10/07/2025
Digestion is so important! Check out this information on using essential oils to aid digestion. 🥰
Which essential oils support digestion?
As an RN, I’m constantly amazed at how the body works tirelessly to turn food into energy, which we then use to build our lives. But as many of us know, digestion isn’t always a smooth process.
Essential oils can offer gentle support. With their antispasmodic, soothing, and stimulating properties, certain oils can help calm indigestion, ease bloating, reduce cramping, and even encourage healthy elimination.
For example:
- Oils with antispasmodic actions (like Roman Chamomile or Sweet Basil) can help relax cramps in the digestive tract (Heghes et al. 2019; Sandor et al. 2019).
- Some oils (like Ginger) can ease nausea and bring comfort when your system feels sluggish (De Pradier, 2006).
I recently wrote a blog post that goes into more detail about how we can use aromatherapy for digestion. If you'd like to read it, you'll find the link in the first comment below this post.
Meanwhile, this post features some of my favorite oils for the belly, gut, and overall digestive system:
Anise (Pimpinellum anisum)
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum)
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Plai (Zingiber cassumunar)
Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum ct linalool)
Sweet Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
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Refs:
De Pradier, E. (2006) A trial of a mixture of three essential oils in the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting. International Journal of Aromatherapy
Heghes, S. C., Vostinaru, O., Rus, L. M., Mogosan, C., Iuga, C. A., & Filip, L. (2019). Antispasmodic Effect of Essential Oils and Their Constituents: A Review. Molecules
Sándor, Z., Mottaghipisheh, J., Veres, K., Hohmann, J., Bencsik, T., Horváth, A., Kelemen, D., Papp, R., Barthó, L., & Csupor, D. (2018). Evidence Supports Tradition: The in Vitro Effects of Roman Chamomile on Smooth Muscles. Frontiers in pharmacology