“It depends, of course, on the exact type of tea, but there is research showing that substances present in these teas can be anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants, or supportive of the immune system,” says Christina Fasulo, RDN, a gastroenterology nutritionist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles who specializes in IBD.
There are reasons to believe that regularly enjoying a cup of tea may be beneficial, regardless of the specific type of beverage you choose.
“For one thing, tea is always hydrating, and that can help with UC symptoms like diarrhea or short bowel syndrome after surgery,” says Kelly Kennedy, RD, a registered dietitian and former staff nutritionist for Everyday Health. “Another benefit is that tea has a warm, soothing quality, which can help because stress can aggravate symptoms. And that’s true regardless of the type of tea you make.”
If a nice cup of tea sounds like just the thing to help ease your belly, try one of these soothing options.
Before you introduce any major changes to your diet, including upping your consumption of one of these teas, Kennedy recommends talking to your doctor. “Also, don’t have one cup of green tea and expect to be cured,” she says. “Track what you’re taking and make note of the effects to see what might be working for you.”
It’s worth noting that most research on curcumin in UC has looked at large, concentrated doses as found in certain supplements rather than the smaller amounts of the substance found in turmeric-based teas, says Fasulo. So while you may find a turmeric-based tea relaxing or soothing, there’s not much evidence that the amount of curcumin it contains will contribute to UC remission.
Kennedy notes that research studies typically involve giving rodents much higher amounts of the anti-inflammatory components in green tea than are found in a typical brewed cup. “It might be worth having a couple of cups rather than just one,” she says, to get some of the benefits that studies have found.
It’s worth noting that the most widely studied polyphenols found in green tea — known as catechins — are also found in black and oolong teas, Fasulo says. While all types of tea from the tea plant contain caffeine (except decaffeinated varieties), Fasulo says that a cup of tea typically contains much less caffeine than a cup of coffee. “If someone’s UC is in remission, usually small doses of caffeine are okay,” she adds.
Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a Washington, DC–based registered dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, a…