Life
6 Foods To Eat If You Have A Stomach Ache
Everyone experiences a debilitating stomach ache at one point or another. Whether you’re nauseous from last night’s outing, you have a stomach bug, or just ate something funky, stomach pains can be a real pain in the butt. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic pill to pop to make the pain go away, but you can put certain things in your stomach to help ease your aches.
The last thing on your mind may be adding more food to your stomach, but some foods actually help with digestion and can help relieve stomach issues.
“Foods to help with a stomachache must be easy to digest,” says Emily Cope, MS, RDN. “Think bland foods composed of simple carbohydrates. Protein and fat are more difficult to digest and may further contribute to a stomachache.”
To help the soothe the pain when your tummy’s not feeling so hot, we’ve come up with a list of six foods that will have you feeling back to yourself in no time.
Bananas
“Bananas may be one of the most commonly known foods to ease a stomach ache, but it may not be known that the more ripe the banana is, the easier it is to digest and the more soothing it can be on the stomach,” says Cope. Bananas are filled with simple carbohydrates, which the body can easily breakdown, and they contain potassium, which helps balance the minerals and fluids in your body.
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Ginger
Ginger has been a cure for stomach problems since ancient times, as it is a great antidote to nausea and vomiting. Drinking ginger tea is an easy way to consume the herb, but be careful about relying on ginger ale, as it may not do the trick. “Many commercially available ginger ale products contain little to no real amounts of ginger,” says Cope.
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Toast
When it comes to eating bread to help stomach pains, the more toasted, the better. Increasing the carbon and ash residues on the surface provides gastric relief, as it helps soaks up toxins in the stomach.
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Fennel
If your stomach ache is caused by gas discomfort, fennel is a great source of relief, as it contains anti-gas properties in the form of anethole. “Anethole stimulates the stomach to secrete digestive gastric juice and helps to reduce inflammation of the stomach,” says Cope. Some studies have even found that fennel can help kill off common food-born pathogens such as e-coli and salmonella.
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Peppermint
Peppermint oil is a wonderful natural cure for indigestion, nausea, and irritable bowel syndrome. Some research has even found that peppermint can help ease the pain of spicy foods. “The menthol in peppermint may be a reason for the bowel-comforting effect,” says Beth Warren, RD.
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Papaya
“Papaya naturally contains an enzyme called papain, which helps aid the digestive process, particularly for protein foods,” says Susan Bowerman, RD. After a large meal, the papain and chymopapin in the fruit can help aid an uneasy stomach.
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