Natural cures for food poisoning

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

Here are some natural ways to combat food poisoning:

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

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

One of the best cleansers, which helps to absorb bacteria in the intestine and remove them from the system, is activated charcoal. You can buy activated charcoal tablets without a prescription at your nearest pharmacy. Adults should take 4 to 5 pills at a time at the onset of food poisoning symptoms. Make sure to crush or chew them before swallowing the pills. It is especially useful when food poisoning is accompanied by diarrhea. Just be careful not to abuse it. If the diarrhea is not too watery, charcoal can make you constipated.

Ginger helps relieve nausea. Cut a slice of ginger root and take small bites, chewing until the symptoms disappear.

To make up for the salts and minerals lost during a bout of diarrhea and vomiting, drink a mixture of 1 tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses with 8 ounces of water. If you don’t have molasses available, simply dilute a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of water and drink it.

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

A tea made from 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 foods that don’t smell or look good. However, when you find yourself in a situation where there is a possibility of food poisoning, remember that eating strong spices like cayenne pepper, curry, and turmeric could help prevent it from happening. It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of water to help your body flush out any poisons you’ve ingested.