Ginger, peppermint, bland foods, and a few over-the-counter options are the most reliable remedies for everyday nausea and upset stomach. What works best depends on what’s causing your symptoms and how severe they are. Most mild cases resolve within a day or two with simple interventions you can start at home.
Ginger Is the Strongest Natural Option
Ginger has more clinical evidence behind it than any other natural nausea remedy. The active compounds in ginger root, called gingerols, work partly by blocking serotonin receptors in the gut that trigger the nausea signal. Most clinical studies use between 250 mg and 1 g of powdered ginger root per day, typically split into smaller doses taken throughout the day. A common protocol is 250 mg four times daily.
You don’t need capsules to get this benefit. Fresh ginger tea (a thumb-sized piece of ginger steeped in hot water for 10 minutes), ginger chews, and even flat ginger ale made with real ginger can help. The key is using a product that contains actual ginger root rather than artificial ginger flavoring, which has no therapeutic effect. If you’re buying capsules, look for ones listing ginger root powder and aim for roughly 1 g total across the day.
Peppermint for Cramps and Bloating
Peppermint works differently from ginger. Rather than targeting the nausea signal itself, peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle in your digestive tract. This makes it particularly useful when your upset stomach involves cramping, bloating, or gas rather than pure nausea. The NHS classifies peppermint oil as an antispasmodic for this reason.
Peppermint tea is the simplest approach. For more targeted relief, enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules dissolve in the intestine rather than the stomach, which reduces the chance of heartburn. If your nausea comes with acid reflux, be cautious with peppermint since relaxing the muscle at the top of the stomach can sometimes make reflux worse.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) coats the stomach lining and reduces inflammation in the gut. It works well for nausea paired with diarrhea or general stomach upset from food. It can temporarily turn your tongue and stool black, which is harmless.
Phosphorated carbohydrate solutions (sold under brand names like Emetrol) take a different approach. These are simple sugar and phosphoric acid mixtures that calm stomach contractions directly. They’re available without a prescription and tend to work quickly for mild nausea, though the relief is often short-lived.
Antihistamine-based motion sickness tablets containing dimenhydrinate or meclizine are effective when nausea stems from motion, inner ear issues, or dizziness. They cause drowsiness, so they’re best used when you can rest afterward.
Vitamin B6 for Pregnancy-Related Nausea
If your nausea is related to pregnancy, vitamin B6 is one of the first-line treatments. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 10 to 25 mg of vitamin B6 three or four times a day for morning sickness. This is a safe, well-studied dose that many people can start before their next prenatal appointment. B6 is less effective for nausea unrelated to pregnancy, so this recommendation is fairly specific.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a reasonable starting point when you’re at your sickest, but it’s no longer recommended as a strict protocol. Cleveland Clinic physicians note that these foods are gentle on the digestive tract but don’t actually improve nausea. They just happen to be easy to keep down. More importantly, the BRAT diet lacks calcium, vitamin B12, protein, and fiber, so sticking with it beyond a day or two can slow your recovery rather than help it.
A better approach is to eat small amounts of any bland, soft food you can tolerate. Crackers, plain broth, boiled potatoes, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal all work. Eat slowly, in small portions, and at room temperature or slightly cool since hot foods release more aroma, which can trigger nausea. As you start feeling better, gradually reintroduce normal foods rather than staying restricted. For children, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against a strict BRAT diet entirely, as it’s too nutritionally limited to support recovery.
Simple Techniques That Help
Controlled breathing is one of the most underrated tools for acute nausea. Slow, deep breaths (in through the nose for four counts, out through the mouth for six) stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs between the brain and the digestive system. Research from Johns Hopkins has shown that vagus nerve stimulation can cut the need for anti-nausea medication roughly in half in people with chronic nausea. You won’t get results that dramatic from breathing exercises alone, but the mechanism is the same, and it costs you nothing.
Cold also helps. A cool compress on the back of the neck or forehead activates the same vagal pathway. Sitting upright rather than lying flat keeps stomach acid where it belongs. Fresh air, or even a fan blowing gently on your face, can reduce the sensation of nausea within minutes. If your nausea hits in waves, these techniques are most effective when used at the very first sign rather than after it peaks.
Avoid strong smells, greasy or spicy foods, and large volumes of liquid at once. Small sips of water or an electrolyte drink are better than gulping a full glass, which can stretch the stomach and make things worse.
When Nausea Needs Medical Attention
Most nausea passes on its own, but certain patterns signal something more serious. Vomiting that lasts more than two days in adults, more than 24 hours in children under two, or more than 12 hours in infants warrants a call to your doctor. The same goes for recurring nausea that persists for more than a month, or nausea paired with unexplained weight loss.
Go to urgent care or an emergency room if your vomit contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green. Severe abdominal pain, chest pain, confusion, high fever with a stiff neck, and signs of dehydration (dark urine, dizziness when standing, dry mouth, excessive thirst) all require prompt evaluation. These symptoms suggest causes that home remedies won’t address.