5 Essential Oils for a Healthy Digestive System
Over 70% of our body’s immune system lives in the digestive tract, and this is why it is so important to maintain optimal digestive health. The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) contains the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. There is also a bacterium in the GI tract called flora or micro biome that helps with the digestion process. In addition, parts of our circulatory and nervous systems also aid in digestion.
Why Is Digestion Important?
Our body needs the nutrients we get from food so we can stay healthy and everything can continue to work properly. These nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. Our digestive system works hard to break these nutrients down so that our body can better absorb them so they can then be used for energy, growth, and cell repair.
Essential Oils for Healthy Digestive Support
Essential oils are a natural alternative to many traditional commercial treatments and medications for a variety of conditions. They are also growing in popularity over the last few years as more people are searching for a holistic approach to their health care.
We need to learn how to balance our insides for optimal digestion to improve our overall health. To do this, we must take several steps, including learning how to properly manage our stress levels, introduce key probiotics for smoother digestion, and eat more foods that are rich in fiber.
Another way we can improve our digestive system is through the use of essential oils. For thousands of years, plants were often the go-to for medicinal purposes and had been found to help heal the body in so many different ways. This remains the same today.
The following 5 essential oils have been found to help improve your digestion and with it, your overall health:
Peppermint Essential Oil
This oil is an anti-inflammatory and is also known as a cooling agent. It can relieve symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence and can even help provide some much-needed relief due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Peppermint essential oil can be applied topically once it is combined with a carrier oil like coconut oil. It can be massaged into the abdominal area.
Fennel Essential Oil
This oil contains antispasmodic properties that also help with the pain and discomfort associated with IBS. The best way to use fennel oil is to mix two drops of the oil with a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil and apply it to the abdominal area.
This oil can also be used in a nebulizing diffuser, so you can reap the benefits of its aromatherapy properties as well. A nebulizer emits pure essential oil providing you with a large dose of undiluted essential oil.
Coriander Essential Oil
This oil has antispasmodic properties as well as anti-inflammatory properties. It can provide immediate relief from an upset stomach, abdominal pain, and indigestion.
You can use coriander essential oil topically or use it in a nebulizing diffuser.
Ginger Essential Oil
This is another common oil used to help with upset stomachs and can help with constipation or nausea. It can also be used at home to help with acid reflux, bloating, and gastric ulcerations. Like the others, ginger can be used topically or in a diffuser. Like most essential oils, ginger needs to be diluted with a carrier oil prior to use.
Cardamom Essential Oil
Similar to ginger, this essential oil helps regulate our digestive system. Its anti-inflammatory properties also help to ease cramping and can help with any digestive upset we may be experiencing.
Essential Oil Blends for Gut Health
In addition to the single essential oils above, there are also essential oil combinations that can be used to promote improved gut health as well.
Tea Tree and Oregano
These two oils are both antimicrobials that can help with diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and all other symptoms commonly associated with gut parasites. It has also been proven effective at treating something known as leaky gut.
When the wall of our gut becomes damaged, bacteria and toxins can pass right on through to the bloodstream. Oregano oil has been shown to help prevent this from happening. It can also be used to kill gut parasites.
Fennel and Tarragon
These are both considered digestive stimulants containing antispasmodic properties. Tarragon helps digestive wellness by offering lipid metabolism and liver protection along with resistance to ulcers.
Fennel seed oil has been found to help with intestinal spasms and can significantly increase the motility of our small intestine. This means that by using this oil, we can effectively maximize our digestive benefits.
Essential oils are a natural way to begin taking care of your digestion. In addition, it is important to find ways to manage our stress, follow a healthy diet, and make more educated decisions when it comes to our overall health and well-being.
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I knew about peppermint and ginger, but the others are a surprise to me.
This is something everyone should know for ourselves and pass on to others. I definitely will put this information to work.
I use peppermint, but need to try ginger for ulcer pain. Thanks!
Fab blog just what I needed to read 🙂
Great info – I haven’t tried any of these but now I have the info should I need it! Thanks!
Would love to try out these essential oils to help with my digestion – thanks for the tips
Very informative thanks great article
I love peppermint tea to soothe my stomach. Haven’t thought about it in the sense of an oil!
Would love to try out these essential oils to help with my digestion – thanks for the tips
Fab blog just what I needed to read 🙂
I use peppermint, but need to try ginger for ulcer pain. Thanks!
I found this article really useful and interesting,
Great to know about these oils I love aromatherapy and I could try some of these for my acid reflux and ibs
This is wonderfully informative thank-you!!! I suffer from IBS, Chronic Gastritis and acid reflux so this has really opened my eyes.
I love and appreciate the wonderful and valuable information you provide in all of your articles. Whenever possible I enjoy stocking up on and using these therapeutic and fun essential oils.
Cardamom is on my list!
Thank you!
Jojo
Had no idea that essential oils could affect digestion…always assumed diet was best method!
Fascinating reading. Definately interested in finding out more. Thank you
Well presented. I like to diffuse ginger in my early antenatal clinic for my nauseated Moms. Thank you
Really interested post! I’m a big fan of ginger but I wasn’t aware of the benefits of the other oils.
These look fab!
im definitely going to try some of these
Very interesting, as wasn’t aware that oils could help so much!
Fascinating reading. Definately interested in finding out more. Thank you
This is helpful, thank you.
very inteersting article! thank you!
So interesting l had no idea that oils helped with digestion!
I like this idea to help digestion,normally I’d go with fennel or dill
This is very interesting thanks 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Very interesting!
Many of the worlds plants are beneficial to us.
Very interesting!
A very interesting blog I would love to try some of the oils
Very interesting. Peppermint and Ginger I already knew about.
very curious on trying these.
This is something I could use. Thanks for the information.
I have used peppermint for many years and it is helpful for many issues. Thanks for naming other helpful oils.
Not tried any of them but may give it a go
This is very helpful, I’ll keep a note of some of the tips to try. Thank you.
I would like to try for Digestive Support.
Very useful information thanks.
Great article, be good to try this, especially the Peppermint Essential oil
We all need something to help our digestive systems what with Christmas and worrying about Covid
Very informative – thank you. I am a fan of oils but never tried them for digestion.
Useful information – that will come in very handy x thanks x
Wonderful article very informative. I have been using oils for over 25 years.
I knew about peppermint oil and ginger, but didn’t know you could use them in this way, or about the others! Than you for the very useful information
Some really interesting reading and ideas
Very imformative. Thank you
I’m new to the nebulizer, but I’ve tried one of the essential oils which was Burglars, and honestly it helped even to clear my sinus congestion. So, I’ll keep trying more oils to see their results on my and my family.
By the way the Opulence Nebulizer looks awesome. Thumbs up for this product.
Cheers!!
Combined with these oils, no healthy digestive system is complete without a balance of positive gut bacteria, friendly flora if you will. Probiotics provide the foundation that allows these oils to support the digestive system.
Good information. I wasn’t aware that essential oils would be helpful for digestion.