32 Natural Remedies for Your Upset Stomach and Indigestion

1. Ginger

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Ginger is a common natural remedy, which has been used for centuries to calm feelings of nausea and vomiting. for an upset stomach and indigestion. When used as a natural remedy for an upset stomach, ginger works as an anti-inflammatory and eases the stomach. Because Ginger contains chemicals called gingerols and shogaols that can help speed up stomach contractions. This may move foods that are causing indigestion through the stomach more quickly.

By drinking an all-natural ginger ale or steeping ginger as a tea, you can reap the benefits of ginger as a home remedy for an upset stomach.

The chemicals in ginger may also help to reduce nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

People with an upset stomach could try adding ginger to their food or drinking it as a tea. Some all-natural ginger ales may also contain enough ginger to settle an upset stomach.

Ginger tea is widely available to buy in supermarkets and online.

2. Drinking water

The body needs water to digest and absorb nutrients from foods and beverages efficiently. Being dehydrated makes digestion more difficult and less effective, which increases the likelihood of an upset stomach.

So we should all be drinking water on a regular basis because our bodies require it to function. But if your stomach isn’t feeling the best, water is even more essential. If you have feelings of bloating, water can help move things along and relieve some of that bloat.

Additionally, if you are vomiting or have diarrhea, you need to replenish the lost fluids. Lastly, water will help remove waste and bacteria, which may be the reason your stomach is having issues in the first place. Basically, always drink water for optimal health, especially as a natural remedy for an upset stomach.

In general, the Health and Medicine Division (HMD) recommend that:

women should have around 2.7 liters (l), or 91 ounces (oz), of water a day

men should have about 3.7 l, or 125 oz, of water a day

Around 20 percent of this will come from food, with the rest coming from beverages. For most people, a good figure to aim for is approximately 8 or more cups of water a day. Younger children require slightly less water than adults.

For those with digestive issues, it is imperative to stay hydrated. Vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration very quickly so people with these symptoms should keep drinking water.

Mint:

Mint is a natural remedy for an upset stomach. Not only can it relieve bloating, but it can reduce cramping as well. Peppermint is also helpful in aiding digestive issues—and both can be consumed in a soothing tea form for optimal results.

In addition to sweetening the breath, the menthol in mint may help with the following:

preventing vomiting and diarrhea

reducing muscle spasms in the intestines

relieving pain

Raw and cooked mint leaves are both suitable for consumption. Traditionally, people often boil mint leaves with cardamom to make a tea. It is also possible to powder or juice mint leaves and mix them with other teas, beverages, or foods. Mint leaves are widely available in health stores and online.

Sucking on mint candies might be another way to help reduce the pain and discomfort of heartburn.

4. Taking a warm bath or using a heating bag

Heat may relax tense muscles and ease indigestion, so taking a warm bath may help to ease the symptoms of an upset stomach. It could also be beneficial to apply a heated bag or pad to the stomach for 20 minutes or until it goes cool.

5. BRAT diet

Doctors may recommend the BRAT diet to people with diarrhea.

BRAT stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These foods are all starchy, so they can help bind foods together to make stools firmer. This may decrease the number of stools a person passes and help ease their diarrhea.

As these foods are bland, they do not contain substances that irritate the stomach, throat, or intestines. Therefore, this diet can soothe the tissue irritation resulting from the acids in vomit.

Many of the foods in the BRAT diet are also high in nutrients such as potassium and magnesium and can replace those lost through diarrhea and vomiting.

6. Avoiding lying down

When the body is horizontal, the acid in the stomach is more likely to travel backward and move upward, which can cause heartburn.

People with an upset stomach should avoid lying down or going to bed for at least a few hours until it passes. Someone who needs to lie down should prop up their head, neck, and upper chest with pillows, ideally at a 30-degree angle.

7. Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol

Smoking can irritate the throat, increasing the likelihood of an upset stomach. If the person has vomited, smoking can further irritate the tender tissue already sore from stomach acids.

As a toxin, alcohol is difficult to digest and can cause damage to the liver and stomach lining.

People with an upset stomach should avoid smoking and drinking alcohol until they are feeling better.

8. Avoiding difficult-to-digest foods

Some foods are harder to digest than others, which increases the risk of an upset stomach. Anyone with an upset stomach should avoid foods that are:

fried or fatty

rich or creamy

salty or heavily preserved

9. Lime or lemon juice, baking soda, and water

Some studies suggest that mixing lime or lemon juice in water with a pinch of baking soda can help to relieve a variety of digestive complaints.

This mixture produces carbonic acid, which may help to reduce gas and indigestion. It may also improve liver secretion and intestinal mobility. The acidity and other nutrients in lime or lemon juice can help to digest and absorb fats and alcohol while neutralizing bile acids and reducing acidity in the stomach.

