Several drinks can help calm an inflamed stomach lining, with ginger tea, chamomile tea, and bone broth among the most well-supported options. The best choices work by reducing inflammatory signals, protecting the mucous barrier that shields your stomach from acid, or helping damaged tissue repair itself. What you avoid drinking matters just as much as what you add.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for stomach inflammation. The active compounds in ginger root directly lower the activity of a key inflammatory pathway in stomach tissue, reducing the production of proteins that drive swelling and damage in the stomach lining. In animal studies, ginger extract also boosted the stomach’s own defenses: it increased production of nitric oxide and protective antioxidant enzymes while reducing the oxidative stress that worsens mucosal injury.
To make ginger tea, slice about an inch of fresh ginger root and steep it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Fresh ginger is preferable to powdered, since the concentration of active compounds is higher and easier to control. One to three cups per day is a common range. If ginger feels too sharp on your stomach, diluting it or adding a small amount of honey can help.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has been used as a digestive remedy for centuries, and modern research gives some weight to that tradition. The dried flowers contain over 120 active compounds, including flavonoids and terpenoids that contribute to its soothing effects. Among these, apigenin is considered the most promising for reducing inflammation. Chamomile relaxes the smooth muscle of the digestive tract, which helps with cramping, gas, and the general discomfort that comes with an irritated stomach.
Preclinical studies suggest chamomile may also inhibit H. pylori, the bacterium responsible for many cases of chronic gastritis and stomach ulcers. A well-known herbal preparation containing chamomile flower extract alongside other botanicals showed a dose-dependent ability to reduce stomach ulcer formation, increase protective mucus secretion, and boost prostaglandin E2 release, a compound your stomach lining needs to defend itself against acid. Two to three cups of chamomile tea daily, steeped for five minutes or longer to fully extract the active compounds, is a reasonable amount.
Bone Broth
Bone broth supplies a concentrated mix of amino acids that play direct roles in maintaining and repairing the stomach lining. The most important of these is glutamine, which serves as a primary fuel source for the cells that line your gut. Glycine, proline, histidine, and arginine round out the profile. Research reviews looking at these individual nutrients confirm they help strengthen the intestinal barrier, reduce inflammation in the gut wall, and improve nutrient absorption.
Bone broth also provides minerals like zinc, magnesium, potassium, and calcium in a form your body absorbs easily. Zinc in particular supports mucosal healing. For the best results, look for broth simmered for at least 12 hours (or make your own from chicken or beef bones with a splash of vinegar to draw out minerals). Sipping a cup or two daily, especially during flare-ups, gives your stomach lining raw materials for repair without requiring much digestive effort.
Fermented Drinks Like Kefir
Kefir, a fermented milk drink, contains a diverse community of bacteria and yeasts that can shift the inflammatory balance in your gut. Specific strains isolated from kefir have been shown to lower levels of the inflammatory proteins TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta in animal studies, while increasing IL-10, a compound that actively calms inflammation. These effects translated into measurable improvements in tissue damage scores and bleeding in the gut lining.
If you tolerate dairy, plain unsweetened kefir is a good option. For those who are lactose intolerant, the fermentation process breaks down most of the lactose, making kefir easier to digest than regular milk. Water kefir and coconut kefir are dairy-free alternatives, though they contain different bacterial strains and less research backs their use specifically for stomach inflammation.
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera juice has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that may benefit an irritated stomach lining, but dosing matters. Cleveland Clinic dietitians recommend limiting intake to one cup per day. Drinking more than that can cause cramping, diarrhea, and electrolyte imbalances. If you experience any gastrointestinal side effects, cutting back to every other day or every third day is a better approach.
Look for products labeled “decolorized” or “purified,” which have had the latex component removed. Aloe latex is a potent laxative and can worsen stomach irritation rather than help it. If you don’t notice any benefit after a few weeks of regular use, there’s no reason to continue.
Plain Water and Electrolyte Drinks
Staying hydrated is foundational when your stomach is inflamed, especially if you’re dealing with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that depletes fluids. Plain water is the safest baseline. If you’ve been losing fluids, an oral rehydration solution can restore electrolyte balance more effectively than water alone. Modern formulations use a lower osmolarity (around 210 to 260 milliosmoles per liter) than older versions, which means they’re gentler on the stomach and absorb faster.
You can approximate this at home with a liter of water, a half teaspoon of salt, and six teaspoons of sugar, though commercial products offer more precise electrolyte ratios. Avoid sports drinks marketed for athletes, as these tend to be high in sugar and artificial ingredients that can aggravate an already sensitive stomach.
Why Temperature Matters
The temperature of your drink affects how quickly it moves through your stomach. In studies on healthy volunteers, cold drinks (around 4°C or 39°F) emptied from the stomach significantly more slowly than body-temperature drinks, and the delay correlated directly with how much the cold liquid dropped intragastric temperature. Warm drinks also slowed gastric emptying slightly, though the effect was less pronounced.
For an inflamed stomach, lukewarm or warm drinks are generally the best bet. Very cold beverages force your stomach to work harder to bring the liquid to body temperature, a process that takes 20 to 30 minutes. Very hot drinks can irritate already damaged tissue. Aim for comfortably warm, not steaming.
Drinks That Make Stomach Inflammation Worse
What you stop drinking can be just as important as what you start. Alcohol is the most direct irritant, capable of stripping away the protective mucus layer and triggering acute inflammation on its own. Coffee and caffeinated drinks stimulate acid production, which compounds the problem when your stomach lining is already compromised.
Interestingly, acidity alone doesn’t tell the whole story. In a study that tested nine common beverages, beer and milk triggered the greatest increase in gastric acid secretion, despite having higher pH values than sodas like Coke (pH 2.34) or 7-Up (pH 3.16). This means the chemical composition of a drink matters more than how acidic it tastes. Carbonated beverages, citrus juices, and drinks with high sugar content are all worth avoiding during a flare-up, not necessarily because of their pH, but because of how they stimulate your stomach’s acid-producing machinery.
Tomato juice, orange juice, and lemonade combine low pH with compounds that promote acid secretion, making them a double problem. If you’re dealing with active stomach inflammation, sticking to the gentler options listed above while cutting these irritants gives your stomach lining the best environment to heal.