According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in six Americans get sick from a food-borne illness or food poisoning every year. This is despite the fact that the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world. Simply put, food is still occasionally handled or stored improperly, and food poisoning still happens because of it.
For a lot of people, food poisoning seems to be more likely during the holiday season. People are invited to the homes of their friends and family, and they eat foods that they normally don’t eat regularly. Fortunately, you don’t have to let a case of food poisoning ruin your time with your loved ones. As bad as a case of food poisoning can seem, there are plenty of natural remedies that can ease your symptoms. Here are a few that you can put together using natural ingredients you might already have in your home.
Ginger
Ginger has been used as a treatment for digestive problems for generations. Some people can eat raw slices of ginger to ease an upset stomach, but since that obviously isn’t for everyone you can make a tea by boiling a teaspoon of grated ginger for a few minutes. This will help treat heartburn, nausea and other food poisoning symptoms. You can also add some ginger to a teaspoon of honey for a quick tonic that can be taken as needed several times a day.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Although apple cider vinegar is acidic, it has an alkaline effect when it is metabolized by your body. This means that it can soothe your gastrointestinal lining and kill bacteria that may be causing your food poisoning symptoms. You can drink two or three teaspoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar if you want this effect, but it might be easier to mix a couple of tablespoons of vinegar in a cup of hot water and drink it before a meal.
Lemon
Lemons have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties, all of which make them ideal for treating food poisoning symptoms. Lemon juice is easy enough to find at any grocery store, so buy some and drink it with some warm water to take care of the worst of your symptoms. As always, you can also drink a teaspoon of straight lemon juice if you want, but that might be a little tough for some people to take without a pinch of sugar to help it go down easier.
Yogurt
Like lemons, yogurt has antimicrobial properties that help relieve the symptoms of food poisoning. If you want, you can also add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to a tablespoon of yogurt to help further treat any abdominal discomfort and even prevent you from vomiting. Just make sure you swallow the fenugreek seeds without chewing them.
These are just a few home remedies that may help ease the symptoms of food poisoning. While some cases of food poisoning will go away after you treat the symptoms, food-borne illnesses can be serious. Don’t hesitate to contact your doctor if your symptoms are severe or persist longer than a day or two.
References
http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-food-poisoning.html
http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/animal-product/health-benefits-of-honey-and-ginger.html
Author Bio: Sarmad Malik is a health blogger in the UK especially blogging on natural health. He is a content marketer during the day for DrFelix and blogs on topics he is passionate about as a hobby during free time. You can find his published material on various well known health platforms including Natural News on a regular basis.