About Diarrhea
Diarrhea is perhaps one of the most annoying and disabling condition that one can suffer. If an individual has diarrhea it may become impossible for him or her to go to a social gathering or at work as it may become a cause for embarrassment with frequent visits to the bathroom and the weakness that it carries with it is also something that can put an individual in bed and not do anything. Diarrhea can be caused by anything ranging from a viral illness to eating something which was just not right for the stomach.
One question that frequently comes to mind is what to eat during diarrhea in order to stay hydrated and recover from the weakness caused due to diarrhea. It should be noted here that diarrhea caused by medical conditions like an irritable bowel syndrome may not be effectively treated by the diet plan mentioned below.
What to Eat During Diarrhea?
The best food to eat for diarrhea is the BRAT Diet which stands for Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.
Bananas: Bananas are quite effective for diarrhea as they are quite easy to digest by the stomach. It also contains high amounts of potassium which do the work of replenishing the electrolytes that are lost due to persistent loose stools. They are also rich in pectin which helps in absorbing liquid in the intestines and allows the stool to move more smoothly and make them well formed thus decreasing the frequency of diarrhea. Another substance found in bananas is inulin which promotes growth of good bacteria in the intestines which may also help in treating the underlying cause of the diarrhea.
White Rice: White Rice is also quite an effective diet for diarrhea as it is soft and is easily digested. This helps in decreasing the frequency of diarrhea. It also helps to bind the stools and make them firmer.
Applesauce: Applesauce has a rich source of pectin but it is recommended to cook the applesauce as it is much easier then for the stomach to digest and the pectin helps in controlling the diarrhea.
White Bread Toast: Even though whole bread has more health benefits than white bread but when you have diarrhea then white bread is the diet of choice which is easy to digest as it has very less fiber and helps in controlling diarrhea.
Mashed Potatoes: Mashed white potatoes have very less fiber and hence are easily digested by the stomach. You should make sure to eat the potatoes bland and not add any butter or other ingredients in it as it will make it that much harder for the stomach to digest and even make the symptoms worse.
Yogurt: It is recommended that one should avoid dairy products when having diarrhea but yogurt is an exception as it contains host of good bacteria or probiotics which is good for the stomach. Try having yogurt that has live bacteria, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Do not take any yogurt preparations that have added sweeteners as they may be hard for the stomach to digest and may aggravate the symptoms. So, it is important to read the label carefully before buying yogurt especially when you are suffering from a condition like diarrhea.
Blueberries: This is yet another good food to eat when having diarrhea. It contains tannins which are helpful in reducing inflammation. They also contain Anthocyanosides which have antibacterial properties and are also a powerful antioxidant which help with the symptoms of diarrhea and may even help in treating the underlying cause of it.
Chicken Soup: This is an extremely good diet for diarrhea. It is not only soothing for the tongue it also contains proteins and other nutrients and electrolytes that are replenished as a lot of proteins and electrolytes are lost during diarrhea and hence is quite an effective diet for Diarrhea.
