10 Home Remedies For Upset Stomach For Quicker Relief

So, you had your favourite dish for dinner and now you are sitting on the couch squeezing your stomach tight. Upset stomach can be quite strenuous on your health. But the question is, do the home remedies for upset stomach work?

Upset stomach can be momentary because of something you ate. While the same doesn’t impose severe consequences, it could very beneficially affect one’s quality of life.

In this article, we are going to be discussing about the various remedies for upset stomach that you can administer for quicker relief.

What is Upset Stomach?

Often known as dyspepsia or indigestion, upset stomach is a condition in which the ingested food either gets improperly digested throughout the GI tract or there are inclusions of any form of microbial interactions that technically make the situation worse.

The condition can arise from a number of reasons – food poisoning and overeating being the most commonly known reasons.

Home Remedies for Upset Stomach

When it comes to the various methods for upset stomach relief, the possibilities are endless and for the most part, the home remedies work just as fine. It is always advised to opt for the natural remedies first and if the same doesn’t work, then opt for the over the counter medications.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar for Upset Stomach

Often times, people have this notion that consuming apple cider vinegar will end up making the situation worse. But, it is believed that the apple cider vinegar helps balance out the stomach pH which helps to soothe an upset stomach.

What to do?

1. To a glass of water, mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey
2. Drink this once in a day for relief

How often?

• Once in a day

2. Baking Soda for Upset Stomach

Baking Soda is a very commonly used remedy to settle an upset stomach. The alkaline properties (R) of the baking soda help in neutralizing the excess stomach acids that is mainly responsible for causing the heartburn and the upset stomach.

The pH balancing property of the baking soda helps in getting rid of the irritation and helps subside any feeling of bloating.

What to do?

1. Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to half a glass of water
2. Consume this solution

How often?

• When you feel bloated and heartburns

3. Activated Charcoal for Upset Stomach

Activated Charcoal is yet another amazing upset stomach treatment that you can opt for. The absorbing property of it is what helps in extracting the excess gas in the GI tract that could be contributing to bloating. Not just that, it also acts upon the bacterial interaction causing the food poisoning and stomach ache.

What to do?

• Consume one activated charcoal capsule

How often?

• 1-2 times in a day

4. Banana for Upset Stomach

Often times, upset stomach is accompanied with vomiting and loose stools and the same often ends up causing dehydration. The best way to combat the same is by consuming bananas because they do have a starchy consistency which aids in solidifying the stools and help ease the condition of diarrhea. Even the consumption of bananas is beneficial to relieve an upset stomach.

What to do?

• Consume 1-2 ripe bananas in a day

5. Ginger for Upset Stomach

Ginger is a very common remedy for upset stomach cure. The presence of gingerols (R) (R) in the ginger helps speed up the contraction of the stomach, and thus aids in passing the ingested food quickly through the GI tract and thus help in getting rid of the reasons associated with the upset stomach.

This also has a beneficial impact in soothing the inner lining of the stomach, further aiding in the cure.

What to do?

1. Steep some ginger tea in a cup of warm water
2. Drink this warm when you have an upset stomach

How often?

• 1-2 cups of ginger tea

6. Honey for Upset Stomach

Consuming just honey might not be that effective but when the same is paired with other kinds of natural ingredients like lemon or even cloves, that’s when the benefits start pouring in. The combination of honey, lemon and water (R) not just helps soothe the burning sensation but also hydrates the GI tract that speeds up the process of a cure for an upset stomach.

What to do?

1. To a glass of water, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of honey
2. Mix everything well
3. Drink this concoction for instant relief

How often?

• 1-2 times when required

7. Eggs for Upset Stomach

Majority of people tend to shy away from eating when suffering from the upset stomach but consuming food on a timely basis is just as important. The scrambled eggs are believed to be one of the best options for consumption when someone is suffering from an upset stomach. It is considered as one of the best-upset stomach remedies because of the fact that they are lightweight and very easy to digest.

Make sure that you are not over scrambling the eggs because that ends up making the situation worse.

8. Peppermint for Upset Stomach

It is the menthol in the peppermint (R) (R) which has beneficial impacts on curing the conditions associated with preventing vomiting and diarrhea as well. It has a soothing property on the GI tract which further contributes to upset stomach relief.

Sucking on the mint leaves or even drinking the tea has beneficial impacts.

What to do?

1. Brew some peppermint tea by boiling a handful of peppermint leaves in a pot of water
2. Let it steep for 10 minutes
3. Strain the liquid
4. Drink this concoction by adding a teaspoon of honey to it

How often?

• 1-2 cups in a day

9. Chamomile Tea for Upset Stomach

Chamomile tea is yet another one of the amazing home remedies for an upset stomach. It is believed that chamomile is loaded with anti-inflammatory (R), anticarminative, antispasmodic (R) as well as the soothing properties which are quite beneficial in soothing the stomach ache. Not only does it aid in getting rid of the feeling of bloating, but it also boosts the overall gut motility which further helps relieve an upset stomach.

What to do?

1. Boil some water and pour it into a cup
2. Steep a chamomile tea bag in it for 3-5 minutes to extract the maximum benefits
3. Drink this when you have an upset stomach

How often?

• 1-2 times in a day

10. Ginger Tea for Upset Stomach

Drinking ginger tea has amazing anti-inflammatory (R) properties which helps in fighting off any kind of inflammation caused in the GI tract. Not just that, it also has antispasmodic properties (R) which aid in the process of digestion and makes it easier for the food to pass through the GI tract without much obstruction.

