Stomach is one of the sensitive organs of our body. A little crack in the digestive cycle will leave a major impact on our health. It can cause stomach upset, acidity or nausea. These signs can ruin your health as well as your day. Thus one must carefully consider stomach health before trying new food or ingredients.
But what to do if you have an upset stomach? Here are some tried and tested natural remedies for upset stomach.
11 Natural Remedies for Upset Stomach
1. BRAT Diet
BRAT is a short form of banana, rice, apple sauce, and toast. The simple dietary foods can be found in your kitchen closet and refrigerator. These goodies contain starch which comes handy in such situations. Plus, this is neither spicy or salty so it soothes the bowel movement and may help lessen the symptoms. BRAT is a go-to diet when you feel sick.
2. Bitters and Soda
You may wonder why we add bitters to this list. Well, let me explain. This drink may help reduce one of the symptoms of stomach upset –nausea. Mix five to six drops of cocktail bitters in a glass of tonic club soda, or ginger ale and gulp it. Since most bitters contain herbs like cinnamon, fennel, mint, and ginger this drink may ease the stomach while reducing nausea.
3. Cumin Seeds
These seeds do a lot of wonders for your body. Cumin seeds not only will reduce stomach upset but stabilise your bowel movements, and treat indigestion, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
It gives instant relief from hyper acidity, bloating, stomachache, and gaseous distention in the abdomen. Follow these instructions to treat stomach upset. Take a spoonful of cumin seeds, 2 garlic cloves, and grated coconut. Blend them well and consume them. It will reduce the symptoms instantly.
Otherwise, add a spoon of cumin seeds to a vessel, roast them for a minute, and add 1 ½ glass of water. Boil them to ½ glass and consume them twice a day. It will balance the stomach acids and regulate their function.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
It is a mild acidic liquid that can improve the alkalinity in the stomach and alleviate nausea. If you don’t like the strong flavour, dilute a spoonful of vinegar in a cup of water, add honey and consume it slowly. The acid in the apple cider vinegar improves digestion and keeps the gut healthy.
5. Mint
The aroma of mint leaves itself gives a calm and relaxing experience. Mint leaves have menthol which can keep your stomach healthy and cure indigestion problems. It also acts as a painkiller, mint leaves smoothen the muscle spasm in the intestines and alleviates pain. In Asian countries, mint is often preferred for digestive problems. Consume it is either cooked or raw. You can make tea with fresh green mint leaves with cardamom.
6. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is also the best natural remedy for stomach upset. It is enriched with antioxidants such as camphor, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and linalool. Besides aiding in digestion it treats symptoms like nausea, bloating, and fullness of the abdomen. This spice is always available in the pantry so you can add this to food to get instant relief.
7. Ginger
Ginger is a magical root vegetable locked with an abundant amount of medicinal value. It is the go-to home remedy used since ancient times. Ginger has many health benefits. From pain to nausea, it can work wonders as soon as it reaches the stomach. The compounds gingerols and shogaols can speed up pain reduction. It is considered an effective medicine to treat stomach upset, vomiting, and pain.
Ginger is available in different forms like chews and supplements. You can even add grated ginger to tea and consume it hot to reduce cold and cough.
8. Lemon drink
Lemon drink treats the indigestion and keeps the stomach cool. You can consume lemon juice whenever you have a stomach illness. It contains alkaline which could treat the acidity in the stomach.
9. Carbonated Drinks
In some cases, carbonated drinks are used to reduce the pain and soothe the stomach upset by relieving acidity and gas. However, sometimes it can be even worse if you do not try to avoid this.
10. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is known for its anti-inflammatory properties which can ease stomach pain. When the anti-inflammatory property relaxes the stomach muscles, the pain of cramping and spasms will subside.
11. Water
Staying dehydrated is the crucial step to manage this condition. Your body needs water to eliminate toxins from the body. When the water level reduces the symptoms will get severe. It may even cause stomach burning. Consuming plenty of water may reduce the acidity level and flush out the toxins easily.
Foods You Should Avoid When You Have Stomach Upset
Those who have an upset stomach should take a bland, light, and non-spicy diet. Consuming heavy foods may worsen the situation as your stomach is already sensitive. Try to avoid the foods that are stated below.
- Dairy products. Fatty and greasy foods will cause satiety and trigger stomach upset. It’s better to avoid these foods.
- Spicy foods. Never eat anything spicy. Chilli, pepper, and garlic may cause pain.
- Caffeine. Caffeine is not good for an upset stomach. Drinking more fluids will make you urinate often, resulting in dehydration.
- Alcohol. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol is not advisable when you have a stomach upset. It will stimulate acidity, stomach pain, vomiting, and nausea.
- Acidic foods. Avoid eating citrus fruits, grapes, pineapple, and tomatoes as it might irritate your stomach.
- Processed foods. Ultra Processed foods can affect your mental and physical health. It has high amounts of fats, sugars, and preservatives. It may lead to nausea and diarrhea.
Bottom Line
Natural Remedies for Upset Stomach are only for quick and instant relief. If you experience the symptoms often even after trying the remedies, consult a doctor.
