# what to eat when nauseous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495 "2002-03-15T18:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/1 "2002-03-15T18:01:24Z")
Two part question. 1. Mrs. Chalupa sez that, if you’re nauseous, you need to munch on something _salty_, citing chips, crackers, etc. She sez _sweet_ items, like doughnuts or cookies, are bad. “Ask any pregnant woman…” What’s wrong with sweet food? 2. When I was growing up, my folks always gave us Seven-Up when we had an upset stomach, but never Coke, root beer, etc. Said that the additional “flavoring” hampered the “healing factor” of the bubbles. True? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/2 "2002-03-15T18:24:47Z")
Anecdotally speaking, I think this often falls under the same category as hiccough remedies. There are many suggestions and tips, but few if any seem to able to be universally applied with success. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/3 "2002-03-15T18:25:55Z")
I’ve always heard that plain crackers and ginger ale is best. Soft drinks have too much sugar. I’ve also heard that water can be rough on a sick tummy. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/4 "2002-03-15T18:29:24Z")
Here’s a WAG – colas contain caffiene which can further upset your stomach. Why salty vs sweet I’m not sure, though the greasiness of donuts sounds like a no-no. That would rule out potato chips too, I guess. What makes me feel better is saltines & a non-cola - ginger ale if it’s available. My mom swore by flat 7-up – tho I think that was just a scheme to get us to drink it instead of throwing it away. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/5 "2002-03-15T18:29:31Z")
I would eat whatever you don’t mind seeing again once you vomit it back out. I will just eat whatever my stomach can tolerate. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/6 "2002-03-15T19:54:21Z")
If you’re nauseous, I think the best remedy would be to take a shower. I’d hate to become nauseated because there were nauseous people around me. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/7 "2002-03-15T20:24:09Z")
I’ve always been told that drinking **ginger ale,** specifically, is a good remedy for nausea because the ginger helps settle your stomach. I’m not sure this is true; however, according to [this site,](http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/002098.cfm) > [@](#): > > The ginger in ginger ale or ginger snaps can have some calming effect on a mild upset stomach. Most brands of ginger ale, however, don’t contain much ginger. So ginger is good, but not neccessarily ginger ale. But wait! Same site, [different page:](http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/003117.cfm) > [@](#): > > [For nausea and vomiting] it is important for the person who has vomited a great deal to take in as much fluid as possible without upsetting the stomach any further. Sip clear fluids such as water, _ginger ale,_ fruit juices, or Gatorade. [emphasis added] So it appears that, if not nausea-reducing, at least ginger ale is in the class of not-causing-additional-tummy-upset substances. Probably not because of the ginger (fruit juice has no ginger, natch), but because it’s…light? not so sugary? I dunno. But I can see how this might tie in with your folks’ Seven-Up remedy. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/8 "2002-03-15T20:29:17Z")
Bananas. They won’t help you any, but they taste the same coming up as they do going down. I don’t like their taste normally, but when I can’t keep anything down they’re the cornerstone of my diet. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/9 "2002-03-15T20:40:38Z")
Never mind the ginger ale; pure **ginger** is the single best treatment you could give a nauseated stomach. I like to grate a couple teaspoons of fresh gingerroot and mix with an equal amount of honey. Works like magic. The other possibility, equally good, is to take a teaspoon of powdered ginger mixed with a couple spoonfuls of honey and drink some water after it. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/10 "2002-03-15T22:32:48Z")
Bananas is what I take when the seas get rough. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/11 "2002-03-15T22:34:58Z")
I have in front of my an article from the _British Journal of Anaesthesia_ entitled “Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.” In a nutshell, ginger does indeed work to calm nausea. (The ginger content of commercial ginger ale is, however, clinically negligible.) Grated with honey sounds like it would work. I grate it into a coffee mug and pour in some hot water to make a tea. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/12 "2002-03-15T23:37:15Z")
During my worst hangover, the only thing I could tolerate even _thinking_ about ingesting was tomato juice. Still don’t know why. Lemon-lime soda often seems to help settle the stomach. When I was a kid, my folks gave us Coca-Cola syrup, which was stocked in pharmacies. [Pedantic nitpick] Naseous means inducing nausea. The word you want is nauseated. [/Pedantic nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/13 "2002-03-15T23:41:55Z")
I think the efficacy of Saltines and other soda crackers for a tummy ache is due not to the salt content but to the baking soda. Bicarbonate of soda has long been used as an antacid. Caffeine may be the reason most people avoid colas when they have an upset stomache, but Coca-Cola syrup used to be (and sometimes still is) sold in pharmacies for just that complaint. (During the “New Coke” scare in the 80’s, I bought Coke syrup and fizzy water at the drugstore and made my own Coke.) ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/14 "2002-03-15T23:57:29Z")
this is purely observational, but myself and several other paramedics and navy corpsmen have used oral benadryl to help calm an upset stomach in the case of mild to moderate dehydration. Like I said, no clinical research weight to back it up, but I’ve seen it help save many people from IV rehydration. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/15 "2002-03-16T01:27:28Z")
On a tangent, I hasten to remind folks that vomiting can cause pregnancy! Not directly, of course, but if the vomitor has taken a birth-control pill, which became sewage, the vomitor may, later in the day, become pregnant. The same goes for other drugs that may have become effluvia before taking effect. Take notice! ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/16 "2002-03-16T03:07:54Z")
An excess production of stomach acids is what causes nausea. The best thing to eat would be antacids or lacking that, the best foods to eat would be grains like bread or crackers. These medicines/foods work because they either neutralize stomach acid or absorb it. One of the worst things to eat would be junk food or anything with caffeine (soda pop is your worst enemy). ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/17 "2002-03-16T05:03:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by efrem \* > \*\*An excess production of stomach acids is what causes nausea. \*\* Cite? Last I researched no one knew what causes nausea. Many things seem to induce it, but the root cause and how to end it remain elusive. I read in the New Yorker 2 years ago, a woman with m moring sickness on a weeken trip grew nauseated and stayed that way. She was unable to return home and was hospitalized for her nausea. She suffered IIRC malnutrician because of the nausea. I have heard of cases of morning sickness so extreme that abortion was reccommended. Personally, I find mint helps to calm my queasy stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/18 "2002-03-16T05:17:01Z")
When I was pregnant and feeling sick, the only thing I could tolerate was lemonade. I have no idea why,but it seemed to calm my stomach. [grammar police] **nauseous** is generally used to mean causing nausea, while **nauseated** means suffering from nausea. If you tell someone you are nauseous, you are in effect saying you are sickening. [/grammar police] ---
**Author:** ![ringmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@ringmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ringmaster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/19 "2002-03-16T05:31:42Z")
I’ve heard using a pinch of cinamon helps to prevent it. Maybe it will work while you’re nauseous. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495/20 "2002-03-16T14:58:37Z")
Peronal story: When I had a really, really bad case of stomach flu last November, I couldn’t keep anything down, even yoghurt. Then I got a craving for spicy potato chips, which normally I don’t even like. After eating nothing but spicy potato chips for two days, I was fine. I can’t explain it either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-eat-when-nauseous/98495.md?page=2)