When you’re feeling nauseous, the best things to drink are clear fluids at cool or room temperature, sipped slowly in small amounts. Ginger tea, peppermint tea, clear broth, and oral rehydration solutions top the list. What matters almost as much as what you drink is how you drink it: small, frequent sips prevent your stomach from rebelling against a sudden influx of liquid.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is the most well-studied natural remedy for nausea. Its two main active compounds block a receptor in the gut called 5-HT3R, which is the same receptor that triggers the vomiting reflex. These compounds also reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and lower levels of inflammatory molecules that contribute to that sick, queasy feeling. This isn’t folk medicine; ginger works through the same pathway that prescription anti-nausea drugs target.
To make ginger tea, slice a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root and steep it in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. You can add a small amount of honey if the taste is too sharp. Pre-made ginger tea bags work too, though fresh ginger tends to contain higher concentrations of the active compounds. Flat ginger ale is a common go-to, but most commercial ginger ales contain very little actual ginger and a lot of sugar, which can make nausea worse.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint works differently from ginger. When nausea hits, the muscles in your stomach and intestines contract and spasm, which adds to that uncomfortable, unsettled feeling. The menthol in peppermint relaxes those digestive muscles, easing the spasms. The warmth of the tea itself also helps loosen tight stomach muscles.
Steep a peppermint tea bag or a handful of fresh mint leaves in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes. Even just inhaling the steam can provide some relief before you take a sip. If drinking anything feels impossible, holding a warm cup of peppermint tea near your face and breathing in the menthol is a reasonable first step.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has antispasmodic properties similar to peppermint, meaning it calms muscle contractions in the digestive tract. It also has mild sedative and anti-anxiety effects, which can help if your nausea is partly driven by stress or nervousness. Research supports chamomile as a treatment for gastrointestinal dysfunction, nausea, and vomiting in both hospitalized and postoperative patients. It’s a particularly good option for evening nausea since it won’t keep you awake.
Oral Rehydration Solutions
If you’ve been vomiting or dealing with nausea for more than a few hours, replacing lost fluids and electrolytes becomes the priority. Plain water is fine for mild nausea, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium your body loses through vomiting. Oral rehydration solutions are designed with a specific ratio of sugar and salt that helps your intestines absorb water more efficiently than water alone.
You can buy premade solutions like Pedialyte, or make one at home using the World Health Organization formula: 4 and a quarter cups of water, half a teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until everything dissolves. It won’t taste great, but it’s the most effective way to rehydrate when your stomach is struggling.
Clear Broth
Chicken, vegetable, or bone broth provides electrolytes (especially sodium) along with a small amount of calories, which helps if you haven’t been able to eat. Broth is easy on the stomach and warm enough to relax digestive muscles without being so hot that it irritates an already sensitive gut. It also gives you something that tastes more like food, which can be psychologically helpful when everything else sounds unappealing. Stick with low-fat varieties, since fat slows stomach emptying and can intensify nausea.
Rice Water
Rice water is a traditional remedy that works well when nausea comes with diarrhea. It’s gentle, starchy, and soothing to an irritated stomach lining. Research has shown it helps with stomach upset, particularly in cases of gastroenteritis. To make it, boil rice in more water than you normally would (roughly one part rice to three parts water), then strain the cloudy liquid and let it cool to room temperature before sipping.
How to Sip When You Feel Sick
The biggest mistake people make is drinking too much too fast. A full glass of anything, even water, can stretch the stomach and trigger vomiting. Start with just one teaspoon to one tablespoon of liquid at a time. If that stays down, gradually increase the amount. For adults, the goal is to work up to about 6 to 8 ounces per hour, but only as tolerated.
If you vomit after drinking, wait 30 to 60 minutes before trying again. Then restart with the smallest amount: a single teaspoon. This cycle of sipping, waiting, and slowly increasing is more effective than forcing yourself to drink a full cup.
Temperature matters too. Ice-cold drinks can shock the stomach lining and slow digestion. Very hot liquids can irritate it. Cool or room-temperature fluids are generally the easiest to keep down. If you’re drinking tea, let it cool until it’s warm but not steaming.
What to Avoid
Some drinks that seem helpful actually make nausea worse. Sports drinks like Gatorade are hypertonic, meaning they contain a higher concentration of sugar and electrolytes than your body’s own fluids. This imbalance can increase pressure in the stomach and delay emptying, which intensifies nausea. If you want electrolytes, a proper oral rehydration solution is a better choice.
Other drinks to skip:
- Soda and carbonated drinks. Carbonation adds gas to an already upset stomach. Flat ginger ale is marginally better, but most brands contain more high-fructose corn syrup than ginger.
- Fruit juice. The high sugar content draws water into the intestines, which can worsen diarrhea and nausea. If you want juice, dilute it with at least an equal amount of water.
- Coffee and caffeinated tea. Caffeine stimulates stomach acid production and can speed up gut contractions, both of which amplify nausea.
- Milk and dairy-based drinks. Fat and lactose are difficult to digest when your stomach is already struggling.
- Alcohol. It irritates the stomach lining, promotes dehydration, and slows gastric emptying.
Signs of Dehydration to Watch For
Nausea that prevents you from keeping any fluids down for an extended period can lead to dehydration. In adults, the warning signs include dark-colored urine, urinating much less than usual, extreme thirst, dizziness, confusion, and skin that doesn’t spring back quickly when you pinch it on the back of your hand. In children, look for a dry mouth, no tears when crying, no wet diapers for three hours or more, sunken eyes, and unusual irritability or sleepiness.
If you or a child can’t keep any fluids down, if diarrhea has lasted more than 24 hours, or if you notice a fever above 102°F alongside these symptoms, that combination typically requires medical attention. Intravenous fluids can rehydrate you far faster than anything you sip at home.