What to do?

1. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add water and bring it to a boil
2. Add some slices ginger into the boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes
3. Strain the liquid to a cup and add some lemon and honey for taste
4. Drink this when you have an upset stomach

How often?

• 2-3 cups in a day

What Causes Upset Stomach?

When it comes to the causes behind the upset stomach, the possibilities could actually be endless and it is necessary to ensure that you take notes of these possible causes and try and avoid them for the maximum benefits.

There are three spectrums of potential causes that we are going to touch down on.

Diet

For the most part, it is often our diet that impacts the condition of an upset stomach. Some of the common causes of an upset stomach include:

• Food poisoning or the condition in which we consume the food that is contaminated with bacteria and parasites and thus ends up causing an upset stomach and consistent vomiting.
• Overeating is yet another one of the condition that can contribute to an upset stomach. When you are eating more than you can or should, the motility of the ingested food in the GI tract often ends up causing an upset stomach.
• Consistently eating greasy and fatty foods also often contribute to the induction of an upset stomach, making you feel uneasiness and even induce vomiting and nausea in an individual.

Lifestyle Factors

Apart from what we are eating, even our lifestyle has an impact on causing indigestion and sour stomach.

Some of the main lifestyle issues that can be a potent cause include:

• Emotional stress is one of the major causes of the upset stomach because, for the most part, we either end up eating more or less that affects our entire digestion process.
• Eating too fast without chewing properly or simply just gobbling down food while on the run
• Smoking can induce a very bad impact on the overall health, especially impacting the process of digestion and for the most part, labored digestion is the main reason behind the upset stomach.
• Consuming way too much alcohol or even caffeine ends up disrupting the overall stomach lining and inducing the signs of an upset stomach.
• Often times, when you eat and start travelling, the motion sickness can abruptly disrupt the process of digestion and cause an upset stomach and make you feel nauseous and dizzy at the same time.

Medical Conditions

Now, it is not always that it is you who is the main culprit behind the causes of the upset stomach. Often times, there could be possibilities that there is an underlying health condition impacting your health that is causing the upset stomach.

Some of the medical conditions that can play a crucial role in causing an upset stomach to include:

1. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
2. Stomach Ulcers
3. Lactose Intolerance
4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
5. Intestinal Infection
6. Some type of cancer formation in the GI tract
7. Possible signs of Pregnancy

What Are The Symptoms Of Upset Stomach?

When it comes to the signs and symptoms of an upset stomach, the list is predominantly the same altogether with little to no difference relating to that of indigestion.

Some of the common symptoms of Upset Stomach include:

1. Diarrhea
2. Loose Stools
3. Vomitting
4. Nausea
5. Weakness
6. Stomach ache
7. Abdominal Pain

How To Prevent an Upset Stomach?

As mentioned before, diet and lifestyle play a pivotal role in inducing the condition of the upset stomach which definitely something that can only be rectified by the person suffering from the problem. If you are conscious enough to not face the condition that you faced today, it is time that you make serious changes to your food habits as well as how you lead your daily life to be able to get over the condition effectively.

1. Eat Healthily

Because of the fact that our diet plays such a crucial role in our overall process of digestion and overall health, it is the time that one starts eating healthy to settle an upset stomach. Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you only align your meals to salads and more salads. It is important to have a balanced diet to ensure that you are getting all the necessary nutrients that your body needs to function effectively.

2. Exercise

When I mention exercise, it is not necessarily that you need to go all out and do the heavy lifting; it is about having an active lifestyle. Often times, the main reason behind labored digestion is because of the sedentary lifestyle that we lead. If you are sure of implementing good changes to your life to prevent and soothe an upset stomach, apart from the homes remedies for upset stomach, it is important that you indulge in some exercise and some breakthrough the common lazy and sedentary lifestyle.

3. Drink More Water

Often times, lack of hydration in the body are the main reason behind the consistent condition of an upset stomach. For the most part, when the body is dehydrated, it ends up contributing to low gut motility which makes the food stay in the digestive tract more than it should which is exactly what contributes to upset stomach, uneasiness and the feeling of bloating. The best preventive measure for the same is to ensure that you are drinking enough water to keep the gut functioning properly.

4. Avoid Spicy Food

If your upset stomach is because of any of the underlying medical conditions (except for lactose intolerance) , it is best advised to stay away from spicy food because often times, that can end up eroding the stomach lining and inflict damage to the GI tract and prevent proper digestion and break down of the ingested food.

5. Don’t Sleep After Eating

We often feel our bed beaconing us after we have had a meal but that is what affects you digestion and ends up causing upset stomach. Make sure that you spare a time frame of at least 30 minutes to an hour before you retire to bed after a meal. It is always best to go for a casual stroll after you are done eating to boost the activity of the stomach and the GI tract for better digestion.

6. Avoid Smoking and Drinking

One of the most common reasons behind the upset stomach is because of the consistent smoking accompanied with drinking alcohol. If you want a cure for an upset stomach, the best way to do so is by stopping smoking and drinking. It is important that you understand how severe the consequences are and thus prioritise your health first and thus cut off these habits.

The home remedies for upset stomach actually does work wonders. Not only do they help in getting rid of the associated problems effectively, but it also does aid in boosting your overall health and well being, thus helping boost your overall quality of life.