Natural remedies for digestion
Direct answer
What helps depends on the symptom. For constipation, psyllium husk has the strongest support here (Strong, 4 of 4). The caution that matters most: blood in your poo, weight loss or a lasting change in bowel habit needs a GP, not a supplement.
Senna and magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) work for constipation in the short term (both Moderate). Castor oil is a harsh stimulant laxative rated only Limited (2).
For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules are rated Moderate. For nausea in early pregnancy ginger is rated Moderate, while inhaled lemon oil is rated Limited (2) for nausea after surgery.
For acute diarrhoea the one option with regulator-reviewed trials is kaolin clay (Moderate, 3), which shortened a bout by about 5 to 7 hours. Some probiotics reduce diarrhoea from antibiotics (Moderate).
For heartburn and indigestion, the antacids calcium carbonate and baking soda are rated Limited (2) for occasional use, and everything else here is Limited or Traditional. Activated charcoal for wind has no good evidence (one small trial found no benefit).
Senna and castor oil are for up to a week only, and psyllium must be taken with plenty of water. Kaolin, charcoal and antacids can stop other medicines being absorbed.
Compare the options
Of the 23 remedies for digestion we have rated, 7 have Moderate or Strong evidence for this use (1 Strong). See our evidence report.
Click a column heading to sort.
| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psyllium Plantago ovata (seed husk) | Strong | Chronic constipation | Husk powder, about 10 g a day in water | Needs plenty of water; can cause choking or blockage | 4+ weeks |
| Ginger Zingiber officinale (rhizome) | Moderate | Nausea in pregnancy | Powdered root, under 1.5 g a day | Pregnancy: EU regulator prefers avoiding it; ask first | Same night |
| Kaolin clay Hydrated aluminium silicate (clay) | Moderate | Acute diarrhoea (taken by mouth) | Oral kaolin, 26.2 g per dose (adults) | Binds other medicines; take 3 hours apart | Same night |
| Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) Magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2, mineral) | Moderate | Occasional constipation in adults (laxative) | Milk of magnesia, 30–60 mL a day | Avoid with kidney disease: magnesium can build up | Same night |
| Peppermint Mentha x piperita (oil, leaf) | Moderate | IBS symptoms (enteric-coated oil capsules) | Enteric-coated oil capsules | Can worsen heartburn and reflux | 2 weeks |
| Probiotics (Lactobacillus) Live bacteria (Lactobacillus species) | Moderate | Preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea | Capsule/sachet, ≥5 billion CFU daily | Avoid if immunocompromised or with a central line | 2 weeks |
| Senna Senna alexandrina (leaf, pod) | Moderate | Constipation | Extract, 10–30 mg sennosides at night | Not for over 1 week; not in pregnancy or under 12s | Same night |
| Activated charcoal Activated carbon (not a plant) | Limited | Wind, gas and bloating | 400 mg twice daily for 7 days (trial) | Can stop regular medicines being absorbed | Same night |
| Artichoke Cynara scolymus (leaf extract) | Limited | Functional dyspepsia (fullness, bloating, discomfort) | Leaf extract, 640 mg three times daily | Not for gallstones or bile-duct blockage | 4+ weeks |
| Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Sodium bicarbonate (mineral salt) | Limited | Occasional heartburn and indigestion (antacid) | Powder in water, ½ tsp (2.6 g) per dose | High sodium; not when overly full; 2 weeks max | Same night |
| Calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate (mineral salt) | Limited | Heartburn and indigestion (antacid) | Chewable tablet, 1,000 mg as needed | Can block thyroid tablets and some antibiotics | Same night |
| Castor oil Ricinus communis (seed oil) | Limited | Occasional constipation | Oral liquid, 15–60 mL once (adults) | Strong laxative; ask first in pregnancy; max 1 week | Same night |
| Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (fruit/seed) | Limited | Infant colic | Seed oil emulsion (clinician-directed) | No fennel tea under 4; clinician only | 4+ weeks |
| Lemon essential oil Citrus limon (peel essential oil) | Limited | Nausea after surgery (inhaled) | Inhaled lemon oil; no standard dose | Inhaled scent only studied; never swallow the oil | 2–3 days |
| Liquorice root Glycyrrhiza glabra (root) | Limited | Functional indigestion (dyspepsia) | DGL extract, 75 mg twice daily | Raises blood pressure, lowers potassium; not for pregnancy | 2 weeks |
| Magnesium citrate Magnesium citrate (mineral salt) | Limited | Occasional constipation (laxative) | Magnesium dicitrate, 600 mg Mg daily | Kidney disease: magnesium can build up, ask first | 4+ weeks |
