Is Peppermint Tea Good for Nausea?

Partly: peppermint tea may soothe mild nausea in some people, possibly because peppermint compounds relax muscles in the digestive tract, but the tea itself has not been well studied. Most relevant research involves peppermint extract or aromatherapy rather than peppermint tea. For mild symptoms, try sipping it if you tolerate it, and seek medical advice if symptoms persist or are severe.

Can peppermint tea help with nausea?

Peppermint tea is a reasonable drink to try when nausea is mild and you can keep fluids down. Some people find its taste or aroma soothing, and drinking it can contribute to hydration. Neither effect guarantees that it will relieve nausea.

The evidence is too limited to say how reliably peppermint tea works or which causes of nausea it might help. It is not a substitute for treatment when nausea has a medical cause or for medicines prescribed to prevent vomiting. For other options, see the best drinks for nausea.

How might peppermint tea work?

Peppermint contains compounds including menthol, which can relax smooth muscle in the digestive tract. That action may help explain why peppermint is sometimes used for digestive discomfort, but researchers have not established that it relieves nausea from drinking peppermint tea.

The aroma or the experience of sipping a warm drink may also feel comforting to some people. That is different from evidence that peppermint tea has a specific anti-nausea effect. Nausea can have many causes, so a drink that feels helpful in one situation may not help in another.

Peppermint can also worsen heartburn or acid reflux in some people. If the tea makes you feel worse, stop drinking it rather than trying to finish a cup.

What does the research say?

Research on peppermint and nausea is promising in some settings, but it does not establish that peppermint tea works. The preparations studied vary, and findings in people receiving chemotherapy or recovering from surgery may not apply to everyday nausea.

• Peppermint extract: In a 2020 randomized controlled trial of 84 people receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer, those given peppermint extract reported lower nausea and vomiting severity than the control group at follow-up. The study used an extract mixed with water, not brewed tea, so its results cannot be used to determine an effective amount of tea.
• Peppermint aromatherapy after surgery: A 2014 randomized controlled trial compared controlled breathing with peppermint aromatherapy against controlled breathing alone for postoperative nausea or vomiting. Peppermint aromatherapy did not show a statistically significant advantage over breathing alone. Inhaling an aroma is also different from drinking tea.
• Peppermint and lemon aromatherapy in children: A 2023 randomized trial in children receiving chemotherapy reported improvements in nausea and vomiting measures with a peppermint-lemon aroma compared with control groups. Because the intervention combined two essential oils, it cannot show what peppermint alone—or peppermint tea—would do.

Taken together, these studies suggest that peppermint preparations deserve further research. They do not establish peppermint tea as a proven treatment or tell us how much tea would be needed for nausea relief.

How should you use peppermint tea for nausea?

Prepare a plain peppermint tea bag with hot water according to the package directions. Let the tea cool enough to drink comfortably, then try a few small sips rather than forcing yourself to drink a full cup. Continue only if it feels comfortable and stays down.

If the smell or taste makes your nausea worse, stop. Some people tolerate cooler drinks better, so you can let the tea cool further if you prefer. Hydration matters, but peppermint tea itself is optional; choose a fluid you can tolerate.

Do not add peppermint essential oil or concentrated peppermint extract to your tea. Those products are different from brewed leaves, and the extract studied in chemotherapy patients is not a dose recommendation for home use. If you have been prescribed an anti-nausea medicine, follow your clinician’s instructions rather than replacing it with tea.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

If you have acid reflux or frequent heartburn, peppermint tea may aggravate your symptoms. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a healthcare professional before using it regularly for nausea, particularly if vomiting is making it hard to drink. Ask a pediatrician before giving peppermint tea to a child as a nausea remedy.

If you take medicines or have an ongoing medical condition, check with your healthcare professional before using peppermint products regularly. This is especially important during chemotherapy: discuss nausea with your cancer care team and continue prescribed treatment unless they advise otherwise.

Contact a healthcare professional if nausea persists or keeps coming back, or if vomiting prevents you from keeping fluids down. Signs of dehydration include very little urine, a dry mouth and dizziness. Seek urgent medical care for severe abdominal pain, confusion, vomit that contains blood or looks like coffee grounds, or green vomit.