Upset stomach is also known as dyspepsia or indigestion. It is the term generally used for describing the pain and discomfort felt in upper abdomen. Everyone experiences indigestion or stomach upset from time to time after drinking or eating. Several factors are responsible for developing an upset stomach like too much consumption of fatty foods or allergic reaction or infections or excessive consumption of spices or alcohol or caffeine. It generally develops stomach ache or abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, gas production, heartburn, farting, hiccupping, sour breath, belching etc. The symptoms can be easily treated by using simple home remedies thus you need not to be looked further than your kitchen for solution.

Below points will discuss about 15 natural ways for preventing an upset stomach

Focus on BRAT diet

• Individual with upset stomach should consume a BRAT diet for rapid recovery. BRAT stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce and Toast
• All of the foods of BRAT diet are starchy in nature, which ultimately help to bind foods together as a result helps to produce firmer stool and prevents diarrhoea
• On the other hand this diet is also very effective for soothing the stomach as these foods do not contain any substances that may irritate the stomach or the throat or the intestine thus its consumption is thought to be extremely helpful for improving the symptoms of upset stomach or indigestion

Have some ginger

• Ginger has been traditionally used as an imperative remedial action for digestive issues
• Ginger exerts potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that help to protect the stomach from damages thus reduces the risk of developing stomach upset
• Ginger contains shogaols and gingerols, which are also associated with speeding up stomach contraction, hence helps to move foods (especially those foods, which are responsible for indigestion) through stomach rapidly, thus helps to improve the symptoms
• It helps to prevent nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea as well

Try apple cider vinegar

• It is better to consume apple cider vinegar for preventing an upset stomach
• Acid present in apple cider vinegar is responsible for decreasing starch digestion thus allow the starch to get into the intestine where it is well utilized for promoting the health of intestinal microbes, which subsequently decreases the prevalence of stomach upset

Try chamomile tea

• Individual suffer from frequent stomach upset or indigestion should try chamomile tea as it helps to soothe the stomach by exhibiting anti-inflammatory activities that protects stomach from inflammatory damages
• Its anti-inflammatory activities are also associated with relaxing stomach muscle, which ultimately reduce the spasm hence decrease the pain of cramping

Try mint

• It is better to include mint in daily diet for preventing stomach cramping or pain as it contains menthol, which has analgesic activity

• It plays significant role in reducing muscle spasm within intestine, which also helps to prevent pain
• It helps to decrease the prevalence of vomiting and diarrhoea
• On the other hand it helps to inhibit sour breath as it is also related with sweetening the breath

Try Cinnamon

• Consumption of cinnamon helps in digestion thus it can be easily added to the diet of individual with stomach upset
• It contains various important substances like eugenol, linalool, cinnamaldehyde, camphor that exert antioxidant activity, which helps to prevent free radical induced oxidative damages of entire digestive tract as a result helps in reducing irritation in digestive tract
• It also helps to prevent bloating, gas formation, cramping and belching, which are considered as the most common symptoms of an upset stomach. Whereas cinnamon also helps in neutralizing stomach acidity, which subsequently reduces the prevalence of heartburn

Try Cumin

• Cumin seed is considered as one of the most important therapeutic substances for treating an upset stomach

• It helps to prevent intestinal inflammation as well
• It is also related with protecting the digestive tract from microbial infestation thus decreases the prevalence of gastrointestinal infectious disorders
• It helps to decrease gas formation too
• Individual can consume at least one to two teaspoon of powdered cumin seed or they can also chew raw cumin seed for improving their symptoms

Try Cloves

• Cloves can be consumed for treating an upset stomach as it contains several imperative compounds that help to decrease gas formation in stomach and also enhance the secretion of gastric juice that ultimately helps in digestion
• It is also very effective for treating cramping, nausea, vomiting and heartburn
• Consumption of 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground clove with honey before bedtime significantly improves the symptoms
• It can be added to boiling water for preparing clove tea as well, consumption of such tea at least for once or twice in a day is also very useful for preventing heartburn and nausea

Try figs

• Fig plays vital role in preventing indigestion
• It acts as laxative thus its consumption is extremely helpful for improving bowel movement that promotes regularity and keeps the digestive issues at bay

Try basil

• It helps to reduce stomach cramping
• It also prevents gas formation
• Eugenol present in basil helps to decrease the quantity of acid secretion within stomach, which ultimately helps to lower the prevalence of stomach upset
• Linoleic acid component of basil also exerts anti-inflammatory activity that helps to protect the digestive tract from damages hence reduces the prevalence of digestive disorders

Try licorice

• Consumption of licorice is extremely useful for preventing an upset stomach and other stomach related issues
• Licorice root tea can be consumed for several times until the symptoms improve

Staying hydrated

• It has seen that body needs water for digesting foods and absorbing nutrients thus it is better to stay hydrated for improving overall digestive health
• Hydration also helps to protect the body from the harmful effects of dehydration caused by excessive nausea as well as diarrhoea

Have some coconut water

• Consumption of coconut water is very much useful for improving the symptoms of an upset stomach
• It contains various imperative nutrients and especially it is rich in magnesium and potassium, which play vital role in decreasing muscle spasm, pain as well as cramping thus its consumption is thought to be very effective for decreasing abdominal discomfort

Take warm bath

• We know that heat is closely related with relaxing tense muscles and also ease dyspepsia or indigestion thus it is better to take a warm bath, which ultimately helps to improve the symptoms of upset stomach
• On the other hand heat bag or heat pad can also be applied to the stomach until it cools, it helps to provide quick relief from stomach cramping or stomach ache

Have some lemon juice with baking soda and water

• It has seen that consumption of water with lemon juice and a pinch of baking soda, is extremely useful for preventing a range of digestive issues
• Consumption of such solution is responsible for producing carbonic acid, which ultimately helps to decrease indigestion as well as gas production, whereas it is also associated with improving liver secretion and intestinal motility that eventually improves overall digestive health

It has seen that for most of the people, indigestion or stomach upset should not generally cause concerns. All the above mentioned measures play imperative role in decreasing the prevalence of stomach upset or indigestion but individual with persistent vomiting or diarrhoea should seek medical attention.

Bolia, R., 2017. Approach to “Upset Stomach”. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 84(12), pp.915-921.

Branson, S., 2017. 101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar: Soothe An Upset Stomach, Get More Energy, Wash Out Cat Urine and 98 More! (Vol. 1). Workman Publishing.

Dawod, E. and Crawford, C.V., 2021. Common Diarrheal Illnesses in the Elderly. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 37(1), pp.103-117.

GRANT, C.L., Dorrian, J., COATES, A.M., Pajcin, M., KENNAWAY, D.J., WITTERT, G.A., HEILBRONN, L.K., Della Vedova, C., GUPTA, C.C. and Banks, S., 2017. The impact of meal timing on performance, sleepiness, gastric upset, and hunger during simulated night shift. Industrial health.

Hoffmann, D., 2017. Healthy Digestion: A Natural Approach to Relieving Indigestion, Gas, Heartburn, Constipation, Colitis, and More. Storey Publishing.