The best things for an upset stomach depend on what’s causing it, but a few remedies work across the board: staying hydrated, eating bland foods, and using ginger or peppermint to calm nausea and cramping. Most stomach upset from food, stress, or a viral bug resolves within a day or two with simple at-home care.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural options for settling a queasy stomach. Compounds in ginger root speed up the rate at which your stomach empties and appear to block the same chemical signals in the gut and brain that trigger nausea. Clinical trials have tested doses ranging from 250 mg to 2 grams per day, split into three or four smaller doses, and found that 1 gram per day works just as well as 2 grams. You can get that through ginger capsules, freshly grated ginger steeped in hot water, or even ginger chews.
Ginger is also one of the few remedies considered appropriate during pregnancy. The Society for Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand recommends up to 1,000 mg per day of standardized ginger extract for morning sickness, sometimes combined with vitamin B6. A possible side effect is heartburn, which can be counterproductive if acid reflux is already part of the problem.
Peppermint for Cramping and Bloating
If your upset stomach comes with cramping, bloating, or that tight, spasmy feeling in your abdomen, peppermint oil is worth trying. It relaxes the smooth muscle lining your digestive tract, which is why the American College of Gastroenterology recommends it for irritable bowel symptoms. A 2022 review of 10 studies with over 1,000 participants found peppermint oil reduced abdominal pain more effectively than a placebo.
Peppermint tea is the gentlest way to try it. Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules are another option and may be easier on the stomach because they dissolve further down in the intestine rather than releasing in the upper digestive tract, where they can sometimes worsen acid reflux.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile works differently from ginger and peppermint. Rather than targeting motility or muscle spasms, it soothes irritated and inflamed mucous membranes lining the digestive tract. That makes it a good choice when your stomach feels raw or irritated, whether from acid reflux, mild food poisoning, or just general queasiness. A warm cup of chamomile tea also helps with hydration and tends to be calming overall, which matters because stress and anxiety can amplify stomach symptoms.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
The classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) has been recommended for decades, but there’s no clinical research showing it works better than other bland foods. Harvard Health Publishing notes it’s fine for a day or two but unnecessarily restrictive. You don’t need to limit yourself to just those four foods.
A better approach is to eat whatever bland, easy-to-digest foods appeal to you. Good options include:
- Brothy soups (chicken broth, miso)
- Plain starches like oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, or unsweetened dry cereal
- Cooked vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes without the skin
- Lean proteins like skinless chicken, turkey, fish, or eggs once your stomach starts settling
These foods are gentle on digestion but also contain the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover. Avoid greasy, fried, or heavily spiced food, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol until you’re feeling consistently better. Eating small amounts frequently tends to be easier than sitting down for full meals.
Hydration Matters More Than Food
If your upset stomach involves vomiting or diarrhea, dehydration is the most immediate risk, especially for children and older adults. Water alone isn’t ideal because you’re losing electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) along with fluids. Oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte are designed to replace exactly what your body loses. They contain a specific balance of sodium and glucose that helps your intestines absorb water more efficiently than plain water or sports drinks.
If you don’t have a rehydration solution on hand, alternate between sipping water and something that provides electrolytes, like diluted broth or coconut water. Take small, frequent sips rather than gulping large amounts, which can trigger more vomiting. Signs you’re becoming dehydrated include dark urine, dizziness when standing, dry mouth, and feeling unusually tired or confused.
Probiotics for Stomach Bugs
If your upset stomach is from a stomach virus or food poisoning that’s causing diarrhea, probiotics can shorten recovery time. A large Cochrane review found that probiotics reduced the average duration of diarrhea by about 30 hours and significantly lowered the chance of symptoms lasting beyond three days. The strain with the strongest evidence is Lactobacillus GG (found in products like Culturelle), which performed especially well against rotavirus. Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast sold under the brand name Florastor, also reduced the risk of prolonged diarrhea by roughly 29%.
Probiotics aren’t a quick fix for the nausea portion of a stomach bug, but they can help your gut flora recover faster, which means fewer days of loose stools and cramping.
What Doesn’t Work
Apple cider vinegar is widely recommended online for heartburn and indigestion, but there is zero published clinical research supporting this use. Harvard Health Publishing confirmed that no studies in medical journals have tested apple cider vinegar for heartburn or stomach upset. Because it’s acidic, it could actually irritate an already inflamed stomach lining or worsen acid reflux. Stick to the remedies with real evidence behind them.
Carbonated drinks like ginger ale are another common suggestion, but most commercial ginger ale contains almost no real ginger and is loaded with sugar, which can worsen diarrhea by drawing more water into the intestines. If you want the benefits of ginger, use actual ginger root or a supplement.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most upset stomachs resolve on their own, but certain symptoms signal something more serious. The Mayo Clinic flags these as reasons to contact a healthcare provider: diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours, inability to keep any fluids down, bloody or black stool, fever at or above 102°F, and unusual confusion or sleepiness. These can indicate severe dehydration, a bacterial infection, or gastrointestinal bleeding, all of which need professional evaluation rather than home remedies.