Updated: 12/13/2019

Food poisoning, which is a foodborne illness, can sometimes be life-threatening usually when accompanied by dehydration. Contaminated food is found more frequently in cafeterias, restaurants, picnics, “street food,” and buffets. Food poisoning is caused by harmful bacteria, which include viruses, parasites, contaminated food, and toxins often present if preparing and cooking with unclean hands allowing the organisms to transfer to food and multiply. Some symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea, stomach pain, partial loss of speech or vision, mental confusion, dry mouth, sweating, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps, fever, difficulty in swallowing food, and excessive salivation. 

You can use at home remedies from your kitchen to help the unpleasant symptoms of food poisoning. Today’s article will list the best natural home remedies for food poisoning in adults. Scroll down!

12 Best Home Remedies For Food Poisoning In Adults

The following recipes we have focused on are traditional treatments, so always check with your doctor before applying them. 

1. Banana And Yogurt

Bananas are soothing for the stomach and cultured yogurt, full of healthy bacteria, aids digestion. Bananas are one of the best food sources of potassium and efficiently replace lost potassium in the body often worsened by vomiting and diarrhea present with food poisoning. Potassium replacement re-energizes and hydrates your muscles helping to relieve muscle weakness^[1].

You will need:

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• 2 or 3 unripened bananas
• 1 cup of yogurt

Directions:

• Peel the bananas and cut into small slices; add to yogurt.
• Mix well and eat mixture to prevent diarrhea caused by food poisoning.
• Consume 1 or 2 times per day until symptoms resolve.

Apart from eating a ripe banana, you can make a healthy and tasty banana yogurt shake and drink it 2 to 3 times per day.

2. Ginger

Ginger aids in many digestive problems, including those linked to food poisoning. Ginger possesses a compound called gingerol, which exerts antimicrobial effects and helps combats the foodborne pathogens. It improves the absorption of essential nutrients, and helps alleviate vomiting and nausea that are the common symptoms of foodborne illnesses^[2]. 

Ginger Tea

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 cup of water
• Sugar or honey

Directions:

• Take the grated ginger and mix it in water.
• Boil it for about a few minutes.
• Allow it to steep for about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Strain this ginger tea and add a little honey or sugar to sweeten.
• Drink this tea to get rid of the problem.

You should drink ginger tea after having lunch or dinner to prevent heartburn, nausea, and some other symptoms related to food poisoning. Or, you can add ginger when cooking food for faster digestion.

Ginger juice

You will need:

• A fresh ginger piece
• Sugar or honey
• 1 glass of warm water

Directions:

• Take a ginger piece and blend it to extract the juice.
• Take a little ginger juice and add a little sugar or honey into it.
• Mix them well in the prepared warm water and drink this mixture to get constant relief from the symptoms of food poisoning.
• Consume it for about 2 to 3 times per day.
• Or simply you can mix the ginger oil with any carrier oil and rub it on your stomach and massage it for a few minutes to ease the pain and vomiting symptoms.
• You can also eat some raw ginger slices.

3. Cumin Seeds

Cumin seeds, or called jeera, can help stomach inflammation because of its antimicrobial properties against foodborne bacteria^[3].

Way 1: Cumin Seeds Tea

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 cup of water
• Coriander leaves
• Salt

Directions:

• Extract the a few coriander leaves to take about 1 teaspoon of the juice.

• Boil the cumin seeds in the water.
• Add the fresh coriander juice and a little salt to it.
• Allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
• Enjoy it 2 to 3 times per day for a couple of days.

Another option is to make an herbal tea from cumin seeds, asafetida, and salt. You should drink this tea two to three times per day. This will help you to cleanse the system and relieve the symptoms.

Way 2: Cumin Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, And Yogurt

You will need:

• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
• 2 teaspoons of yogurt

Directions:

• Take the fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds.
• Roast them well and use a grinder or blender to make it like a powder.
• Add yogurt to this powder and make a fine paste.
• Consume this paste for about 3 or 4 times per day to  get rid of diarrhea caused by food poisoning.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another compound with natural antibacterial properties, which may fight against foodborne pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, especially when combined with a salt water solution^[4].  This type of vinegar is full of enzymes that may help to stabilize digestion^[5]. It can also help you to soothe the gastrointestinal lining and kill the bacteria, thus giving you instant relief.

You will need:

• Apple cider vinegar – 1 to 2 teaspoons
• Warm water – 1 glass

Directions:

• Add apple cider vinegar into the warm water.
• Stir it well.
• Drink this solution just before eating your meals.
• Use this apple cider vinegar instead of other kinds of vinegar.

Another option, you can drink 2 to 3 teaspoons of this undiluted apple cider vinegar.

5. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint can help calm down the contraction in your stomach, and expel gas^[6]. Peppermint oil even shows a therapeutic role in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.  Many of these symptoms are also present in food poisoning^[6’]. Some studies show that simply smelling peppermint oil may help prevent vomiting and nausea^[7] [8]. 

You will need:

• Fresh peppermint leaves
• 1 cup of warm water

Directions:

• Add peppermint leaves in the warm water.
• Allow it to strip for a few minutes.
• Strain the leaves out and take this peppermint tea to get relief from the tummy pain.
• Consume this peppermint tea regularly to get rid of the pain caused by food poisoning.

