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Natural ways to settle bloating, nausea, and an unhappy gut. Every option here is backed by published research.

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Peppermint oil dose for IBS?

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Evidence

What works.

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Psyllium huskCautionSupplement
Strong evidence
Acts fast

Psyllium husk

EFSA-authorised soluble fibre, strongest plant-based evidence for cholesterol, regularity, and IBS symptoms.

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Why

Psyllium husk (Plantago ovata) is the most-evidenced soluble fibre in routine clinical use. It holds an EFSA authorised health claim for cholesterol maintenance, Cochrane-level evidence for chronic constipation, and meta-analysis support for global IBS symptom improvement. Used routinely in primary-care gastroenterology guidelines for both constipation-predominant and diarrhoea-predominant IBS.

How it works

Soluble fibre that forms a viscous gel in the gut, slowing carbohydrate absorption, binding bile acids (lowering LDL via increased hepatic cholesterol-to-bile conversion), normalising stool form, and feeding short-chain-fatty-acid-producing colonic bacteria.

Expected onset · Stool form effects within 1–3 days; cholesterol effects emerge over 4–8 weeks

How to take

Dosage

3.5–10 g of psyllium husk per dose, 1–3 times daily, always with 250 ml water or more per dose. For cholesterol, 7 g/day or more is the EFSA-cited threshold.

Timing

With or between meals; cholesterol effect requires taking before or with meals

On the label

'Psyllium husk' or 'ispaghula husk', pure husk, not seed flour. Granules and capsules both work; ensure adequate water either way.

Ideal for

Adults with chronic constipation, IBS (either subtype), or elevated LDL cholesterol; people aiming to raise dietary fibre.

Safety

Always with adequate water, choking and oesophageal obstruction are documented in dry use. Can reduce absorption of co-administered medications. Separate from drugs by at least 2 hours (especially lithium, levothyroxine, carbamazepine, digoxin). Start at low dose and increase to avoid bloating. Avoid in mechanical bowel obstruction.
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Evidence

At a glance

EFSA authorised the claim that psyllium contributes to maintenance of normal blood cholesterol (≥7 g/day), the highest regulatory tier in EU food law. Moayyedi 2014 Am J Gastroenterol meta-analysis: psyllium gave the most consistent IBS symptom benefit of any soluble fibre, NNT=7. Christodoulides 2016 systematic review confirmed benefit for chronic constipation across stool frequency, consistency, and straining.

Where to get it

Shop Psyllium husk on Amazon

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Peppermint oilCautionSupplement
Strong evidence
Within weeks

Peppermint oil

Strongest evidence in the natural-medicine catalogue for IBS.

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Why

Strongest evidence in the natural-medicine catalogue for IBS. Multiple meta-analyses confirm benefit for pain and global symptom improvement.

How it works

Menthol blocks calcium influx in intestinal smooth muscle, producing antispasmodic effect. Enteric coating is essential, uncoated formulations release in the stomach and worsen reflux.

Expected onset · Symptom relief often within 2 weeks; standard trial duration is 4–12 weeks

How to take

Dosage

Enteric-coated capsule: 180–225 mg three times daily, taken 30–60 min before meals, for up to 4–12 weeks.

Timing

30–60 min before meals

On the label

Enteric-coated capsules of standardised peppermint oil, not uncoated capsules or tea.

Safety

Can cause heartburn and worsen reflux, enteric coating is essential. Avoid in hiatus hernia, GERD, gallstones, or biliary obstruction.
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Evidence

At a glance

Ingrosso 2022 Aliment Pharmacol Ther network meta-analysis of IBS treatments: enteric-coated peppermint oil ranked among the most effective interventions for global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain, with an NNT of 4, better than most prescription antispasmodics. Enteric coating is essential; uncoated formulations worsen reflux.

Where to get it

Shop Peppermint oil on Amazon

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GingerSupplement
Strong evidence
Acts fast

Ginger

Cochrane-supported for pregnancy-related, post-operative, and chemo-induced nausea.

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Why

Cochrane-supported for pregnancy-related, post-operative, and chemo-induced nausea. EFSA-recognised for normal digestive function (traditional use).

How it works

Gingerols and shogaols are partial 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (mechanism shared with ondansetron) and prokinetic agents.

Expected onset · Acute effect within hours; cumulative effect over 4 days in pregnancy-nausea trials

How to take

Dosage

Typically 1 g/day in divided doses (250 mg 4 times daily, or 500 mg twice daily) for nausea. Subgroup analyses favour daily doses below 1.5 g.

