7 Teas That Can Help You Poop, And 1 That May Back You Up

Depending on where you stand (or should that be sit?) on the issue, you might be interested to hear that about one in seven adults faces constipation at any given time in the UK. 

Rates are about twice as high for women as they are for men. And while longer-term lifestyle solutions, like exercising, eating enough fibre, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep, are the best way to tackle the issue, sometimes you might want a little extra help.

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about which fruits can help and hinder your bowel movement battles. And as it turns out, while hot drinks in general can be useful for those who are backed up, some teas are better for the job than others.

7 teas that might help you poop 

1) Senna tea 

The leaves in senna tea contain glycosides, which may have a laxative effect. Senna pills and syrups are sometimes sold as laxatives, but limited evidence suggests that the tea might help to get things going too.

If you are going to take it for constipation relief, you’re usually best off doing so before bed because it can take six to eight hours to work.

However, the NHS advises not to take senna for more than seven days in a row unless you’ve been told to by a doctor. Taking any laxative too often can make your system dependent on them, so senna tea should only be used in the short term.

3) Slippery elm tea

Slippery elm, which usually comes in a powder form that you can use to make tea, actually comes from the bark of a tree rather than its leaves. It helps to soothe the lining of your digestive system and is a type of soluble fibre, which can soften stools, making them easier to pass.

In a small study, a mixture containing slippery elm was shown to decrease constipation rates among those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have underlying health conditions, are on ... [rest of sentence is missing here]

4) Fennel tea

Fennel can help to relax the muscles in your digestive system, potentially leading to less gas and reduced bloating. It’s also been used as a mild laxative for hundreds of years.

A 2022 paper found that people who drank fennel and rose-based solution in warm water for four weeks saw significant improvements in constipation severity, stool consistency, and quality of life.

5) Dandelion tea 

Dandelion root contains inulin, which, like slippery elm, is a kind of soluble fibre that can help to relieve constipation.

Speaking to Real Simple, registered dietitian nutritionist Kaytee Hadley said dandelion tea “can gently support regularity by acting as a mild laxative” due to this ingredient, though the stronger force here might be its bitter compounds, which can “gently stimulate digestion and bile flow”.

6) Rhubarb tea 

Rhubarb is high in a compound called sennoside A, which can have a laxative effect. So perhaps it’s not surprising that a 2022 study found women reported less constipation after consuming its extract for 30 days. 

Registered dietitian nutritionist Valerie Agyeman also told Real Simple that “rhubarb tea helps relieve constipation similarly to senna, as it also contains sennosides that stimulate bowel contractions”, though she also recommended taking it separately from medication, as the laxative effect may render it less effective.

7) Elderberry 

We know that elderberry tea has historically been used as a laxative in countries like Poland, Germany, and Ukraine. Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and fibre, which might help you “go”, though that fibre doesn’t survive the tea-making process.

One study has found that drinking elderberry juice for a week improved participants’ gut bacteria. But there hasn’t been much research into the fruit, so we can’t say for sure how effective it is as a laxative.

The tea that might back you up 

1) Too much black tea 

This is a bit of a thorny one. A small amount of black tea might, in theory, get things moving thanks to its caffeine content. Aged black tea extracts have been shown to relieve constipation in mice, and drinking any liquids can help with constipation.

But black tea also contains tannins, which can slow digestion. And perhaps more relevant here – drinking an awful lot (and we mean a lot) of black tea can leave you dehydrated. 

In a 1981 paper, researchers speculated that a group of heavy tea drinkers (we’re talking those who consumed one to two litres a day) who also faced chronic constipation might have been affected by theophylline naturally present in tea leaves.

Due to the amount of tea the people involved drank, the scientists thought it was likely that they’d become dehydrated – increasing the risk of constipation.

Still, we know that black tea still counts as a fluid. NHS Scotland North says that if you’re trying to ease constipation, you should aim to drink six to eight cups of liquid a day. 

“Water, tea, coffee, milk, yoghurt drinks, diluting juice, fruit juice, soda, fizzy juice, soups and beef stock all count,” they wrote.