Peppermint Tea The mint leaves are used to brew a delightfully refreshing herbal tea that contains no caffeine. However, there are conflicting reports on whether to use peppermint in any form when suffering from heartburn and/or acid reflux.
In some cases, it is said to ease stomach and digestive problems. The oil within the peppermint helps to stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and relieve gas pains, calm heartburn, and settle an upset stomach and nausea. On the other hand, studies have also indicated that drinking peppermint, spearmint or other strongly spiced teas actually causes the LES to relax even more, resulting in additional acid reflux.
The LES (lower esophageal sphincter) is a one-way valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach and allows food and liquid to enter the stomach. When this sphincter doesn't close properly or is relaxed enough, food, liquid and acid can reflux back up into the esophagus causing heartburn. Since the reports are conflicting on how effective peppermint tea may be in aiding heartburn relief, you may just wish to try it for yourself and see which group you fall into. For best results, use all natural methods to cure your heartburn.