There are plenty of food-related urban legends out there. Does chewing gum stay in our stomachs for seven years? Will a watermelon grow inside our body if we eat the seeds? We know that neither one of those is true, but what about this one: Can drinking soda prevent motion sickness?
Soda Helps Quell One Symptom of Motion Sickness
If you scour the web for the answer, you’ll probably find a lot of cruise ship websites and travel blogs touting soda as a quick and easy remedy for motion sickness. After all, many cruisers experience problems during their adventure and want quick relief for seasickness. When your options are limited on a ship or at any other travel destination, drinking soda sounds like a perfect solution.
The reason people recommend drinking soda is because of nausea that results from motion sickness, one of its primary symptoms. When the stomach is upset, the carbonation in soda can relieve gas build-up and dilute acids that cause queasiness. At the same time, the water and sugars replenish your body with vital liquids and nutrients.
If you do decide to drink soda, ginger ale that uses real ginger is your best bet (not as an artificial flavoring, but actual ginger root). That’s because ginger has been a well-known, traditional natural remedy for motion sickness for many years.
But Soda Doesn’t Prevent Motion Sickness or Help Your Health
While drinking soda may help quell nausea, it doesn’t solve the root problem: preventing motion sickness. The cold sweats that typically accompany motion sickness, as well as any headaches or fatigue, cannot be tamed by drinking carbonated soda.
Some doctors recommend drinking flat soda flat instead of carbonated, but the aim is the same (simply ease feelings of nausea) and the process can lead to adverse health effects. Just check out this Health section article from the New York Times that says, “Flat soda… can do more harm than good”.
Ginger is a great alternative, but trying to get it through ginger ale isn’t the best choice. In order to get the amount of ginger you’d need to be effective, you would have to drink a significant amount of the soft drink. While a small amount of ginger ale might help initially quell the stomach, a large amount may have a reverse effect on your health given all the sugars and artificial ingredients.
Prevent Motion Sickness With An Easy Natural Remedy That Works
If you want a natural remedy that prevents motion sickness and all its symptoms, you need to look for other easy solutions. There are many alternatives to drinking soda, including ginger. One of the best-known natural remedies is Motioneaze. You dab it once or twice behind the ear, rub it into your skin, and within 5 minutes you can prevent (or relieve) motion sickness. Now you no longer need to believe in urban legends!
