Digestion problems come in all shapes and sizes, from painful stomach cramps that wake you up in the middle of the night to mild nausea or heartburn. No matter the size of the problem, these ailments are uncomfortable to experience. Luckily, you don’t have to bear life’s plumbing problems but rather combat them naturally with essential oils. 

Read on to discover the best essential oils for healthy digestion. 

Which Essential Oils Should I Use for Digestion?

Studies have shown that certain essential oils can assist with an array of digestive issues including abdominal pain, indigestion, IBS symptoms, nausea and more by supporting digestive health. Here’s how.  

Essential Oils for Nausea

Whether it’s from food, drink, medication or out of plain disgust, we all experience nausea at some point. These essential oils can help:

• In an aromatherapy study, 100 pregnant women with vomiting and nausea were given Lemon essential oil. The oil was found to drastically reduce nausea symptoms compared to placebo.[1]
• A research paper on aromatherapy's effects on patients with postoperative nausea and vomiting found that those who inhaled Ginger essential oil and Peppermint essential oil needed less antiemetic medication.[2] 

Studies have also shown that inhaling isopropyl alcohol can ease a sick stomach. Next time something doesn’t sit right, quell queasiness by inhaling isopropyl alcohol, Lemon oil, Ginger oil or Peppermint oil.

Essential Oils for GERD

But what if your stomach ache is a symptom of another digestive problem? Many experience nausea as a result of acid reflux or heartburn. You know, that burning feeling you get in your chest caused by stomach acid moving up the esophagus? Luckily, there’s an essential oil compound that’s here to help and its name is d-limonene. 

This common component found in a variety of citrus essential oils has proven itself as a comfort to those with GERD and heartburn in experimental studies. Doctors have found that d-limonene can neutralize gastric acid while protecting the stomach lining.[3] 

Current batches of Edens Garden’s Orange- Blood, Grapefruit- Pink, Mandarin- Red and Orange- Sweet essential oils all contain upwards of 90% d-limonene, making these our top picks for heartburn. These oils can be combined, diluted with a carrier oil and applied topically along the esophagus. For added relief, inhale this blend in a diffuser or using a personal inhaler. Alternatively, try a citrus-filled essential oil blend like Simply Citrus and Citrus Cream. 

Essential Oils for IBS

We know that everyday issues like nausea and acid reflux can be mitigated with a little help from essential oils, but what about chronic digestive ailments, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? With symptoms including cramping, pain, gas, bloating and constipation, IBS can easily throw your digestive tract out of whack. Sufferers of IBS seek a remedy, and according to studies, Peppermint can meet that need.

• A double-blind study in the Journal of Pediatrics found that enteric-coated Peppermint oil reduced the severity of patients with IBS after two weeks.[4]
• Mayo Clinic currently lists Peppermint as a potential future treatment for IBS.
• Aromatherapist, Robert Tisserand, agrees with studies concluding Peppermint oil's ability to alleviate IBS.[5]

To take advantage of Peppermint's benefits, we recommend diluting it with Coconut oil and applying it topically to the abdomen. For further and more specific instructions on how to use Peppermint for IBS, we recommend working with your doctor and an aromatherapist.

Edens Garden Synergy Blends for Digestion

There are seemingly endless options when it comes to essential oils for digestion and gut health,[6] so why not make the choice easy? At Edens Garden, we offer two synergy blends that were formulated to effectively combat a range of digestion issues:  Digest Ease and Tummy Aid. Also available in prediluted roll-ons, these blends take the guesswork and mess out of settling stomach problems, both small and large.

SOURCES:

1. Yavari kia, Parisa. “The Effect of Lemon Inhalation Aromatherapy on Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.” PubMed Central (PMC), 1 Mar. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4005434.
2. Hines, Sonia. “Aromatherapy for Treatment of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.” PubMed Central (PMC), 1 Mar. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6494172/#CD007598-sec2-0016.
3. Sun, Jidong. “D-Limonene: Safety and Clinical Applications.” Alternative Medicine Review, vol. 12, no. 3, 2007, pp. 259–64.
4. Kline, Robert M. “Enteric-Coated, PH-Dependent Peppermint Oil Capsules for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children.” The Journal of Pediatrics, 1 Jan. 2001, https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(01)95069-3/pdf.
5. Tisserand, Robert. “Essential Oils and Gut Flora.” Robert Tisserand, 24 Apr. 2018, roberttisserand.com/2014/07/essential-oils-gut-flora.
6. Tafti, Laleh Dehghani. “Traditional Persian Topical Medications for Gastrointestinal Diseases.” PubMed Central (PMC), 1 Mar. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5378958.