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Foods for Diarrhea: What to Eat and Avoid

Dealing with diarrhea can be a frustrating and uncomfortable experience. It’s a common digestive issue that can be caused by a range of factors, including food intolerances, infections, and certain medications. While it’s important to stay hydrated and consult a doctor if symptoms persist, choosing the right foods can also help manage the symptoms of diarrhea.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the foods that can help alleviate diarrhea symptoms and those that should be avoided. We’ll look at the science behind why certain foods are helpful or harmful and provide tips on how to incorporate them into your diet.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber, such as oats, bananas, and applesauce, can help absorb excess water in the digestive tract and firm up stools. Probiotic-rich foods, such as yogurt and kefir, can also help replenish the gut with healthy bacteria that aid digestion.

On the other hand, certain foods can make diarrhea symptoms worse. These include high-fat and spicy foods, dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol. We’ll discuss why these foods should be avoided and provide alternatives that are easier on the digestive system.

While everyone’s digestive system is unique, making conscious food choices can help manage diarrhea symptoms and promote overall gut health. By following the recommendations in this blog post, you can take control of your digestive health and reduce the discomfort associated with diarrhea.

What to eat

You should prioritize foods that are high in soluble fiber and lean protein, like: Os alimentos que devem ser priorizados na dieta são aqueles com fibra solúvel e as proteínas magras, como:

  • Peeled fruit, like pears, bananas, apples, guava, passionfruit, peaches, and lemon
  • Fresh vegetables, like squash, celery, potato, yams, carrot, eggplant, and asparagus
  • Lean protein, like chicken, white fish, eggs, tofu, and lean cuts of beef
  • Grains with less fiber, like white rice, white bread, and white pasta

In addition, coconut water is a great resource to replace any lost potassium and sodium. These nutrients are important for many body functions but are excreted in large amounts with diarrhea.

Tars without caffeine, like lemon balm, chamomile, and rosemary tea are important to increase fluid intake. These teas have soothing effects that help with digestion and relieve discomfort.

What to avoid

You should avoid certain foods that can worsen diarrhea, like:

  • Fatty foods, like milk and other dairy products, fried food, butter, and heavy cream
  • Fruit peels, from pears, apples, plums, and peaches
  • Nuts, like walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts
  • Whole grains, like whole wheat rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and oatmeal
  • Leafy vegetables, like lettuce, arugula, kale, spinach, chard, and watercress
  • Foods that increase gas, like beans, radishes, chickpeas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lentils, cucumber, sweet potato, and Brussels sprouts
  • Fatty meats, like bacon, lamb, pork, and rump steak
  • Processed foods, like soda, premade sauces (like ketchup and mayonnaise), ice cream, and instant pasta
  • Spices, like pepper, curry, garlic, and onion
  • Cured meat, like sausage, prociutto, salami and mortadella
  • Sweets, like sugar, hello, chocolate, cookies, dried fruit, and canned fruit

You should avoid fruit smoothies as well, as these contain high levels of fructose, which can stimulate intestinal contractions and worsen diarrhea. Drinks with caffeine should also be avoided during bouts of diarrhea, as they can irritate the stomach and increase loose stools.

Read more about which foods cause gas and bloating so that you can avoid them.

3-day diet menu for diarrhea

The following table outlines a sample menu that you can follow when you have diarrhea:

Meal Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Breakfast 1 cup of unsweetened chamomile tea + 1 french bun with 1 egg Rice porridge 3 crackers + 1 cup of rice milk
Morning snack 1 baked pear, peeled 1 medium slice of melon 1 banana
Lunch Chicken soup with carrot, zucchini, and rice Vegetable soup with potato, squash, and shredded chicken Rice boiled with chicken and zucchini + baked potato
Afternoon snack Corn porridge 1 French bun + 1 cup of unsweetened lemon balm tea 1 cup of soy milk + 2 crackers
Dinner Mash potatoes with grilled fish + 1 peeled peach Carrot mash with a baked potato + 1 peeled peach Cooked pasta + grilled meat + boiled carrots and asparagus + baked potato

This menu is just an example. It is important to seek a medical consult to identify the possible causes of diarrhea and to start treatment as necessary. Check out the common causes of diarrhea and how to treat it.

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