You can throw out all your over-the-counter heartburn pills, Pepto Bismol, Mylanta, Gas-X, and more… because essential oils can get the job done!
That’s right — if you have gut discomforts like gas, bloating, indigestion, or pathogenic overgrowth — essential oils to the rescue!
Diet plays a huge role in the health of the gut, of course, but it’s not the only factor. Stress, anxiety, water quality, antibiotics, birth control pills, and more also play a part in gut health.
When working to heal the gut, diet is the most important factor as well. So, if you are experiencing the signs of a leaky gut, it’s time to start healing it before it gets worse! (And it will get worse without intervention, I assure you.)
We recommend the GAPS Diet to address leaky gut and especially severe gut issues like autoimmune disease, seasonal allergies, and food sensitivities. However, there are other helpful tools to keep in your “Gut Healing Toolbox”, too — such as supplements and lifestyle changes… and essential oils!
Top 5 Essential Oils For Gut Health
Here are the top 5 essential oils for gut health. While these won’t heal the gut alone, they are very useful if you are working on your gut health.
From nausea and bad breath to stomach pain and indigestion, these essential oils will bring relief without the use harmful over-the-counter medicines! Plus, they smell amazing and have other benefits outside of gut health…
After all… you can’t diffuse Pepto Bismol. 😉
#1 — Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
If you’ve ever eaten peppermint candy after a meal to stimulate digestion or relieve the bloating of over-eating, then you already know that peppermint is a top choice for gut health.
Peppermint‘s gently stimulating, cooling properties are effective against many digestive complaints. Peppermint oil is especially effective at relieving nausea, whether inhaled, rubbed on the stomach, or taken internally.
Because of peppermint’s ability to refresh, stimulate, tone, and settle the digestive system, it is the “ultimate internal body workout” (source).
So, what types of digestive complaints can peppermint essential oil relieve? Maybe the better question is, what digestive complaints can’t it relieve?!
- stomach pain and disorders
- gallbladder pain/disease
- indigestion
- halitosis (bad breath)
- gas pain and bloating
- diarrhea
- ulcers
- IBS and SIBO
In fact, one study showed that peppermint oil had a beneficial effect on the balance of gut bacteria in a case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) (source).
To Use Peppermint Essential Oil…
Peppermint oil can be used topically, aromatherapeutically, and internally. Rub a drop, undiluted, over the abdominal area for relief from cramping, bloating, gas, indigestion, and more. For halitosis, place a drop of peppermint oil on your toothbrush, and brush as usual, twice per day. You can also add peppermint oil to a capsule and take it internally. To help with nausea around the clock, diffuse peppermint oil. Or put an inhaler in your purse.
Peppermint can also be combined with other digestive-friendly oils, such as lavender and ginger. Do NOT add drops of peppermint oil to water. Oil and water don’t mix, and this isn’t a safe or effective way to ingest essential oils. Check with a certified aromatherapist before using peppermint oil if you are pregnant, nursing, or using it for children, as peppermint oil is contraindicated for certain ages and conditions.
#2 — Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata)
Clove essential oil is a powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal oil, making it ideal for treating stomach illness and pathogenic overgrowth. For these reasons, it is useful against harmful gut bacteria such as E. coli and pathogenic yeast such as Candida albicans.
Clove oil contains high amounts of eugenol — a compound that has been studied for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Found in other plants and essential oils, like nutmeg, basil, and oregano, eugenol is most concentrated in clove essential oil. Eugenol is also a powerful anti-fungal for internal yeast infections.
Published in the journal Oral Microbiology & Immunology, a study was conducted to see how clove fared against other anti-fungal treatments and observed that it was as effective as nystatin, a drug commonly prescribed to manage yeast infections of the mouth (thrush), which has a slew of ugly side effects.
Also, in addition to eliminating [C]andida, clove essential oil is effective at killing intestinal parasites. (Source.)
To Use Clove Essential Oil…
Always dilute clove essential oil with a carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut oil, as it is a hot oil and can burn the skin. To take clove essential oil internally for a Candida or parasitic infection, add 1 drop of clove oil to a gelatin capsule along with a bit of coconut oil. Eugenol is a fat-soluble substance, so the coconut oil will help with absorption and also keep the oil from irritating a sensitive digestive system. Take 1 to 2 capsules of clove oil daily for up to 2 weeks. Always work with a qualified practitioner or aromatherapist when taking oils internally.
#3 — Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lavender essential oil is not only useful for a wide variety of issues and budget-friendly, it is also unique in another way…
Unlike other essential oils, lavender essential oil doesn’t appear to harm beneficial gut bacteria. Essential oils are powerful plant medicine with super-concentrated properties. It doesn’t matter what “therapeutic grade” or brand you’re using — most essential oils have antibacterial properties. And like prescription antibiotics, the oils don’t know the difference between pathogenic bacteria and healthy gut bacteria. Therefore, do not use any oil internally long-term, unless directed by your practitioner.
Lavender, however, does seem to “know” the difference between harmful and healthy gut flora! Or at least, lavender oil seems to “harmonize well with the beneficial bacteria in the body” (sourceand source).