Most traditional recipes recommend mixing the following quantities:

1 tablespoon (tbsp) of fresh lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon (tsp) of baking soda

8 oz of clean water

10. Cinnamon:

A common spice used in many sweets, it can also be used to treat an upset stomach. This spice is great for stimulating the digestive system to lessen gastrointestinal discomfort and help pass stool much easier.

Cinnamon contains several antioxidants that may help ease digestion and reduce the risk of irritation and damage in the digestive tract. Some of the antioxidants in cinnamon include:

Eugenol

Cinnamaldehyde

Linalool

Camphor

Other substances in cinnamon may help to reduce gas, bloating, cramping, and belching. They may also help to neutralize stomach acidity to reduce heartburn and indigestion.

People with an upset stomach could try adding 1 tsp of good-quality cinnamon powder, or an inch of cinnamon stick, to their meals. Alternatively, they could try mixing the cinnamon with boiling water to make a tea. Doing this two or three times daily may help to relieve indigestion.

Cloves

Cloves contain substances that may help to reduce gas in the stomach and increase gastric secretions. This can speed up slow digestion, which may reduce pressure and cramping. Cloves may also help to reduce nausea and vomiting.

A person with an upset stomach could try mixing 1 or 2 tsps of ground or powdered cloves with 1 tsp of honey once a day before bedtime. For nausea and heartburn, they could combine the cloves with 8 oz of boiling water instead to make a clove tea, which they should drink slowly once or twice daily.

Cumin

Cumin seeds contain active ingredients that may help by:

reducing indigestion and excess stomach acids

decreasing gas

reducing intestinal inflammation

acting as an antimicrobial

A person with an upset stomach could try mixing 1 or 2 tsps of ground or powdered cumin into their meals. Alternatively, they could add a few teaspoons of cumin seeds or powder to boiling water to make a tea.

Some traditional medical systems suggest chewing a pinch or two of raw cumin seeds or powder to ease heartburn.

Cumin seeds are available to purchase online.

13. Figs

Figs contain substances that can act as laxatives to ease constipation and encourage healthy bowel movements. Figs also contain compounds that may help to ease indigestion.

A person with an upset stomach could try eating whole fig fruits a few times a day until their symptoms improve. Alternatively, they could try brewing 1 or 2 tsps of fig leaves to make a tea instead.

However, if people are also experiencing diarrhea, they should avoid consuming figs.

Aloe juice

The substances in aloe juice may provide relief by:

reducing excess stomach acid

encouraging healthy bowel movements and toxin removal

improving protein digestion

promoting the balance of digestive bacteria

reducing inflammation

In one study, researchers found that people who drank 10 milliliters (ml) of aloe juice daily for 4 weeks found relief from the following symptoms of gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD):

Heartburn

flatulence and belching

nausea and vomiting

acid and food regurgitation

15. Yarrow

Yarrow flowers contain flavonoids, polyphenols, lactones, tannins, and resins that may help to reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces. They do this by acting on the main digestive nerve, called the vagus nerve. A reduction in stomach acid levels can reduce the likelihood of heartburn and indigestion.

A person with an upset stomach could try eating young yarrow leaves raw in a salad or cooked in a meal. It is also possible to make yarrow tea by adding 1 or 2 tsps of dried or ground yarrow leaves or flowers to boiling water.

16. Basil

Basil contains substances that may reduce gas, increase appetite, relieve cramping, and improve overall digestion. Basil also contains eugenol, which may help to reduce the quantity of acid in the stomach.

Basil also contains high levels of linoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

A person with an upset stomach could try adding 1 or 2 tsps of dried basil leaves, or a couple of fresh basil leaves, to meals until their symptoms lessen. For more immediate results, they could mix half a teaspoon of dried basil, or a few fresh leaves, with boiled water to make a tea.

17. Licorice

Licorice root contains substances that may help to reduce gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach lining, as well as inflammation relating to peptic ulcers.

Someone with an upset stomach could try drinking licorice root tea several times a day until their symptoms improve. Licorice root teas are widely available online, but it is also possible to make them at home by mixing 1 or 2 tsps of licorice root powder with boiling water.

Spearmint

Like mint, spearmint is a common remedy for many digestive complaints, including:

nausea

stomach and intestinal spasms

gastrointestinal infections

Diarrhea

Most people find that the easiest way to consume spearmint is to drink prepared herbal teas in which spearmint is the primary ingredient. There are many such teas available online.

It is usually safe to drink spearmint teas several times daily until symptoms improve. Sucking on spearmint candies may also help to reduce heartburn.

