Small, slow sips of clear fluids are your best starting point when nausea hits. The specific drink matters less than how you drink it: a few sips every few minutes, rather than gulping a full glass, keeps your stomach from stretching and triggering more discomfort. Once you can tolerate small amounts, certain beverages can actively help calm nausea and prevent dehydration from making things worse.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is one of the most reliable options for settling an upset stomach. The oils in peppermint act as a muscle relaxant on the digestive tract, reducing the spasms and cramping that often accompany nausea. A 2023 review found peppermint oil to be a safe herbal remedy for gastrointestinal issues including indigestion, with antispasmodic effects on multiple parts of the gut. Brewing a cup of peppermint tea delivers a milder version of this effect, and even inhaling the steam before you drink can help.
If hot tea feels like too much, let it cool to room temperature or brew it cold. The goal is getting peppermint’s active compounds into your system without the heat aggravating your stomach further.
Lemon Water
A glass of water with fresh lemon juice works on nausea from two directions at once. The citric acid in lemon juice promotes the wave-like contractions your gut uses to move food along and boosts digestive secretions. One 2022 study found that lemon juice consumption increased the rate at which the stomach emptied by 1.5 times, which directly addresses the sluggish digestion that often causes nausea in the first place.
The scent itself also plays a role. Your sense of smell has a direct line to the part of the brain involved in regulating nausea. Strong citrus aromas can essentially distract the brain from nauseating signals, a phenomenon called counter-stimulation. This is why some people feel better just from cutting a lemon in half and breathing it in. Over time, your brain can even learn to associate the smell of citrus with nausea relief, making it more effective the more you use it.
Keep the lemon water dilute. A quarter of a lemon squeezed into a full glass of water is plenty. Too much citric acid on an empty, irritated stomach can backfire.
Ginger Tea
Ginger has centuries of use behind it and solid clinical evidence to match. It works by speeding up gastric emptying and suppressing the receptors in your gut that send nausea signals to the brain. You can make ginger tea by steeping a few thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water for five to ten minutes, or use a store-bought ginger tea bag. Fresh ginger tends to be more potent.
Ginger is also one of the few herbal options considered safe during pregnancy. Studies confirm it can help ease morning sickness when consumed in moderate amounts. Peppermint tea is similarly cleared for pregnancy, though very large quantities of either should be avoided.
Clear Broth
When nausea has lasted a while, or if you’ve been vomiting, your body loses sodium and potassium along with fluid. Plain water replaces the fluid but not the electrolytes, which is where clear broth excels. Chicken, vegetable, or bone broth provides sodium and potassium in an easy-to-digest liquid that also delivers a small amount of calories to stabilize blood sugar.
Broth is especially useful when the thought of eating anything solid feels impossible. It sits in the category between “just water” and “actual food,” giving your body nutrients without demanding much from your digestive system. Warm broth can also be soothing in the same way tea is, relaxing the muscles around the stomach. If store-bought broth tastes too salty when you’re feeling queasy, dilute it with water until it’s tolerable.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes, with roughly 470 milligrams of potassium and 30 milligrams of sodium per cup. That potassium content is notably high, making it useful for rehydration after vomiting or diarrhea. Research from Ohio State University found that coconut water is better than plain water for recovery from fluid loss, though it’s not necessarily superior to a proper oral rehydration solution or sports drink.
The mild, slightly sweet taste is often easier to tolerate than strongly flavored drinks. If you find plain water hard to keep down, coconut water can be a good middle ground.
Oral Rehydration Solutions
If nausea is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea, an oral rehydration solution (sold under brands like Pedialyte or Drip Drop) is the most effective option for preventing dehydration. These are specifically formulated with the right balance of sugar, sodium, and potassium to help your body absorb fluid quickly. They work far better than sodas, juice, or sports drinks for actual rehydration during illness.
You don’t need to be severely dehydrated to benefit. Even mild fluid loss can make nausea worse, creating a cycle where feeling sick prevents you from drinking, and not drinking makes you feel sicker. Breaking that cycle early with a properly balanced solution helps more than most people realize.
Why Flat Soda Is a Bad Choice
The old advice to sip flat ginger ale or cola when you’re nauseous is surprisingly misguided. Carbonated drinks contain almost no sodium or potassium, the two electrolytes your body needs most when it’s losing fluids. More importantly, the sugar concentration in cola is roughly five times higher than what’s in an oral rehydration solution. That excess sugar actually pulls water into the gut through osmosis, which can worsen dehydration rather than help it.
A review published in Archives of Disease in Childhood concluded that carbonated drinks, whether flat or fizzy, provide inadequate fluid and electrolyte replacement and should not be recommended. If you like ginger ale for the ginger flavor, you’re better off drinking actual ginger tea, which gives you the anti-nausea benefits of ginger without the sugar load.
How to Sip When You Can Barely Tolerate Anything
The volume and pace of drinking matters as much as what you choose. Start with about a teaspoon (roughly 3 milliliters) at a time. If that stays down, gradually increase the amount every few minutes. Gulping even a quarter glass can overwhelm an already irritated stomach and bring everything right back up.
Cool or room-temperature liquids tend to be better tolerated than very hot or very cold ones, though some people find ice-cold water numbing enough to reduce the urge to vomit. Experiment with what your body accepts. If you’re planning to eat once the nausea subsides, stop drinking about 15 to 30 minutes before and after the meal. A stomach full of liquid right before eating can trigger another wave of nausea.
Staying hydrated is the single most important thing you can do while waiting for nausea to pass. Even when nothing sounds appealing, small consistent sips of any clear fluid will keep you from sliding into dehydration, which only makes nausea harder to shake.