Natural and Herbal Remedies For An Upset Stomach

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There may be several reasons why you may have an upset stomach. Please do not take anything for granted. Always consult with your doctor.

How The Stomach Works Video Link

For instance, indigestion can be caused by eating too much at one meal; eating too fast; eating fatty, greasy, or spicy foods; drinking too much alcohol or caffeine; smoking; and stress.

What about upset stomach symptoms? 

Most often, dyspepsia sufferers complain of uncomfortable fullness in the stomach, as well as pain in the chest or upper abdomen. Dyspepsia also often arises during or immediately after eating.

The most common upset stomach symptoms include:

Abdominal pain and cramping bloating a painful feeling in the stomach an acidic taste in the mouth. Gas and belching. A “growling” stomach. A burning sensation in the upper abdomen or stomach nausea and vomiting. Constipation, diarrhea, or loose stools. Body aches and chills with or without a fever. Headaches.

Common Causes of Upset Stomach

The main reason why the stomach is upset is the inflammation or irritation of the stomach lining. There are different reasons why this may occur:

• Drinking or eating too much
• Allergy to certain food
• Food poisoning may be due to bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can be found in food.
• Indigestion – This is when your body is unable to process the food that you have eaten.

There are also times when people get an upset stomach because of an underlying health condition. If your stomach becomes upset more often than usual, it is best to have yourself checked by your physician.

Some symptoms are commonly felt along with having an upset stomach such as the following:

• Feeling nauseous
• Vomiting
• Fever

There are also less common symptoms that may be experienced depending on the cause of the upset stomach.  If you are dealing with a stomach ache that is considered typical or normal, then you can try some home remedies that will help get rid of the pain that you are feeling.

Natural Home Remedies for Upset Stomach

Chamomile Tea: 

1. Chamomile tea contains some components that can lessen the inflammation of the stomach lining which may be the primary reason why you are feeling some pain. The smooth muscle of your upper digestive tract will also be relaxed so the pain will be lessened considerably.
   • Pour boiling water over your prepared tea bag of chamomile.
   • Cover your mug.
   • Let the tea bag steep for about 15 – 20 minutes.
   • You can let the tea become a bit colder by waiting for a few more minutes before you can start sipping slowly.

Rice Tea

Rice tea can be beneficial in settling your stomach especially if it is upset because of something that you ate. Rice tea will have a distinct flavor that some people say may be somewhat similar to milk.

Directions

• To prepare rice tea, you need to boil a half cup of rice in water.
• Wait for about 15 minutes.
• Strain the rice and get all of the rice tea.
• You can add a bit of honey to make it taste better, but you can also take it on its own.
• While it is still warm, sip slowly.

Burnt Toast

You will always hear that eating burnt toast is not good for you because it might contain carcinogens that can eventually contribute to cancer. When you have an upset stomach, however, you can always rely on burnt toast as this can absorb the toxins that have caused your stomach to be upset in the first place.

Directions

• Toast a slice of bread until it starts to turn black.
• You can choose to place a bit of jelly if you cannot taste it.
• Eat it slowly, and it will be useful in calming your upset stomach.

Apple Cider Vinegar

If there is one item that can be considered as one of the usual home remedies that you can try at home, it is ACV. This can be used to get rid of hiccups especially if the hiccups have plagued you for quite some time. If you have a sore throat, this can help get rid of your sore throat as well. This can also get rid of your upset stomach because it will ease indigestion.

Directions

• Mix a tablespoon of ACV with warm water.
• You can also add a tablespoon of honey to make it taste better, and at the same time, honey can also help give relief to an upset stomach.
• Drink the mixture while the water is still warm.

Ginger

The power of ginger to heal a lot of health conditions is well known since ancient times. People have used it to get rid of feelings of nausea. Some reports state that ginger can also be very useful in getting rid of an upset stomach. Ginger also has non-inflammatory properties that can help get rid of the stomach lining’s inflammation that may be causing an upset stomach.

Directions

• Slice ginger into small pieces.
• You can start chewing on the ginger slowly.
• If you cannot taste ginger, you may choose to make ginger tea instead.
• Place some slices of ginger in a cup of hot water.
• Let it steep for about 5 – 10 minutes.
• You can add honey if you want to improve its taste.

BRAT Diet

There are a lot of people who are familiar with the BRAT diet especially if they have encountered diarrhea before. BRAT is typically composed of Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast – these are the food products that will be eaten to get rid of an upset stomach. If you are feeling sick because of your upset stomach but you know that you have to eat something, this may be the best one for you to try.

Directions

• You can start by over-toasting the toast.
• You can add a bit of applesauce to make it taste better.
• If you cannot eat rice alone, you may add another food product that is not greasy or oily as this can aggravate your stomach’s condition further.
• Eat ripe bananas. The ripeness of the banana is essential. If you eat an unripe banana, this may aggravate your condition further.

Peppermint

This is known to be very useful in getting rid of various stomach conditions, and your upset stomach is no match for peppermint. The menthol of the peppermint can act as an analgesic. It can also help get rid of the pain.

Directions

• You may take the leaves of the Peppermint plant and place it in a cup of boiling water.
• Let the leaves steep for a few minutes with the mug covered.
• Strain the leaves, and you can start enjoying your peppermint tea. If in case you do not have peppermint, you can also make use of spearmint.
• Another option is to smell peppermint extract if you do not have access to leaves or if you do have leaves, but have no time to make tea, you can chew on the peppermint leaves to get relief.

Heating Pad

What is usually the remedy that people think about whenever they encounter pain? It is the use of the heating pad. If in case you do not have a heating pad, you can also use a water bottle and fill it in with hot water to be applied to your abdominal area.

Directions

• Place your heating pad on your stomach area and just lie down for a while.
• Keep still and try to relax because the more you get stressed, the more that your condition will aggravate.
• You will start to feel your condition improve afterward.