| Oregano oil Origanum vulgare (leaf and flower oil) | Limited | Gut parasites such as Blastocystis (oral) | Oil of oregano, 600 mg a day | Irritant: dilute on skin, and never give to children | 2 weeks |
| Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla (flower) | Traditional | Bloating and minor gut spasms | Tea, 1.5–4 g in 150 ml, 3–4 times daily | Avoid if allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants | 4+ weeks |
| Devil's claw Harpagophytum procumbens (root) | Traditional | Mild digestive complaints and loss of appetite | Tea, 4.5 g root in 500 ml, 3 doses | Not with active stomach or duodenal ulcer | 4+ weeks |
| Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis (leaf) | Traditional | Mild digestive complaints (bloating, wind) | Tea, 1.5–4.5 g leaf, 1–3 times daily | May impair driving; avoid in pregnancy | About a week |
| Marshmallow root Althaea officinalis (root) | Traditional | Mild stomach discomfort | Root macerate, 2–5 g in 150 ml, 3x/day | Take 30–60 min apart from other medicines | Same night |
| Slippery elm Ulmus rubra (inner bark) | Traditional | Upset stomach and irritable bowel symptoms | Powdered bark; no dose established | No proven dose; safety in pregnancy unknown | About a week |
| Turmeric Curcuma longa (rhizome) | Traditional | Mild indigestion (fullness, slow digestion, wind) | Root powder, 0.5–1 g, 2–3 times daily | Rare liver injury reported with supplements | 4+ weeks |
- Rated for
- Chronic constipation
- Form
- Husk powder, about 10 g a day in water
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Nausea in pregnancy
- Form
- Powdered root, under 1.5 g a day
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Acute diarrhoea (taken by mouth)
- Form
- Oral kaolin, 26.2 g per dose (adults)
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Occasional constipation in adults (laxative)
- Form
- Milk of magnesia, 30–60 mL a day
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- IBS symptoms (enteric-coated oil capsules)
- Form
- Enteric-coated oil capsules
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
- Form
- Capsule/sachet, ≥5 billion CFU daily
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Constipation
- Form
- Extract, 10–30 mg sennosides at night
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Wind, gas and bloating
- Form
- 400 mg twice daily for 7 days (trial)
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Functional dyspepsia (fullness, bloating, discomfort)
- Form
- Leaf extract, 640 mg three times daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Occasional heartburn and indigestion (antacid)
- Form
- Powder in water, ½ tsp (2.6 g) per dose
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Heartburn and indigestion (antacid)
- Form
- Chewable tablet, 1,000 mg as needed
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Occasional constipation
- Form
- Oral liquid, 15–60 mL once (adults)
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Infant colic
- Form
- Seed oil emulsion (clinician-directed)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Nausea after surgery (inhaled)
- Form
- Inhaled lemon oil; no standard dose
- Onset
- 2–3 days
- Rated for
- Functional indigestion (dyspepsia)
- Form
- DGL extract, 75 mg twice daily
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Occasional constipation (laxative)
- Form
- Magnesium dicitrate, 600 mg Mg daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Gut parasites such as Blastocystis (oral)
- Form
- Oil of oregano, 600 mg a day
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Bloating and minor gut spasms
- Form
- Tea, 1.5–4 g in 150 ml, 3–4 times daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Mild digestive complaints and loss of appetite
- Form
- Tea, 4.5 g root in 500 ml, 3 doses
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Mild digestive complaints (bloating, wind)
- Form
- Tea, 1.5–4.5 g leaf, 1–3 times daily
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Mild stomach discomfort
- Form
- Root macerate, 2–5 g in 150 ml, 3x/day
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Upset stomach and irritable bowel symptoms
- Form
- Powdered bark; no dose established
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Mild indigestion (fullness, slow digestion, wind)
- Form
- Root powder, 0.5–1 g, 2–3 times daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
Quick picks
For constipation, a 2022 meta-analysis of 16 fibre trials (1,251 adults) found 66% responded versus 41% on control, with psyllium showing a significant effect and doses above 10 g a day for at least 4 weeks working best. Take it with plenty of water; it can block the throat or bowel if taken dry.
