Knowing What Foods Are Best to Eat with Diarrhea can Help One Prevent Complications

Diarrhea is a condition wherein a person suffers from three or more liquid bowel movements in a day. Diarrhea can cause electrolyte imbalance and dehydration due to the loss of liquids. Diarrhea can be fatal, as it is a very common cause of death in most poor countries. It is also the leading cause of deaths among infants around the world. While there are treatment options for diarrhea, particularly oral rehydration salts, eating certain foods are ideal in the management of the condition.

Want to know what foods are best to eat with diarrhea? There are certain foods and herbs that stand out like bananas, applesauce, tea, toast, and yogurt. Examples of herbal remedies for diarrhea are cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and brown rice.

Bananas

Bananas contain the high levels of potassium needed to replace the potassium lost during each loose bowel movement or diarrhea. Bananas also furnish a good mix of starch and sugar that are essential in firming stools.

Apples and Tea

Applesauce, or even apples, are good sources of pectin, which is a natural agent for bulking bowel movements. Likewise, teas such as black or green teas can replace the fluids lost while a person has diarrhea. However, one should not take apple juice as a replacement for raw apples or applesauce, because apple juice works as a natural laxative. Teas should be decaffeinated. Herbal teas are not recommended, since they may prolong the condition. Adding sugar, honey, or milk in teas should be avoided.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains natural live cultures, which help restore intestinal balance. The body lacks good bacteria in the stomach after one or two days of diarrhea, and the depletion of these beneficial bacteria only prolongs the agony. When the body replaces the missing good bacteria with the live cultures found in yogurt, it restores its intestinal balance. Likewise, yogurt supplies large amounts of protein, which are required by the body to stop loose bowel movements.

Rice and Toast

Brown rice should be eaten instead of white rice. This is because brown rice contains more dietary fiber content than white rice, and this fiber content adds bulk to the bowel movement, and lessens the frequency of diarrhea. Likewise, whole wheat toast can also help in controlling diarrhea, due to its fiber content.

Herbal remedies

Herbal remedies provide a natural way of controlling diarrhea. For instance, a 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon can be mixed with a teaspoon of nutmeg and honey in a cup of milk, and then be taken during mealtime. Cinnamon can also be mixed with cayenne pepper by mixing it with boiling water. The mixture should be simmered for 20 minutes and cooled. At least ¼ cup of the mixture should be taken every half hour to control the diarrhea; said remedies help in tightening the bowel.

Individuals suffering from diarrhea should consult their physicians for proper and prompt evaluation, and to learn what foods are best to eat with diarrhea. The complications of diarrhea are often preventable if one follows his doctor’s instructions.

References

WiseGEEK: Which Foods Help Relieve Diarrhea?

Life123: The Best Foods to Eat For Diarrhea