Upset Stomach? Try Eating Applesauce

There's nothing like a terrible stomachache to put a damper on the rest of your day (or even worse, your much-anticipated weekend plans). While the Cleveland Clinic indicates how generalized abdominal pain could stem from a host of different organs near your stomach, such as your gall bladder and pancreas, Wisconsin University Health Services describes an actual stomachache as notable irritability along the stomach lining. Beyond the annoying amount of cramping and pain associated with an everyday stomachache, they can also, in some cases, lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches.

Most of us have experienced an unfortunate stomachache here and there over the years. In one 2018 study, out of 71,000 surveyed Americans, more than half reported some sort of gastrointestinal symptom ranging from chronic stomachaches to heartburn and constipation. Wisconsin University Health Systems suggests frequent hand washing and the avoidance of unrefrigerated egg and dairy products as measures of prevention. Healthline also explains that food allergies could be a potential cause of stomach upset, especially if it occurs after you eat too much garlic mushroom queso dip, peanuts, or fish. 

Lists of common food allergens are easy to find, but did you know there are foods that can help alleviate those pestering core pains? Among the additional ways to treat a stomachache at home, eating applesauce may help ease those persistent aches and pains.

You may already be familiar with the most common ways to reduce the symptoms associated with an unwavering stomachache. According to the Nebraska University Health Center, beyond the predictable suggestion to stay hydrated and avoid drinks with carbonation, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and even ginger have been found to lessen interminable stomach cramps. Apart from doing your due diligence to avoid dairy, fried, and spicy foods, you may want to try eating a cup of applesauce as well.

Whether you decide to make homemade applesauce or buy it from the supermarket, according to Health, applesauce is part of the BRAT diet, which is categorized by Healthline as a short list of easily digestible foods low in fiber that can help alleviate digestive issues. Next to bananas, rice, and toast, applesauce is recommended by Health for its gentle aid in relieving stomach issues. Applesauce has a lower fiber count, which can ease stomach cramping and improve any bowel-related symptoms. 

Additionally, applesauce contains a healthy amount of pectin, which Healthline describes as a soluble fiber that thickens when heated. This natural gelling happens in your digestive tract as well, which can pose a number of health benefits. But do raw apples pose the same healing properties, and can you substitute one for the other in your attempts to ease stomach pain?

If you're an apple fan, you may have long known the benefits of eating the often-discarded apple parts. But how does a raw apple measure up to its cooked counterpart when it comes to relieving a stomachache? 

According to Healthline, apples have a slew of health properties, including high amounts of vitamin C and potassium, as well as healthy doses of both soluble and insoluble fiber known as pectin. Apart from being used as a thickening agent in jams, the health benefits of consuming foods with naturally occurring pectin may help cure constipation and stabilize blood sugar (per Healthline).

While raw apples contain pectin, Healthpath says cooked or stewed apples create that essential thickening component that produces additional gelatinous pectin that can ease the digestive system. While both raw and cooked apples can help the body recover from a stomach bug, cooked apples in particular, especially those without the skin (per Healthpath), are easier to digest and serve as a gentle aid in lessening persistent stomach pain.