Natural Cures For Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is the result of eating food or drinking water contaminated with bacteria (usually the salmonella strain). Depending on the severity of the case, the symptoms  may include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, fever or dehydration. In most cases, food poisoning is not a life-threatening condition. It generally runs its course within 24 hours from when the first symptoms appear. Therefore, natural cures used to treat food poisoning are mainly designed to shorten the period of discomfort and minimize the symptoms.

Here are some natural ways to fight food poisoning:

Fresh lemon juice can be used effectively as an internal cleanser to fight the infection. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a cup of warm water and drink all of it.

To encourage vomiting, drink a mixture of apple cider vinegar with water.

One of the best cleansers, helping absorb bacteria in the gut and flush it out of the system, is activated charcoal. You can buy activated charcoal pills over-the-counter at your nearest pharmacy. Adults should take 4 to 5 pills at one time at the onset of food poisoning symptoms. Make sure your crush them into power or chew on them before you swallow the pills. It is especially helpful when food poisoning is accompanied by diarrhea. Just be careful not to overuse it. If the diarrhea is not too watery, the charcoal may get you constipated.

Ginger helps ease nausea. Cut a slice of ginger root and take little nibbles, chewing on it until the symptoms subside.

To compensate for the salts and minerals lost during a bout of diarrhea and vomiting, drink a mixture of 1 tablespoon of organic molasses with 8 ounces of water. If you do not have molasses available, just dilute a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of water and drink that.

Another way to restore balance in your stomach is to eat a couple of ripe bananas.

A tea made of chamomile helps ease digestion and reduce inflammation.

A word about prevention. In many cases, it is possible to prevent food poisoning by using common sense and not eating the food that does not smell or look right. However, when you are in a situation where food poisoning is a possibility, remember that eating strong spices like cayenne pepper, curry, and turmeric might help prevent it from happening. It is also a good idea to drink a lot of water to help rid the body of whatever poisons you may have ingested.