EP.236/ How to Beat Endo Belly with Peppermint
Okay so this is week three of our Ease Endo Tea Challenge. Remember, if you’d like to receive a copy of each week’s challenge with all the references, research, doses and info, sign up to the challenge via email. I’ve linked to the sign-up page in my show notes. You can also hop over to Instagram and comment, ask questions or share pics of your challenge so far.
This week, we're easing the endo belly!
The Symptom
Did you know the endo belly might not be just caused by endometriosis?
In fact, it's most likely not!
Whilst the inflammation from endometriosis can definitely cause the endo belly at certain times of your cycle or make it worse, there are other contributing factors.
Fluctuating hormones can be a cause - progesterone in the second half of your cycle slows gut motility down, leading to more accumulation of gas and waste in your intestines, which might create some bloating.
The changes in oestrogen and progesterone in the second half of your cycle can contribute to water retention and bloating, and are worse when hormones are out of balance, especially in the case of oestrogen dominance.
Adhesions from surgery or from the inflammation caused by endo, can stick to intestines and cause issues with the motility (or flow), creating pockets of swelling and gas, leading to bloating.
Research has shown that people with endo tend to have some level of microbiome dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of the bacteria in our intestines, which can cause bloating.
Research is showing that up to 80% of people with endo also have small intestine bacterial overgrowth, and the classic symptom of SIBO is a big, bloated belly.
There are many other potential factors contributing to your own personal endo belly, from coeliac disease (which is common in the endo community) to chronic stress. To learn more about the possible causes, have a listen to this podcast.
Clearly, there are multiple areas to possibly address when it comes to healing the endo belly, and we're not going to solve it all with just tea, but the first step is for us to get you feeling a little better so you have the encouragement, energy and health to even consider those steps...
So this week, we're drinking peppermint tea.
The Tea
Here's how peppermint tea can help your endo belly:
Peppermint relaxes the smooth muscle of the intestines, so helps significantly with cramping and abdominal pain, and helps to ease the transition of gas.
It's been shown in the research to aid with abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, painful bowel movements and all IBS symptoms.
Research has shown that pain and symptoms improve significantly with long-term use with peppermint oil.
The caveat is the research is on peppermint oil capsules, not tea, however, many people (including me) still find that peppermint tea eases their gastro symptoms, especially bloating! So see if it works for you too...
How To Drink
Dose wise, you can use teabags or loose leaf tea as instructed on the label, just try to pick tea bags that aren't made with glues and plastics (most are, but this brand in the UK doesn't use these). Allow to steep for a few minutes so the tea is concentrated - we're going to get more benefit with a stronger tea. If you're worried about it cooling down, put a saucer/small plate over your teacup.
You can also use fresh peppermint leaves, but they're not always easy to find in the supermarkets (unless you grow your own)! A handful of fresh leaves steeped in boiling water for 5-10 minutes is a wonderful way to really extract some of that lovely peppermint oil.
You can boost the effectiveness of your peppermint tea for endo belly, by also drinking ginger tea (probably separately, as that might taste weird!) as well. Ginger is great for motility (moving things down the digestive tract) and is a helpful drink to have two hours after meals if you're feeling bloated. Having one of these each day is going to do wonders for your digestion!
For extra bang for your buck, you can buy digestif teas which are deliberately made to ease bloating and help with after-meal fullness. Many of these contain a combination of peppermint fennel, chicory root and ginger. Have a look around at what's available in your local area!
Ideally, we'll now be drinking ginger, dandelion root and peppermint tea daily. This is going to make a powerful trio for the endo belly, with dandelion aiding oestrogen clearance (and it helps with digestion!), ginger for motility and peppermint for relaxing the intestines and IBS symptoms. You could have one when you wake, one mid-morning, and one two hours after lunch! BUT if that's unsustainable, you can alternate them each day, so you get the best of all - or try spending this week solely on peppermint to see what it does for your endo belly.
Moving forward, drinking peppermint tea around ovulation and towards your period is a great way to ease that hormonal bloating and the constipation that can happen in the luteal phase!
Must-read Precautions
Now just a reminder, having the odd herbal tea doesn't need a doctor's approval, but for this challenge, we're using strong teas daily.
This is a free challenge where I cannot tailor general info to each individual, so it's important you take responsibility for your own health and ensure that peppermint tea is right and safe for you. Please consult your doctor/health professional before beginning the challenge.
Peppermint tea is very safe, but it may come with one or two side effects depending on your body.
For those of you with acid reflux, peppermint might worsen this as it can relax the sphincter between your stomach and oesophagus, which can open it up, allowing acid to rise. Try with caution, and if it worsens, you can usebaking sodato reduce the acid and avoid peppermint tea for the time being, I have added a link in the show notes for how to use baking soda for acid reflux. You may do better with triple coated peppermint oil capsules, as they're designed to not dissolve and release the oil untilafterthe stomach, meaning you won't get that sphincter relaxation.
Peppermint might cause an uncomfortable sensation in the bladder of those with interstitial cystitis. Essentially, you can end up have a mentholated bladder, which can feel uncomfortable if you already have bladder irritation.
Finally, another side effect is possible nausea, although this is more likely to occur with capsules of peppermint oil rather than tea.
So that’s it!That’s this week’s tea. Feel free to jazz it up and turn it into something special if you’d like to – just avoid adding sugar, because sugar raises inflammation, so will be cancelling out what we’re doing! If you want to sweeten it, try monk fruit, allulose or stevia.
Okay, so get cosy, start sipping and I’ll see you next week!
References:
https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-018-2409-0
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11207510/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24100754/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26319955/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016669/
https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/17/7/1704/576914
This episode is also sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pain and inflammation, that you take for 7 days of your cycle, during your period. Semaine is made up of 9 super-powered plant extracts and minerals that are all vegan and sourced for maximum quality and bioavailability and selected based on the latest clinical research. If you want to try Semaine, they are currently offering 15% off your first order and they deliver worldwide! Head to: www.semainehealth.com
This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works
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My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.
If you feel like you need more support with managing endometriosis, you can join Your EndoLife Coaching Programme. A 1-to-1 three month health and life coaching programme to help you thrive with endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at hello@thisendolife.com or visit my website.
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