5 Natural Remedies for an Upset Stomach
Having an upset stomach is one of your body’s more unpleasant feelings. Overeating and drinking, eating fatty, spicy or greasy foods and food poisoning can all lead to digestive problems. Whether that’s just an uncomfortable bloated feeling, a dull ache or more seriously accompanied by diarrhoea and vomiting, everybody wants a quick way to get rid of these objectionable symptoms.
Below is a list of five natural remedies that you can try at home to ease the symptoms and hopefully prevent you from having to make a trip to see the doctor.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. It is highly regarded to get rid of gas and bloating in the digestive system and is effective in easing an upset stomach. The best way to take peppermint is in tea form, as it gets straight into your stomach for the quick relief of symptoms. Peppermint tea is available in teabags but you can also boil up some mint leaves to give you a delicious soothing drink.
Bananas
Bananas are amazing when it comes to fighting the symptoms of an upset stomach. The potassium in bananas along with other nutrients and sugars help to replace those lost through vomiting. Bananas are easily digestible and quite filling but not sweet enough to irritate an already uncomfortable stomach. Additionally, the pectin found in bananas helps to firm bowel movements.
Caraway Seeds
The oil in caraway seeds contains carvone and limonene, both of which have been used historically for stomach problems. Caraway seeds can be used to help ease digestive issues such as bloating, gas and heartburn. Boiling the seeds to make tea is highly effective but you can also chew the seeds to get the same benefits.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the main ingredients in over the counter antacid medicines sold to help neutralise stomach acids and soothe an upset stomach. Rather than buying one of these products, common baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) is often just as good at fighting symptoms. Just dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it up.
Burnt Toast
Eating bland foods such as crackers or toast is a great way to ease an upset stomach but burnt toast is even better. The charcoal in the burnt toast absorbs toxins in the stomach helping you to get rid of that upset feeling. Adding a bit of jam to make the toast more palatable is fine but don’t smother it in butter as dairy products can irritate an already delicate stomach.
Over the counter remedies
Sometimes natural remedies like the ones listed above work well but sometimes they don’t. Fortunately there are plenty of effective over the counter remedies for an upset stomach available at your local pharmacy. These include Motilium, Andrews Antacid, Imodium and Alka-Seltzer.
There are many more remedies that can be used to help ease the symptoms of an upset
Stomach. However, prevention is always better than the cure so try and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and eat a healthy balanced diet. If you have been suffering from an upset stomach for a prolonged period of time, it is always best to get checked out by your doctor as this could be symptoms of something more serious.