Contents
- Diarrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
- Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea
- Foods to Avoid When You Have Diarrhea
- The BRAT Diet for Diarrhea
- The Low-FODMAP Diet for Diarrhea
- The SCD Diet for Diarrhea
- The Paleo Diet for Diarrhea
- The GAPS Diet for Diarrhea
- The AIP Diet for Diarrhea
- Home Remedies for Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea, it is important to know which foods will help to stop it. This blog will provide you with the information you need to get your diarrhea under control.
Checkout this video:
Diarrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Diarrhea is characterized by frequent, watery stools that may be accompanied by cramping, bloating, gas, nausea, and fever. Diarrhea can be acute—starting suddenly and lasting for a few days—or chronic—occurring often over a period of time. Both types of diarrhea can have a range of causes.
Acute diarrhea is most commonly caused by viral gastroenteritis—also known as “stomach flu”—and usually goes away on its own within a few days. However, it can also be caused by bacterial infections or certain medications. Chronic diarrhea can be a symptom of another medical condition, such as Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
There are a few things you can do to treat diarrhea at home, including:
-Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
-Avoiding caffeine and alcohol
-Eating small, frequent meals
-Avoiding spicy, fatty, or sugary foods
– Taking over-the-counter medications such as loperamide (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol)
Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea
If you have diarrhea, you may be looking for ways to get relief fast. Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of which foods stop diarrhea, there are certain types of food that can help to firm up your stool and ease your symptoms.
Here are some examples of foods that may help to stop diarrhea:
1. Bananas: This fruit is rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that can help to add bulk to your stool and slow down diarrhea.
2. Rice: Another starchy food that can help to firm up your stool is rice. It also contains kaolin, a substance that can absorb excess fluid in the intestine and help to reduce diarrhea.
3. Applesauce: Applesauce contains pectin, like bananas, as well as other nutrients and antioxidants that can help to ease diarrhea symptoms and promote gut health.
4. Yogurt: Some types of yogurt contain probiotics, live bacteria that may help to restore the balance of microorganisms in the intestine and prevent or treat diarrhea. Look for yogurts with active or live cultures on the label.
5. Soup: Clear soups like chicken soup or vegetable broth can help to rehydrate your body when you have diarrhea, while also providing some electrolytes and other nutrients.
Foods to Avoid When You Have Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea, your body is trying to get rid of something that is irritating your digestive system. To do this, it causes muscle contractions in your intestines and bowels, which can lead to watery, loose stools.
There are a few things you can do to help ease your symptoms and get rid of the diarrhea quickly. First, it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. But, you also need to be careful about what you eat since certain foods can make your diarrhea worse.
Here are some specific examples of foods to avoid when you have diarrhea:
– Spicy foods: These can be hard to digest and can irritate your digestive system, making diarrhea worse.
– Dairy products: Milk, cheese, and other dairy products can be hard to digest when you have diarrhea and may make your symptoms worse.
– Fatty and greasy foods: These foods are hard to digest and can make your diarrhea worse.
– Foods high in fiber: Fiber can make diarrhea worse by binding to water in the intestine and making stools harder to pass.
– Raw fruits and vegetables: These contain a lot of fiber that can make diarrhea worse. They may also contain harmful bacteria that can cause an infection.
– Alcohol: Alcohol is a dehydrating fluid that can make diarrhea worse.”
The BRAT Diet for Diarrhea
The BRAT diet is a diet that has been traditionally recommended for people with diarrhea. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are bland and may help to firm up stools. The diet was commonly used before commercial oral rehydration solutions (ORS) like Pedialyte were available.
The main idea behind the BRAT diet is that these bland foods will be easy on your stomach and help to solidify your stools. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are all low in fiber, which may help to reduce stool output and make stools less watery. These foods may also help to bind stools together and make them firmer.
The BRAT diet is not a long-term solution for diarrhea. However, it may help to provide some relief from symptoms while your body heals. It is important to drink plenty of fluids while following the BRAT diet to avoid dehydration. You should also talk to your doctor if you have any other health conditions or if your symptoms persist for more than a few days.
The Low-FODMAP Diet for Diarrhea
If you have diarrhea, your first instinct may be to reach for the BRAT diet – bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are low in fiber, which can help to firm up stools. However, the BRAT diet may not be the best choice if you’re suffering from diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
IBS is a chronic condition that affects the digestive system. It’s characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. These symptoms are often triggered by certain foods.
A low-FODMAP diet has been shown to be effective in easing symptoms of IBS. FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that are difficult to digest. They are found in many common foods, such as wheat, milk, beans, lentils, onion, garlic, apples, and honey.
If you have IBS-related diarrhea, you may want to try a low-FODMAP diet. This means avoiding foods that are high in FODMAPs. You can find lists of low- and high-FODMAP foods online. Once your diarrhea has subsided, you can slowly start reintroducing high-FODMAP foods into your diet to see if they trigger your symptoms.
The SCD Diet for Diarrhea
The SCD Diet is a specific carbohydrate diet that has been used to help treat diarrhea for many years. This diet is based on the premise that certain carbohydrates are more difficult to digest than others and can cause problems in the gut, leading to diarrhea.
The SCD Diet eliminates all grains, milk, sugar, starches and processed foods from the diet and instead focuses on eating only fresh, whole foods that are easy to digest. This includes meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
There is anecdotal evidence that the SCD Diet can be helpful in treating diarrhea, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. If you are considering trying this diet, it’s important to speak with a doctor or registered dietitian first to make sure it’s right for you.
The Paleo Diet for Diarrhea
The Paleo Diet for Diarrhea is a diet that is based on the foods that our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era. This diet is high in fiber and low in fat, which makes it ideal for people who suffer from diarrhea. The Paleo Diet for Diarrhea has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of diarrhea and can even help to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
The GAPS Diet for Diarrhea
The GAPS diet is often used to treat gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. This diet is based on the premise that gut-related problems are caused by an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. The GAPS diet attempts to restore this balance by eliminating certain foods that are thought to promote bad bacteria growth and by consuming foods that contain beneficial probiotics.
The AIP Diet for Diarrhea
The AIP diet is a diet that can help lessen the symptoms of diarrhea. The diet focuses on eating anti-inflammatory foods that will help to reduce inflammation in the gut. Some of the foods that are included in the diet are:
-Fish
-Poultry
-Eggs
-Fruits
-Vegetables
-Nuts and seeds
-Oils
Home Remedies for Diarrhea
There are a few different things that you can do to treat diarrhea at home. Some people find that drinking plenty of fluids helps to ease the symptoms, while others prefer to eat certain foods that can help to harden the stool. Whatever your preference, it is important to make sure that you are staying hydrated and not becoming dehydrated. Here are some of the best home remedies for diarrhea:
Drinking plenty of fluids: This is one of the most important things that you can do when you have diarrhea. Make sure to drink plenty of water, clear broths, sports drinks, and juices. Avoid drinking coffee, alcohol, and milk as these can actually make the symptoms worse.
Eating BRAT diet: This stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These foods are all easy on the stomach and can help to firm up the stool.
Taking probiotics: Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for your gut health. They can help to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut and ease the symptoms of diarrhea. You can find probiotics in supplement form or in fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi.
Using over-the-counter medications: If you are suffering from severe diarrhea, you may want to consider taking an over-the-counter medication like loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate. These medications can help to slow down your bowel movements and ease the symptoms of diarrhea.