Ginger ale could make your upset stomach worse
Soda can make stomachaches much worse
Soda can make stomachaches much worse
Soda can make stomachaches much worse
Many of us grew up being told ginger ale soothes upset stomachs, but that may not be the case. Sorry to burst any (ginger ale) bubbles, but the ginger ale many have sipped through stomach flus and hangovers is not doing anything to help your indigestion and is likely making it significantly worse.
"I think the myth comes from the name of the beverage,” says , a gastroenterologist in New York City. "People assume if it has ginger in the name, it'll likely help their stomachs."
It is true that pure to help quell nausea and vomiting, and ginger has also been used as a holistic digestion remedy. Doctors aren't exactly sure why, though they think it acts as an anti-inflammatory.
When you're drinking ginger ale, though, you're not sipping pure ginger — you're drinking fizzy sugar water with a hint of ginger "flavors," and that's where the problem lies.
The sugar issue
"I don't think the public realizes how much sugar and how little ginger is in these beverages," says Sam. For example: One little can of commercial-brand ginger ale can have 10 to 13 teaspoons of added sugar in it, yet contain only a tiny bit of natural or synthetic ginger flavoring — which, sadly, won't do anything to help your stomach.
"The reason we say to avoid sugar when you're fighting a stomach illness is because sugar actually feeds the bad bacteria in your GI tract, causing more bloating, gas and indigestion," says Sam. Even if you opt for sugar-free ginger ale, you'll still be stuck with gas and bloating, since your intestines can't digest artificial sweeteners.
Basically, ginger ale is straight fuel for your stomach's fire.
Not all ginger ales are the same and some formulas are totally natural and organic. That must be better for you, right? Unfortunately, no.
Even the natural ales that have visible chunks of ginger floating in them are still filled with sugar. That means, at best, the real ginger in the drink will only help offset some of the sugar you're ingesting. Check the label; anything above zero grams is too much sugar.
What instead?
So what should you drink instead? "It's best to get fresh ginger root from the grocery store, peel it and mix it with some decaf tea or hot water," says Sam.
Check out more health benefits of real ginger in the related video above.