Timing

Pre-emptively before nausea triggers; with meals for motion sickness

Safety

Mild antiplatelet effect. Discuss with your doctor if on anticoagulants or before surgery. May lower blood glucose (caution with antidiabetics). High doses can cause heartburn.
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Evidence

At a glance

Viljoen 2014 Nutr J meta-analysis (12 RCTs, n=1,278 pregnant women): ginger ≤1.5 g/day significantly reduced nausea on the visual analogue scale (MD 1.20, 95% CI 0.56–1.84, p=0.0002 vs placebo). EMA HMPC monograph also recognises Zingiber officinale for prevention of motion sickness and short-term post-operative nausea.

Where to get it

Shop Ginger on Amazon

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Other ways

Not only supplements.

Habits, programs, and techniques. For most outcomes the strongest evidence isn't a supplement at all. It's here. Slower to act, harder to monetise, often under-promoted everywhere else.

Post-meal walkingHabit
Moderate evidence

Post-meal walking

10–15 minute walk after meals blunts the post-prandial glucose spike.

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Why

Light walking activates muscle glucose uptake without insulin signalling: the muscles pull glucose out of the blood directly. Short post-meal walks measurably reduce the glycemic peak vs. sitting after eating. Especially useful for those with prediabetes, insulin resistance, or after carb-heavy meals.

Slot in your day

With a meal

How to do it

How

Walk 10–15 minutes within 30 minutes of finishing a meal. Slow pace is fine. Doesn't need to be every meal; the largest carb meal of the day is the highest-leverage one.

Sticking with it

Pair with the largest carb meal of the day: biggest leverage, easiest to remember.

Markers this may influence

Evidence

At a glance

Buffey 2022 Sports Med meta-analysis (7 RCTs) of light walking after meals: short (2–5 min) post-meal walks attenuated postprandial glucose and insulin spikes vs sitting, meaningful for prediabetes and insulin resistance. The largest carb meal of the day is the highest-leverage one to pair this habit with.

Mediterranean dietary patternHabit
Strong evidence

Mediterranean dietary pattern

Olive oil, fish, nuts, legumes, plants. The most-studied diet for cardiovascular and cognitive longevity.

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Why

The Mediterranean pattern, heavy on plants, olive oil, fish, nuts, legumes; moderate fish and dairy; light on red meat, has the strongest evidence base of any specific diet for long-term cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. PREDIMED, the largest trial, showed ~30% reduction in major cardiovascular events vs. low-fat control.

Slot in your day

With a meal

How to do it

How

Olive oil as the primary fat. Plants at every meal. Fish 2–3× per week. Nuts daily (small handful). Red meat once a week or less. Wine optional, with food.

Sticking with it

Stock the kitchen for one week's pattern. Decisions live in the shopping list, not at mealtime.

Markers this may influence

Evidence

At a glance

PREDIMED (Estruch 2018 NEJM, n=7,447, 4.8-y follow-up): a Mediterranean diet plus extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts vs. a low-fat control diet, ~30% reduction in major cardiovascular events (MI, stroke, CVD death). Sofi 2014 updated meta-analysis (n>4M) confirms a dose-response association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

DASH dietary patternHabit
Strong evidence

DASH dietary pattern

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Strongest dietary RCT evidence for blood pressure reduction.

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Why

DASH emphasises vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and limited sodium, sweets, and saturated fat. The landmark NEJM trial (Sacks 2001, n=412) showed clinically meaningful BP reduction comparable to single-drug antihypertensive therapy in people with elevated BP. Combining DASH with sodium reduction is more effective than either alone.

Slot in your day

With a meal

How to do it

How

Vegetables and fruits at every meal (~4-5 servings each per day). Whole grains over refined. Limit red meat, sweets, and sugar-sweetened drinks. Cap sodium at ~1,500-2,300 mg/day. Two weeks of consistent eating typically shows BP changes.

Ideal for

People with elevated or borderline blood pressure; cardiovascular prevention generally.

Markers this may influence

Evidence

At a glance

Sacks 2001 NEJM DASH-Sodium RCT (n=412): DASH plus low sodium (~1,500 mg/day) lowered systolic BP by 11.5 mmHg in hypertensives and 7.1 mmHg in normotensives vs the high-sodium control diet, comparable in magnitude to single-drug antihypertensive therapy. Soltani 2020 meta-analysis (17 cohorts, n>1.2M) shows dose-response associations with all-cause and CVD mortality.