Gentlest optionGingerFor nausea in early pregnancy, a meta-analysis of 12 trials (1,278 women) found ginger improved nausea scores, but it did not significantly reduce vomiting and the evidence was low quality. The EU herbal regulator says it is preferable to avoid it in pregnancy, so speak to a midwife or doctor first.
Traditional favouritePeppermintEnteric-coated oil capsules beat placebo for IBS in a 2022 meta-analysis of 10 trials (number needed to treat 4 for overall symptoms), but the evidence quality was very low and a 2021 US trial found no difference from placebo. Peppermint tea has a traditional use for indigestion and wind but no trial evidence we could find, and peppermint can worsen heartburn.
Key facts about digestion
- About 16 in 100 adults in the US have symptoms of constipation, rising to about 33 in 100 of those aged 60 and over.9
- About 12% of people in the US have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Women are up to twice as likely as men to develop it, and it is more common in people under 50.10
- In a survey of 73,076 adults in 33 countries, 40% of those who answered online met the criteria for at least one functional gut disorder such as IBS (21% in face-to-face interviews), more often women than men.11
- In a survey of 71,812 Americans, 61% had at least one gut symptom in the past week, most often heartburn or reflux (31%), tummy pain (25%), bloating (21%), diarrhoea (20%) and constipation (20%).12
- Digestive diseases cost US health care $119.6 billion in 2018, and there are more than 36.8 million outpatient visits a year in the US for gut symptoms alone.13
- Diarrhoea usually stops within 5 to 7 days and vomiting within 1 or 2 days. In the UK, call 111 if diarrhoea lasts more than 7 days, there is blood, or you cannot keep fluids down.14
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
- Senna: contraindicated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under-12s, bowel obstruction and inflammatory bowel disease. Do not use it every day or beyond 1 week.
- Castor oil: no more than a week, not under age 2, and get a health professional's advice first in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Activated charcoal: must not be used with a bowel blockage or for suspected poisoning at home.
- Psyllium: do not use with difficulty swallowing, bowel blockage or an undiagnosed sudden change in bowel habit.
- Kaolin by mouth: get a doctor's advice first under age 12 or with bloody or black stool, fever or mucus in the stool.
- Magnesium hydroxide: get a doctor's advice first with kidney disease, because magnesium can build up.
- Liquorice containing glycyrrhizin: unsuitable with high blood pressure, heart, kidney or liver disease or in pregnancy.
- Baking soda: high in sodium (716 mg in a half-teaspoon dose), should not be taken on a very full stomach, and is limited to 2 weeks as an antacid.
- Calcium carbonate: limited to 2 weeks as an antacid, and best avoided after past kidney stones.
- Gallstones or bile-duct problems: the artichoke, turmeric and peppermint entries advise against use.
- Lemon essential oil: for inhaling only. Do not swallow it, because the trials were of inhaled scent, and cold-pressed lemon oil on skin burns in sunlight.
Known interactions
- Liquorice (glycyrrhizin): do not combine with senna or other stimulant laxatives, corticosteroids, diuretics, digoxin or blood pressure medicines, because low potassium can trigger dangerous heart rhythm problems.
- Senna: can add to potassium loss with digoxin, steroid tablets and diuretics.
- Magnesium hydroxide and aluminium antacids: cut ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin absorption by 50 to 90% and tetracyclines by over 90%. The NHS says to keep other medicines 2 to 4 hours apart.
- Kaolin: can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics and of digoxin, so take it at least 3 hours before or after them.
- Calcium carbonate: lowered thyroxine levels in people taking levothyroxine.
- Activated charcoal: can bind the hormones in the contraceptive pill.
- Psyllium and marshmallow root: can delay the absorption of other medicines, so take them 30 to 60 minutes apart.
- Peppermint oil capsules: keep them apart from antacids and acid reducers, which can dissolve the coating early.
- Castor oil: its own entry lists no interactions, but it is a stimulant laxative, the class the liquorice warning names.
- Lemon oil: its entry lists no interactions.
Before you reach for an ingredient
For constipation and IBS in particular, diet and routine come first, and most are safe to try alongside an ingredient. Digestion covers several different problems, so match the measure to your symptom.
