Stomach pain has developed many home remedies over the years. If your abdominal pain is extremely severe, get to a hospital for medical treatment. Otherwise, look at these top 5 cures for an upset stomach.
1. Lemons: A Safe & Fast Natural Cure for Stomach Pain After Eating
Indigestion is a common cause for stomach pain which results typically from overeating or not properly chewing food (eating too fast). Antacids can relieve stomach pain after eating, but the ingredients (salts such as magnesium, calcium, and aluminum) can be harmful if taken more than occasionally.
Lemons or limes are a safe and natural remedy for indigestion.
Common sense would make you ask, “If there is too much acid in my stomach, and lemons have acid, why would I want to add more acid to my stomach?” Here’s why. Excess acid in the stomach comes from harmful bacteria. Yes, lemons contain ascorbic acid (a.k.a. vitamin C), however this home remedy works because it kills the source of the problem: the harmful bacteria. By contrast, antacids work on the symptoms of the problem: the acids from the harmful bacteria.
Baking soda works much like antacids by neutralizing harmful acids. It’s not the best choice, but can be used in a pinch if that’s all you have on hand. Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda in water with a pinch of salt. Add lemons if available. However, don’t use this as your regular solution. Instead, grab some lemons next time you’re at the store.
2. Ginger & Other Herbal Remedies for Abdominal Pain
Ginger is another natural remedy for upset stomach. It works on symptoms by balancing the acidity in your stomach. Another benefit of ginger is faster digestion which will cut down on the time food spends rotting in your stomach. This is what makes ginger unique among the other home remedies for upset stomach. You should not consume more than 1 gram of ginger in any given day as this may upset your stomach more. It’s better to split this up into 3 or 4 servings each day.
For other herbal remedies, the Mayo Clinic lists peppermint and caraway oil as alternative medicine for stomach pain. This is only for pain NOT caused by an ulcer. Visit their webpage on abdominal pain here.
3. The BRAT Diet for Diarrhea with Upset Stomach
BRAT stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. According to the National Institute of Health, the BRAT diet is commonly recommended in hospitals by doctors and nurses if diarrhea is associated with your stomach pain. The BRAT diet relieves diarrhea by introducing foods that are gentle, neutral in acidity, and absorb toxins. Over a day or two, the diarrhea will continue to lessen as you stick to these foods. Visit the NIH web page on the BRAT diet here.
You should not use the BRAT diet when your abdominal pain is accompanied by vomiting. If your stomach pain includes vomiting, read below.
4. Chilled Lime Juice: Treat Stomach Pain with vomiting
First, if your stomach or abdominal pain includes vomiting, it may be from food poisoning. If this is the case, it’s better to allow your stomach to expel the poison. Visit a hospital if your symptoms are severe.
In other cases, you can relieve vomiting with some common home remedies. If your vomiting comes from overeating, drinking too much alcohol, morning sickness associated with pregnancy, the common cold, or upset stomach then try chilled lime juice (one teaspoon of fresh lime juice in cold water). Lime juice works much the same way as lemons, but is a bit more gentle because of a smaller concentration of the beneficial compounds. The USDA is still studying why this works (see USDA link at the end of this article). For added benefit, you can also include some ginger.
5. Eat less food
This natural remedy for stomach pain is the most convenient because you don’t need to take anything. Make a habit to cut down on the amount of food you eat in one sitting. Overeating is the most common cause for stomach pains due to eating. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Resources:
USDA Paper on Lemons & Limes
Using Ginger to treat Indigestion
The Brat Diet: National Institute of Health
Mayo Clinic: Alternative Treatments for Stomach Pain