All habitsAll techniquesAll programs

What we'd skip

'Gut resets' and 'flushes' are out: your liver and kidneys already do that job. Aloe latex and garcinia cambogia are out on documented safety flags.

On prescription medication? Check interactions first.

Free interaction check →
Cochrane reviewsEMA HMPC monographsEFSA authorised claimsMajor-journal RCTs~100 evidence-anchored entriesDrug-supplement interaction checkerNo paywalls · no account neededEditorial review · Dr. Carmen Pöhl, GP
Markers worth tracking

Markers worth tracking

A short list of the bloodwork and daily signals most likely to move when something is actually working. Tap any card for the full rationale and where to test.

By the numbers
FAQ

Frequently asked

Practical answers to the questions readers most often arrive with.

  • Enteric-coated peppermint oil: why does the coating matter?
    Peppermint oil works on the lower-GI smooth muscle. Without enteric coating it releases in the stomach (heartburn risk, no IBS benefit). Enteric coating ensures release in the small intestine where the antispasmodic effect lands.
  • How much ginger for nausea?
    1–2 g of powdered ginger root daily, divided into 250–500 mg doses. For acute nausea (motion, post-op), a single 500–1000 mg dose 30 minutes before is typical. Pregnancy: 1 g daily is supported by Cochrane review.
  • Probiotics: when to take, with or without food?
    With food, usually with the largest meal. Stomach acid is buffered by food, increasing survival of viable bacteria. Refrigerate where labelled; many strains are heat-sensitive in storage.
  • Slippery elm: is it safe?
    Yes, generally. The main caution is timing: it forms a mucilage that can reduce absorption of any co-administered medication. Take 1–2 hours apart from prescriptions.
  • Are digestive bitters effective for post-meal heaviness?
    Yes for some. Traditional bitter formulas (gentian, Swedish bitters) stimulate gastric and biliary secretion. The EMA monograph recognises gentian for dyspepsia. Start with 5–10 drops in water 15 minutes before meals.
  • Does psyllium husk really lower cholesterol?
    Yes. EFSA has authorised a health claim that 7 g/day psyllium contributes to maintenance of normal blood cholesterol. The mechanism is bile-acid binding in the gut, which forces hepatic cholesterol-to-bile conversion. LDL reduction is modest but additive to statins, and the same fibre is Cochrane-supported for chronic constipation and IBS symptom relief: the most-evidenced soluble fibre in clinical use.
  • What is Iberogast?
    Iberogast (STW 5) is a fixed combination of nine herbal extracts (Iberis amara, peppermint, chamomile, caraway, liquorice, lemon balm, angelica, milk thistle, and celandine) used widely across Europe for functional dyspepsia. Meta-analyses place its efficacy alongside cisapride and metoclopramide. EMA reviewed it in 2018 for rare hepatotoxicity linked to the celandine component; celandine-free formulations (STW 5-II) are now available in some markets.
  • When should I take Saccharomyces boulardii during antibiotics?
    Start with the first antibiotic dose and continue 1–2 weeks past completion. As a yeast (not a bacterium), S. boulardii resists antibiotic killing, distinct from bacterial probiotics that need to be separated from antibiotic dosing by 2+ hours. Cochrane confirms reduced antibiotic-associated diarrhoea risk; avoid in critically ill, immunocompromised, or central-line-bearing patients.
  • Is Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 really the IBS strain?
    It has the cleanest strain-specific RCT signal for global IBS symptom improvement. The Whorwell 2006 Am J Gastroenterol trial (n=362 women with IBS): 10^8 CFU/day significantly improved pain, bloating and bowel dysfunction over 4 weeks. Sold as Align in the US, by various brands in Europe. Generic 'Bifidobacterium' products without strain identification are not equivalent.

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When to take each remedy

Same supplement, different timing.

Each remedy lands best before, with, or after eating, and the why is mechanistic, not folklore. Tap any chip for the dose and the reason.

Before the meal

Wake the system up

With the meal

Support the work

After the meal

Help the cleanup

Digestive bitters15 min before

5 to 10 drops in water

Gentian or Swedish bitters. Stimulates gastric and biliary secretion ahead of the meal so the food is met with the digestive juices it needs.

Read about the science behind it

The science of digestion

How digestion works from mouth to colon. Why the gut shapes mood, immunity, and inflammation downstream.

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What helps with sleep.

The substrate of repair. Where natural medicine quietly outperforms.

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