Is peppermint tea bad for acid reflux?

Common trigger

Peppermint feels soothing, but it is thought to relax the lower oesophageal sphincter, the valve that keeps acid in the stomach. It helps some kinds of indigestion but often worsens heartburn.

Tips

  • If you drink it after meals and have heartburn, switch for two weeks and compare.

Try instead

Chamomile or ginger tea

Is it a trigger for you?

Reactions vary a lot between people. Log peppermint tea in the symptom diary for two weeks: it shows how often each food is followed by symptoms. Then try two weeks without it and compare.

Similar foods

Coffee Decaf coffee Black tea Green tea Chamomile tea Ginger tea

Read the full diet guide →

Sources

  1. Katz PO, Dunbar KB, Schnoll-Sussman FH, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022;117(1):27-56.
  2. NICE. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia in adults: investigation and management (CG184). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2014, updated 2019.