Most upset stomachs resolve on their own within a few hours, and simple home strategies can speed that process along. What works best depends on whether you’re dealing with nausea, cramping, bloating, or diarrhea, but a handful of reliable remedies cover nearly all of these.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most effective natural options for settling nausea. It works by blocking serotonin receptors (called 5-HT3 receptors) in the gut, the same receptors targeted by prescription anti-nausea medications. It also acts as an antioxidant in the intestinal lining, reducing irritation. Clinical trials have tested doses of 1,000 to 2,000 mg of ginger extract per day for nausea relief, which translates to roughly a half-inch to one-inch piece of fresh ginger root.
You don’t need supplements to get this benefit. Grating fresh ginger into hot water makes a simple tea. Ginger chews, ginger ale made with real ginger (check the label), and crystallized ginger all deliver the active compounds. Start with a small amount if your stomach is very sensitive, since concentrated ginger on a completely empty stomach can occasionally cause mild heartburn.
Peppermint for Cramps and Bloating
If your upset stomach involves cramping or a tight, bloated feeling, peppermint is a strong choice. The menthol in peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle lining your digestive tract by blocking calcium channels in the gut wall. When those muscles relax, trapped gas moves more easily and spasms quiet down.
Peppermint tea is the gentlest delivery method. For more targeted relief, enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules dissolve in the intestine rather than the stomach, which helps if your discomfort is lower in the abdomen. One caution: peppermint can relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus, so if your upset stomach involves acid reflux or heartburn, it may make that particular symptom worse.
What to Eat (and When)
The classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is fine for the first day or two of stomach trouble, but there’s no clinical evidence that restricting yourself to only those four foods speeds recovery. Harvard Health Publishing notes that a less restrictive approach often makes more sense. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereals are all easy on the stomach and provide more nutritional variety.
Once your stomach starts to settle, gradually reintroduce more nutrient-dense foods: cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs. The goal is to get back to a normal diet relatively quickly so your body has the fuel it needs to recover. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned foods until you’re feeling consistently better.
Small, frequent meals tend to be easier to tolerate than large ones. If even bland food triggers nausea, focus on staying hydrated first and try solid food again in a few hours.
Stay Hydrated, Especially With Diarrhea
Dehydration is the main risk when an upset stomach involves vomiting or diarrhea. Water is a good starting point, but if you’ve been losing fluids for several hours, you also need to replace electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions, diluted broths, and coconut water all work. Sip slowly rather than gulping. Large volumes at once can trigger more nausea.
Avoid alcohol, coffee, and carbonated drinks until your symptoms have fully resolved. Caffeine stimulates gut motility, which is the opposite of what you want when things are already moving too fast.
Apply Heat to Your Abdomen
A heating pad or warm water bottle placed on your stomach can provide surprisingly fast relief from cramping. Heat expands blood vessels in the area, increasing blood flow to the muscles of the abdominal wall. This reduces muscle stiffness, increases tissue elasticity, and directly lessens pain from spasms. It’s particularly effective for menstrual-related stomach pain, where the mechanism involves relaxing and stretching tense abdominal muscles.
Keep the temperature warm but not hot, and place a cloth between the heat source and your skin. Fifteen to twenty minutes is typically enough per session.
Try the P6 Pressure Point
Acupressure at the P6 point on the inner wrist is a drug-free option for nausea that you can do anywhere. To find the point, place three fingers flat across your inner wrist just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. The spot is directly below your three fingers, in the groove between the two large tendons that run down the center of your wrist. Press firmly with your thumb and hold for one to two minutes, then switch wrists. This is the same point targeted by anti-nausea wristbands sold for motion sickness and morning sickness.
Over-the-Counter Options
Pink bismuth liquid or tablets (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and similar products) work through several mechanisms at once: they reduce fluid flow into the bowel, decrease inflammation in the intestinal lining, and can kill some of the bacteria responsible for diarrhea. This makes them a reasonable choice when your upset stomach involves both nausea and loose stools.
Antacids help when the problem is excess stomach acid, heartburn, or that burning feeling in the upper abdomen. Simethicone-based products (like Gas-X) target bloating and gas specifically by breaking up gas bubbles in the digestive tract. Choosing the right product depends on your dominant symptom: acid and burning points toward antacids, general nausea and diarrhea toward bismuth, and pressure and bloating toward simethicone.
What to Skip
Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy, but the evidence for stomach relief is weak, and it carries real downsides. Small studies show it slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach, which could worsen bloating and discomfort. For anyone with gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying, common in people with diabetes), it can significantly increase the time food sits in the stomach. If you want to try it despite limited evidence, keep the amount to one teaspoon or less diluted in water.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most stomach upset passes within 24 to 48 hours. Certain patterns, though, signal something more serious. Pain that starts near the belly button and migrates to the lower right abdomen over 12 to 24 hours, especially with loss of appetite and fever, follows the classic trajectory of appendicitis. Upper abdominal pain that worsens when you eat, combined with nausea, fever, and a rapid pulse, can indicate pancreatitis. A sudden, intense cramp in the lower abdomen that hits maximum intensity immediately, particularly first thing in the morning, often points to a kidney stone.
Seek emergency care if your pain is severe enough to prevent you from functioning normally, if you cannot keep any liquids down, if you see blood in your vomit or stool, or if your symptoms are dramatically different from any stomach trouble you’ve experienced before.