Still, ingestion should be more of a last resort than first choice. Even without ingestion, essential oils are still very effective against digestive complaints.
To Use Lavender Essential Oil…
Inhale lavender essential oil straight from the bottle or diffuse. Or make an inhaler for your purse. Use lavender alone or with other essential oils for gut health, such as peppermint and ginger. Apply lavender NEAT to the abdominal area, or dilute with a carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut oil. Calm an upset stomach by adding a few drops of lavender oil to a hot bath. Add a drop of lavender oil to a gelatin capsule along with a bit of coconut oil and take once per day for up to 2 weeks.Always work with a qualified practitioner or aromatherapist when taking oils internally.
#4 — Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Perhaps one of the most potent anti-viral and antibacterial oils, oregano essential oil is definitely one to keep in your arsenal for gut issues. And, although there are over 40 varieties of oregano, only 2 are effective for healing:Origanum vulgare and Thymus capitatus.
The two compounds in oregano oil that make it so antibacterial and anti-viral are carvacrol and thymol, respectively. In particular, these compounds make oregano essential oil a powerful weapon against bacterial infections (such as E. coli), fungal infections (such as Candida), and parasites.(Source.)
In 2011, the Journal of Medicinal Food published a study that evaluated the antibacterial activity of oregano oil against five different types of bad bacteria. After evaluating the anti-bacterial characteristics of oil of oregano it showed significant anti-bacterial properties against all five species. The highest activity was observed against E. Coli, which suggests that oregano oil could potentially be routinely used to promote gastrointestinal health and to prevent deadly food poisoning.
and
A 2014 study published in Global Advances in Health & Medicine found evidence that use of herbal antimicrobials is just as effective as the antibiotic usually given for the treatment of SIBO. (Source.)
It can also be used to treat giardia and MRSA (source).
Do not take oregano essential oil internally for more than 10 days. Overuse can kill beneficial gut bacteria and cause liver toxicity.
To Use Oregano Essential Oil…
Take up to 4 drops, 4 times daily, in a gelatin capsule with added coconut oil to prevent burning. You can do this for Candida or bacterial infections in the gut or to fight off colds and the flu. Beware: you may have “oregano burps” after taking oregano essential oil internally. Although it’s not the best scent, diffusing oregano oil is a great way to reap its benefits while preserving the integrity of your gut flora. Always dilute oregano oil before putting it on your skin, as it can burn or irritate the skin.Always work with a qualified practitioner or aromatherapist when taking oils internally.
#5 — Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Ginger root has been used as a natural remedy for stomach complaints for millennia, so it’s no surprise that ginger essential oil would be one of the top oils for gut health! In fact, the Chinese and Indians have been using it for over 4,700 years!
Ginger essential oil is effective against nausea and vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
Although the “gut” is technically the intestines, digestive trouble often starts long before food makes it to the intestines. Ginger essential oil protects the stomach and improves the overall digestion process, making it very useful for indigestion and heartburn. (Source.)
Ginger oil has also been proven to relieve post-surgical nausea which would usually require anti-nausea medications (source)!
To Use Ginger Essential Oil…
For nausea, diffuse ginger essential oil alone or with other gut-healthy oils, such as peppermint or lavender, or apply 1 to 2 drops NEAT over the stomach. Add ginger oil to bathwater to help overall digestion, or to cooking recipes that call for ginger. Just be sure to add it right before serving to preserve the most benefits. Learn more about cooking with essential oils.
More Gut Health Resources
- 82 Ways To Heal Your Gut
- 5 Reasons To Heal Your Gut {why gut health is so important!}
- 5 Ways To Heal Your Gut That You Probably Haven’t Tried
- Gut-Healing Diets Made Simple
- Natural Healing For IBD: Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis
- The GAPS Class—If you’re feeling overwhelmed about implementing the GAPS diet and want some hands-on help from a certified GAPS practitioner (limited spaces)
Interested In The Gut-Healing GAPS Diet?
The GAPS diet is a gut-healing protocol (explained simply here).
Yet, if you’re feeling intimidated or overwhelmed about implementing the GAPS diet and want some hands-on help, checkout the GAPS Class taught by our friend and GAPS practitioner Melanie Christner. Click here for more info. (Limited spaces.)
Looking for other great essential oil posts? Enjoy these!
- How to Organize and Store Essential Oils
- Can You Flavor Ferments With Essential Oils? #AskWardee 109
- DIY Foaming Hand Soap With Essential Oils
- Top 5 Essential Oils For Nourished Skin
- Top 5 Budget-Friendly Essential Oils For Natural Seasonal Allergy Relief
- Top 5 Essential Oils For Adrenal Support
- Top 5 Essential Oils For Women
- Top 5 Essential Oils For Men
Do you use essential oils to help with gut health? Do you use an oil that isn’t on this list? Please share!
Disclaimer: At Traditional Cooking School, we recommend using only pure, therapeutic grade essential oils such as those from Rocky Mountain Oils and Aroma Foundry and those generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration. The information provided by this website is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This post or the essential oils mentioned therein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult a qualified aromatherapist when using essential oils for any purpose. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using these products.
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