Or, you can also chew some mint candies or other mint supplements.

6. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is one of the great home remedies for food poisoning because it contains anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties thought to reduce abdominal discomfort possibly by relaxing the muscles of the upper digestive tract. More clinical trials are needed to confirm this role; however, it has been used for this type of relaxation throughout history^[9] [10].

You will need:

• Chamomile tea – 2 teaspoons
• Boiling water – 1 cup
• Lemon juice and honey

Directions:

• Take the chamomile tea and mix it well in the boiling water.
• Allow it to steep for about 15 to 20 minutes and strain it.
• Add a little lemon juice and honey to this tea to taste.
• It is ready to drink chamomile tea.
• Drink this chamomile tea regularly to get rid of the stomach pain.

However, you have to make sure that you do not drink this chamomile tea or other supplements of it, if you are pregnant or having the ragweed allergies because it will harm you.

7. Fenugreek Seeds And Yogurt

Yogurt contains antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which can help to fight the bacteria, causing food poisoning^[11]. Besides, fenugreek seeds can help to treat abdominal discomfort^[12].

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon of yogurt

Directions:

• Take fenugreek seeds and yogurt.
• Just swallow the seeds (do not need to chew them).
• Consume the yogurt that makes you easier to swallow them.

The combining effect of yogurt and fenugreek seeds will give you relief from stomach pain and vomiting immediately.

8. Honey

Honey contains both antifungal and antibacterial properties, effective against the ones commonly food on contaminated food.  It also shows promise in treating reflux symptoms commonly seen with indigestion after food poisoning^[13] [14]. 

• You should consume 1 teaspoon of raw honey for about 3 to 4 times per day. It can do wonders to treat an upset stomach and control the formation of the excess acid in your stomach.

9. Lemon

Lemon contains antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties with bactericidal effects that may help fight the bacterial pathogen, V. cholerae, one cause  of food poisoning^[15]. 

Way 1

You will need:

• Half a lemon
• 1 inch of sugar

Directions:

• Extract about 1 teaspoon of the juice from half a lemon.
• Mix this juice with a pinch of sugar.
• Enjoy it immediately to get rid of the stomach ache.
• Drink it for about two to three times per day.

Way 2

You will need:

• A fresh lemon
• 1 glass of warm water

Directions:

• Cut a lemon into two parts.
• Take one-half lemon piece and squeeze it to take the juice from it.
• Add this juice to 1 glass of warm water.
• Stir it well.
• Sip it slowly to clear your system.
• Follow this process regularly to help you to get relief from stomach pain caused by food poisoning.

10. Garlic

Garlic is one of the best home remedies for food poisoning,  with strong antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties^[16] [17]. It may also relieve abdominal discomfort. 

Way 1: Garlic Juice

You will need:

• A garlic
• A glass of warm water

Directions:

• Tke garlic and peel it off.

• Press it to extract the juice.
• Mix this juice in a glass of warm water.
• Repeat this process 2 to 3 times per day to get rid of the problem.
• If you can bear the smell of garlic, you can eat one fresh clove of garlic.

Way 2: Garlic Oil

You will need:

• Some drops of garlic oil
• Some drops of soybean oil

Directions:

• Take soybean oil and garlic oil.
• Mix it well.
• Rub this mixture on the stomach after eating and gently massage your stomach to ease the pain.

11. Basil

Basil has become one of the effective home remedies for food poisoning due to its soothing effect on the stomach. Similar to many of the previously stated remedies, it contains antimicrobial properties effective at killing foodborne pathogens thanks to its excellent antimicrobial properties^{[19] [19’]}.

Way 1: Basil Juice

You will need:

• A few basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• Some drops of coriander juice

Directions:

• Extract the juice from a few basil leaves.
• Mix this juice with honey and coriander juice.
• Drink it for 3 to 4 times per day.

Way 2: Basil Oil

You will need:

• Some drops of basil oil
• 4 cups of water

Directions:

• Take some drops of basil oil.
• Put them in the drinking water and stir it well.
• Drink it slowly during the day to eliminate bacteria that cause stomach pain and other problems.

Way 3: Basil Leaves, Yogurt, Black Pepper, And Sea Salt

You will need:

• Plain yogurt – 3 tablespoon
• Black pepper – a pinch
• A few basil leaves
• A little sea salt

Directions:

• Take all the above ingredients.
• Mix them well and drink it.
• Consume it for about 3 to 4 times per day to stop vomiting instantly.
• Take this regularly until the symptoms of food poisoning go away.

Another option, you can chew 2 to 3 basil leaves along with the cardamom.

12. Coconut Water

Diarrhea is one of the most threatening symptoms of food poisoning because it causes fluid loss and a high risk of dehydration. Fluid and minerals can be lost at a rapid speed unless replaced efficiently. You can replenish your electrolytes with coconut water. Coconut water will provide you with the fluid and many essential minerals such as potassium^[20]. The more fluid lost, the more coconut water you should drink.  

Food poisoning can happen abruptly and unexpectedly. If you ingest the wrong food, try following any of the above home remedies for food poisoning right away ease the symptoms and lower your risk of dehydration and muscle fatigue. As always, visit your doctor immediately if you worsen despite these measures.