestion, we spoke to nutritionist Lisa Richards, creator of The Candida Diet. She told us that dandelion is packed with helpful compounds and anti-inflammatory properties. Find all of her insight below!
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Dandelion Tea
If you're looking for a new gut-healthy beverage to add into your rotation, experts say you should look no further than dandelion tea. This warm drink is not only soothing, but also offers so many benefits when it comes to digestion.
First off, there's the fact that dandelion tea contains bile-producing compounds. While this may not conjure up the most pleasant image in your head, Richards says it can be great for digestion. "The compounds (sesquiterpene lactones) found in dandelion tea cause the gut to produce digestive juices more quickly and efficiently," she explains. "These juices, including bile, work to break down fat in the body and ultimately act as a moderate laxative." That means this tea is one good way to go if you're struggling with constipation.
But it isn't just laxative properties that dandelion tea offers up. It can also keep your gut healthy thanks to its inulin fiber content. "The inulin fiber in dandelion tea promotes gut health by being a food source for feeding beneficial gut bacteria," Richards tells us, adding that it also contains phenolic acids, which are anti-inflammatory compounds. As she says, "An inflamed gut is harmful for digestive health and makes the gut work less efficiently," so consuming any anti-inflammatory foods and beverages that can keep these issues at bay is always helpful.
If this isn't your cup of tea (pun intended), there are a few other ways you can reap the benefits of dandelion. You may want to try using the greens from this plant in a range of recipes, from salads to stir fries. No matter how you choose to consume dandelions, though, they're sure to help you get your digestion back on track.