Rice, White rice:

Bland, white rice may not seem appetizing, but it’s good for an upset stomach. Rice can help absorb fluid, which may be lost if you’re suffering from diarrhea. It can also make your stomach feel better because the starch coats your stomach.

So you will find that plain rice is useful for people with many types of stomach complaints. It can help by:

adding bulk to stool

absorbing fluids that may contain toxins

easing pain and cramps, because of its high levels of magnesium and potassium

Someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea could try slowly eating half a cup of plain, well-cooked rice. It is best to wait until at least a few hours after the last episode of vomiting. The person may continue to do this for 24–48 hours until diarrhea stops.

Rice is also part of the BRAT diet that doctors often recommend.

20. Coconut water

Coconut water contains high levels of potassium and magnesium. These nutrients help to reduce pain, muscle spasms, and cramps.

Coconut water is also useful for rehydrating and is a better option than most sports drinks as it is also low in calories, sugar, and acidity.

Slowly sipping on up to 2 glasses of coconut water every 4–6 hours could ease upset stomach symptoms.

Bananas:

Whether you have constipation, diarrhea, or just have issues with your stomach, reach for this yellow fruit as a food for an upset stomach. Bananas can help firm up stool or make you go, depending on the issue you’re experiencing. Bananas can also make you feel full if you aren’t eating much of anything else and provide you with potassium, which can also make you feel stronger.

Bananas contain vitamin B6, potassium, and folate. These nutrients can help to ease cramps, pains, and muscle spasms. Bananas can also help by adding bulk to loose stools, which can alleviate diarrhea.

22. Toast: When your stomach is feeling angry, you need to give up the notion that carbs are the enemy. As a food for an upset stomach, toast is easily digested and won’t put added strain on your stomach. Although eating charred food generally isn’t advised, it’s OK if the toast looks a tad blackened. Charred toast has been noted to help with nausea as well.

Heating pad: Applying a heating pad on your stomach is a home remedy for an upset stomach. It can ease cramps and pains and help things move along the intestines. Heat is also helpful in soothing and relaxing the muscles of the stomach, which can bring down the pain.

Apply a heating pad sparingly though—you don’t want to cause any burns.

24. Applesauce:

Of course, when choosing an applesauce for treating an upset stomach, you want to be as natural as possible. Added sugars and ingredients will only make your stomach issues worse. But when you do find a good applesauce, it’s an effective food for an upset stomach. Because whole apples may be harder to digest, going for an applesauce will not strain your already sickened stomach. Also, applesauce may aid in reducing diarrhea.

25. Chamomile tea: Known to contain some anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe the stomach lining. Smooth muscle of the upper digestive tract will also become relaxed, helping to relieve pain.

26. Rice tea: Considered very effective for settling an upset stomach due to a particular food you may have eaten. Rice tea is said to have a unique flavor similar to milk.

27. Lemon water: The acidic nature of citrus fruit can help stimulate the construction of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This will aid in the breakdown of food for easier digestion.

28. Fennel seeds: Upset stomach caused by indigestion can be helped by this tasty seed. Fennel seeds contain anethole, an organic substance in the form of a volatile oil that aids in the production of digestive juices. It may also act as an anti-inflammatory agent to help soothe the stomach lining.

29. Yogurt: A very common remedy for an upset stomach, but the kind you choose will dictate how well it works as a remedy. Yogurts with live bacterial cultures such as lactobacillus help improve the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut for faster digestion.

30. Fenugreek seeds: Contain mucilage that helps promote more solid and regular stools.

31. Activated charcoal:

Effective at relieving an upset stomach, it acts very much in the same vein as burnt toast. The activated charcoal will search out for toxins causing the problems and remove them from the body

32. Apple cider vinegar

If you can stomach it, try taking this acidic pantry staple by the tablespoon to neutralize an upset stomach. Too strong? Mix a tablespoon with a cup of water and a teaspoon of honey, and sip it slowly.

The acids in apple cider vinegar may help decrease starch digestion, allowing the starch to get to the intestines and keep the bacteria in the gut healthy. Some people take a spoonful each day as a preventive measure.

When to see a doctor

An upset stomach and indigestion should not usually cause concern. For most people, symptoms should go away within a few hours. As older adults and children can become dehydrated much more quickly, they should seek medical attention for vomiting and diarrhea that lasts for more than a day.

People with severe, frequent, or persistent stomach problems should talk to a doctor. It is also best to seek medical attention if the following symptoms are present:

continual or uncontrollable vomiting or diarrhea

chronic constipation

Fever

bloody stool or vomit

inability to pass gas

dizziness or lightheadedness

arm pain

unintentional weight loss

a lump in the abdomen or stomach

difficulty swallowing

history of iron-deficiency anemia or associated conditions

pain when urinating