- For constipation, the NHS advises a balanced diet with gradually more fibre (oats, wheat bran, linseed, fruit such as apples and berries), plenty of fluids, less alcohol, a daily walk, a regular toilet routine without delaying the urge, and resting your feet on a low stool. It says you may notice a difference within days, sometimes weeks, and that a pharmacist can suggest a laxative if this is not enough.5
- For IBS, the NHS suggests keeping a food and symptom diary, not skipping meals or eating too fast, limiting caffeinated drinks to three cups a day, eating oats and up to one tablespoon of linseeds daily for bloating, and asking a pharmacist about peppermint oil or Fybogel (psyllium) if these do not help.6
- See a GP if constipation is regular or not improving, or if you have blood in your poo, unexplained weight loss, regular bloating, tummy pain or a sudden change in bowel habit.5
Questions people ask
What is the best natural remedy for constipation?
Psyllium husk has the strongest evidence here (Strong, 4 of 4): a 2022 meta-analysis found fibre helped 66% of people with chronic constipation against 41% on control. Take it with plenty of water and give it at least 4 weeks.
Senna also works but is for short-term use only, up to 1 week under the EU licence. Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) is rated Moderate (3), although that evidence is for magnesium salts as a group and it is unsuitable with kidney disease.
Castor oil, a strong stimulant laxative that acts in 6 to 12 hours, has a 1-week limit on its US label and no placebo-controlled constipation trial (Limited, 2).
Does peppermint help irritable bowel syndrome?
Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules relieved IBS symptoms better than placebo in a 2022 meta-analysis of 10 trials, though reviewers rated the evidence quality very low and a 2021 US trial found no difference from placebo. Peppermint tea is a different preparation and has no trial evidence we could find. It can worsen heartburn and reflux.
Do probiotics help with digestion?
It depends on the problem. Some probiotics reduce diarrhoea while you take antibiotics (23% against 27.4% in a Cochrane review, low-certainty evidence), but the evidence is mostly null for children's gastroenteritis and uncertain for IBS.
For a bout of acute diarrhoea, kaolin clay taken by mouth is the option with regulator-reviewed trials: the FDA accepted two randomised trials in which it shortened the time to a first formed stool by 5 to 7 hours, though it did not reduce the number of stools. Take it 3 hours apart from other medicines.
Avoid probiotics if you are severely ill, immunocompromised or have a central venous catheter unless a doctor says otherwise.
Is liquorice safe for heartburn and indigestion?
Only deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) liquorice has been tested, in small single-brand trials rated Limited. Ordinary liquorice that still contains glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure and lower potassium at low daily intakes, so avoid it if you have high blood pressure, heart, kidney or liver disease, or are pregnant.
Antacids such as calcium carbonate or baking soda relieve occasional heartburn for a few hours without treating the cause, and their labels limit use to 2 weeks.
Sources (14)
- Systematic review van der Schoot A, Drysdale C, Whelan K, Dimidi E. The Effect of Fiber Supplementation on Chronic Constipation in Adults: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022.
- Systematic review Rao SSC, Brenner DM. Efficacy and Safety of Over-the-Counter Therapies for Chronic Constipation: An Updated Systematic Review. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021.
- Meta-analysis Ingrosso MR, Ianiro G, Nee J, Lembo AJ, Moayyedi P, Black CJ, Ford AC. Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2022.
- Systematic review Viljoen E, Visser J, Koen N, Musekiwa A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J. 2014.
- Regulator/health agency NHS. Constipation. National Health Service (page last reviewed 26 October 2023).
- Regulator/health agency NHS. Diet, lifestyle and medicines for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). National Health Service (page last reviewed 17 March 2025).
- Regulator US Food and Drug Administration. Antidiarrheal Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use; Final Monograph. Federal Register 68(74). 2003.
- Health service guidance NHS. Antacids. Medicines.
- Regulator/health agency NIDDK. Definition & Facts for Constipation. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (last reviewed May 2018).
- Regulator/health agency NIDDK. Definition & Facts for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
- Population study Sperber AD, Bangdiwala SI, Drossman DA, et al. Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study. Gastroenterology. 2021.
- Population study Almario CV, Ballal ML, Chey WD, Nordstrom C, Khanna D, Spiegel BMR. Burden of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the United States: Results of a Nationally Representative Survey of Over 71,000 Americans. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018.
- Burden study Peery AF, Crockett SD, Murphy CC, et al. Burden and Cost of Gastrointestinal, Liver, and Pancreatic Diseases in the United States: Update 2021. Gastroenterology. 2022.
- Regulator/health agency NHS. Diarrhoea and vomiting. National Health Service (page last reviewed 21 December 2023).
Reviewed by Healthy and Herbal editors · 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.