This Upset Tummy Hack Actually Makes You Feel Worse

When you’re a kid, having an upset stomach is almost a once-a-month occasion. Blame it on food sensitivity, too much sugar, a bug passing through your classroom, or simply an excuse to stay in bed. In my home, the cure was simple — ginger ale, saltines, and time.

Just the other day, I had similar symptoms (a tummy-ache, nausea, and my head hurt). My husband had no problem running out to get me supplies to feel better. Without asking, he picked up ginger ale, saltines, and Tootsie Roll pops. That last one was more for morale. It didn’t make me feel instantly better stomach-wise, but it lifted my spirits. With the other two, I figured I was on the road to recovery. However, it turns out that ginger ale actually has nothing to do with curing an upset tummy. In fact, it can actually make it worse.

It’s weird to think that so many food hacks we could have sworn by just a few decades ago are proving to be false.

Remember when you avoided milk during a cold since you thought it’d make it worse? Yep, that myth was recently busted too.

But back to the ginger ale.

Delish contacted a gastroenterologist named Gina Sam to set the record straight, and Sam was quick to point out why we’ve all been misled. “I think the myth comes from the name of the beverage,” Sam said to the publication. “People assume if it has ginger in the name, it’ll likely help their stomachs.”

Ginger by itself can help, but most ginger ales don’t contain ginger. They only contain ginger flavor and a ton of carbonation and sugar.

That sugar could be responsible for making you feel even more bloated and gassy, which are two of the most unfortunate symptoms of an upset stomach. Even specialty ginger ales that state that they contain actual ginger still don’t cancel out the sugar factor. So really, sipping on a ginger ale can set you back.

Even though this news is a bummer, one thing’s for sure — nobody can take away the happy feeling we got when our parents gave us some ginger ale for an upset tummy. You can never erase an act of love.