Tomato soup is quite delicious, and soups are known to be good if you’re sick.
When you have an upset stomach it can be difficult to keep food down.
So, in this article, I will explain whether tomato soup is good for an upset stomach.
Tomato soup is not particularly good for an upset stomach, but some people find it helps according to medical professionals.
Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, and if you consume more than about 1.5 cups of tomato soup it can give you diarrhea.
Some people have foods that they find work particularly well for them when they are sick or have an upset stomach.
But, there are some go-to foods and liquids you should consume when you have an upset stomach.
So, below I will explain why tomato soup is generally not good for diarrhea, whether tomato soup is OK if you have acid reflux, as well as, whether tomato soup is low carb/keto.
Is Tomato Soup Good When You Have Diarrhoea?
When you have about of diarrhea it will typically take care of itself within 3 hours to a day or two.
Diarrhea causes you to lose a lot of liquids which can dehydrate the body and make you feel a lot worse, so it’s important to consume a lot of liquids.
Good options are soups especially in winter, but is tomato soup good when you have diarrhea?
Tomato soup is not good when you have diarrhoea.
Tomato soup can quite easily make your diarrhea worse.
The reason is that tomatoes contain a high amount of vitamin C, and when you consume more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, it has a laxative effect.
Medical professionals recommend the best foods for diarrhea are:
- Bananas
- Cooked white rice
- Apple sauce
- Toast
And to consume a lot of water or other liquids.
There is some overlap between foods that are recommended when you have diarrhea, and foods you should consume when you have an upset stomach.
Here’s a table that shows a side by side comparison of the foods you should consume when you have either of them:
Foods that help with an upset stomach | Foods that help with diarrhea |
Bananas | Bananas |
Cooked white rice | Cooked white rice |
Apple sauce | Apple sauce |
Toast | Toast |
Sports drinks | |
Broth | |
Coconut water |
Although not stated by medical professionals, liquids such as sports drinks, broth, coconut water, and regular water are good when you have diarrhea.
As they replace liquids that you lose from having diarrhea.
On top of that, I’ve compiled a list of foods and beverages that people report help with diarrhea and an upset stomach.
What people find helps with an upset stomach | What people find helps with diarrhea |
Powerade/Gatorade | Probiotics |
Chicken noodle soup | Dry crackers |
Plain toast (not butter or spread) | Boiled potatoes with salt |
Saltine crackers | Soup and crackers |
Popsicles | Room temperature cola |
Rice | Garlic |
Sprite | Carrot juice |
Ginger Ale | Ginger |
Ginger and Ginger tea | Yogurt |
Bananas | |
Cola | |
Peppermint tea |
It seems to be a bit random what people recommend as their preferred remedies for an upset stomach and diarrhea.
But, there are some common trends.
There are:
- Crackers
- Toast
- Strong vegetables like ginger, garlic
- Drinks with electrolytes such as sports drinks
- Sodas
- Herbal tea
Pretty much all other foods should be avoided.
I personally just drink a few glasses of water, and then just eat my normal diet.
I find I get thirsty if I have diarrhea so I just drink water until I’m not thirsty anymore.
Interestingly, tomatoes contain natural acids which give them their slightly sour, tangy flavor.
I explained exactly what these acids are, whether they’re good for you, and how many of each of these acids they contain in this article about what acids are in tomatoes.
A doctor recommends additional foods for diarrhea
Here’s a video from Dr. Eric Berg where he describes some other foods that are good for diarrhea, as well as, what nutrients are lost when you have diarrhea, and some common causes:
Foods he says are good are:
- Pickles
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Berries
- Carob powder
Tomato soup can trigger diarrhea and make your diarrhea last longer
1 medium-sized tomato contains about 20% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
Consuming more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin C is known to have a laxative effect.
It takes quite a few tomatoes to make tomato soup.
And generally, the juice of fruits and vegetables contains all the same nutrients as the vegetable it’s made from except it has much less fiber.
Therefore, tomato juice has almost exactly the same vitamin C.
On average it takes 6 tomatoes to make 1 cup of tomato juice.
Therefore, if you drink one cup of tomato juice you’re getting the vitamin C of 6 tomatoes.
Since tomato soup is mostly made from tomato or tomato juice, consuming too much tomato soup can give you too much vitamin C.
But, most people find that soups especially with toast and crackers help with diarrhea and an upset stomach.
Some people, however, find that tomatoes give them a lot of gas.
I explained the reasons why in this article whether tomatoes cause gas and bloating.
Is Tomato Soup Good for Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux can be triggered by certain types of foods.
But, sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what caused it. Some foods are good for treating acid reflux, here’s whether tomato soup is good to alleviate acid reflux.
Tomato soup is good for acid reflux.
Foods that are good for acid reflux have a high water content, which tomatoes have.
But, for a small percentage of people tomatoes are a trigger food for acid reflux and so tomato soup should not be consumed.
It’s highly likely tomatoes will be good for alleviating acid reflux when you get it.
But, it’s important to monitor how you respond after consuming tomato soup the first couple of times.
If you notice it’s a trigger food for you then don’t use it as a remedy for acid reflux, and use some other vegetables to alleviate it.
Is Tomato Soup Keto?
The keto diet, or maintaining ketosis through limiting the number of carbs you consume is known to be good for certain people, and for weight loss.
Because carbs are generally quite a calorie dense.
On the keto diet each food needs to be looked into to see whether it’s high or low in carbs, so here’s whether tomato soup is keto.
Tomato soup is keto but it’s relatively high in carbs. 1 cup of tomato soup contains 16g of carbs which is 32% of the recommended daily intake of carbs on the keto diet.
Therefore, it’s not the best food on a keto diet, but can be OK depending on the other carbs you consume.
If you do consume tomato soup you will need to be quite rigid with the other foods you consume because one serving makes up ⅓ of all the carbs you can eat in a day on the keto diet.
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.