Lemon Water

If you are suffering from indigestion, this is the right home remedy that you can try for your upset stomach. Lemon contains acid which can further stimulate the construction of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is in charge of breaking down the food in the stomach. You need to mix lemon with water to hydrate your body too.

Directions

• Prepare a whole lemon and squeeze it to get the juice.
• Mix the lemon juice with water. If you want the taste of lemon to be evident, just place enough water to dilute it a bit.
• Sip slowly, and you will start to feel its effects after some time.

Fennel Seeds

If indigestion causes your upset stomach, you can choose fennel seeds to help your body digest the food that you have eaten faster. Fennel seeds contain anethole which is an organic substance in the form of volatile oil that can help the production of digestive juices so that the digestion process can also be faster. If in case your stomach lining is inflamed, it can also act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Directions

• Do remember that if you are pregnant, you are not recommended to take Fennel seeds.
• Prepare a teaspoon of Fennel Seeds.
• Chew on it slowly.

Yogurt

If you would like to try something that is known to work in getting rid of an upset stomach, you can try to consume yogurt. Your choice of yogurt is crucial. You need to choose one that contains live bacteria cultures. The most common live bacteria culture that can be found is the Lactobacillus.  The live bacteria can improve the number of good bacteria found in your stomach so digestion will be faster.

Directions

• You are recommended to eat plain yogurt and just add some fresh fruits if you want it to taste better.
• About 2 – 3 cups of yogurt are recommended per day.
• You may also include yogurt as part of your daily diet. You may eat this instead of other desserts when you are trying to lose weight.

Bananas

When it comes to bananas, there are a lot of people who are confused about whether it is good for digestion or not. There are some who say that they become constipated after eating bananas while there are also some who swear that their bowel movements improve tremendously because of eating bananas. The important thing here is the ripeness of the banana. The riper the banana is, the better that it will help with problems with indigestion and loose stools.

Directions

• Mash a ripe banana and place buttermilk on it to make it more useful.
• Do this twice a day.
• Do this for three days, and you will notice that you will have a more regular bowel movement.

Fenugreek Seeds

If you are trying to get rid of your upset stomach or you are currently suffering from gastritis, you may need Fenugreek Seeds to make you feel better. Fenugreek Seeds contain mucilage in your stools so you will have harder stools that are also more regular.

Directions

• You need to swallow a whole teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.
• To help you swallow, you may follow it up with water.
• For best results, you can follow up on the teaspoon of fenugreek seeds with yogurt.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon may be best known as a very fragrant spice that is usually added to a lot of desserts, but this can also be used to treat your upset stomach. It can stimulate your digestive system so that you will pass stools easier which can lessen the discomfort that you are feeling because of your condition.

Directions

• If you have cinnamon powder, you can place a small amount of the powder in a whole cup of hot water.
• Let it steep for about 5 minutes.
• Stir it before you start sipping slowly.
• You can drink this type of tea about 2 – 4 times a day for a couple of days.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal has the same effect that burnt toast can give, so you know that it will be very useful in getting rid of your upset stomach. This is best if you suspect that you are having stomach problems because of something that you ate or drank. The activated charcoal will search for the toxins causing the issues and remove them from your body.

Directions

• You may need to ask your doctor for the right amount of activated charcoal that you can take a day.
• Use this every day for three days.
• Stop using after three days as this can cause problems with how the body absorbs nutrients from the food that you eat.

Clean Water Consumption

Whether you have dyspepsia or not, water consumption is always important for your health. Water is one of the better-upset stomach diarrhea remedies.

Drinking water is crucial when you’re losing volume in your stool, and this leads to diarrhea. To prevent dyspepsia symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and bloating, it is a good idea to drink 16 ounces of filtered water every hour.

Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera juice is another common way to soothe upset stomach symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, and indigestion.

The plant’s contents can neutralize acid, encourage digestive bacteria, and regulate bowel movements. A study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine in 2014 found that gastric acid levels were significantly lower in rats with gastrointestinal problems when treated with aloe vera.

However, as with other laxatives, aloe vera juice is not recommended when you have diarrhea.

Licorice

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is an herb that grows throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It is often used for treating dyspepsia, and related symptoms like nausea and stomach inflammation.

A study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2012 found that an extract of licorice was effective against functional dyspepsia symptoms, including indigestion, nausea, and stomach pain.

Baking Soda

How can baking soda help with dyspepsia? Since high levels of stomach acid contribute to indigestion, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) may work similarly to an antacid to relieve the problem.

To alleviate dyspepsia, stir a teaspoon of baking soda with a few lemon juice drops in a glass of water. Drinking the water is thought to neutralize stomach acid and relieve symptoms like bloating and indigestion.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Stomach problems like dyspepsia sometimes indicate a gallbladder disease or a peptic ulcer. Long-term vomiting will also put you at risk for dehydration.

Visit your doctor if you are having issues keeping water down for more than six hours. Your doctor will also be able to rule out other serious digestive problems such as food allergies, Crohn’s disease, pancreatitis, IBS, and other digestive disorders.

It is also important to keep in mind that a heart attack can cause symptoms similar to dyspepsia. Be sure to seek emergency treatment when your stomach pain is severe, and you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Stomach pain or nausea for more than 48 hours
• Weight loss or appetite loss
• Inability to swallow
• Vomiting
• Heavy sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Jaundice (yellow coloring in the eyes and skin)
• Bloody or black stools
• Chest pain that spreads to the arm, jaw, or neck

Herbal Remedies For Stomach Upset

What has been listed are natural and herbal remedies for stomach upset. These all may give you temporary relief but if your stomach pain continues please make sure you see your doctor.

Thank you for reading

Michael

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