Home remedies for food poisoning

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Health Tips

Summer season is when foods will get contaminated more. If we leave food outside for long hours without storing them in cool place, food will get infected. Similarly, outside roadside food and restaurant foods that are not properly cooked or handled well can also lead to food poisoning.

The food poisoning symptoms may include: Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, fever or chills/sweating, headache

If you cannot see doctor immediately, try these home remedies for food poisoning.

Lemon and Lime: Drinking lime juice two or three times may help to ease the symptoms and to detoxify the body. Add little salt instead of sugar and drink the lime juice. Naturally, this contains anti-microbial properties and easily available fruit that can be used as an immediate remedy.
Cumin or Jeera: Boil the water and add a tsp of crushed cumin seeds. Boil the water to half and drink the water. It relieves the gas, improves the digestion and reduces the gut inflammation. Thus, it reduces the abdominal pain too. Have this water every 2 hours throughout the day.
Ginger: This wonderful herb has anti-inflammatory property and reduces the infection. Fry ginger pieces in little amount of clarified butter and eat. Or, add grated ginger to lemon juice or mix with warm water and drink for a relief from internal infection (3 times a day).
Holy basil or Tulsi leaves: Boil water and add one or two tsp of Tulsi leaves. Drink the water 3 to 4 times. Tulsi has antimicrobial properties and will help to reduce the infection – repeat this 5 to 6 times a day.
Garlic: The strong antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties makes garlic one of the good remedy for food poisoning. It also relieves symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Eat one fresh garlic clove, swallowing it with water. Mix garlic oil in castor oil or olive oil and rub on the stomach.
Fenugreek or methi seeds : Dry fry fenugreek seeds, allow it to cool and powder it. Add 1/4 tsp of this powder to a cup of buttermilk and drink. This is a good remedy for diarrhea an abdominal pain. Similar to basil fenugreek also has antimicrobial in properties.
Apple cider vinegar: Even though acidic in nature, apple cider vinegar has alkaline effect due to the way it is metabolized in the body. It soothes gastrointestinal lining. Mix two Tbs of apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water and drink before taking food.
Sea salt, basil leaves, powdered black pepper with yogurt: Mix all these ingredients and eat this four times a day. Continue this till body starts feeling better.
Orange juice and corn starch syrup: Mix two tsp of corn starch syrup with a glass of orange juice. Drink this slowly and repeat this two or three times a day.
Peppermint tea: Wash and add 4 to 5 peppermint leaves to boiling water. Boil for a minute or two. Strain and drink the tea. It gives relief from nausea and vomiting sensation.
Water: Natural remedy is water. Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day. Best ways to use water during food poisoning is to boil water and allow it to cool, and then drink. Water reduces and prevents dehydration.

What to avoid? : Allow your stomach to settle down. Drink water and avoid solid food, alcohol, milk products like butter, cheese, spicy foods, heavily fried foods and meat item for at least 24 hours. Avoid traveling and heavy workouts.

Consume plenty of liquid in the form of soup, water, non-caffeinated drinks. Take plenty of rest and sleep well to recover. More importantly cook well and make sure that there are no contaminated food in the kitchen.

If the symptoms persist, seek doctor’s advice.

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