Diarrhea and your diet
Diarrhea means bowel movements with loose stools several times during a single day. It can last from a few days to a month depending on the cause. Diarrhea can occur due to infections, medication use, other diseases and food allergies and intolerances. In fact, a person’s diet and diarrhea are closely linked together.
Correlation between diet and diarrhea
A person’s diet can cause diarrhea. The ideal diarrhea diet can provide relief from the symptoms.
Unsuitable food for diarrhea can also worsen the condition.
- Many individuals are intolerant to certain food groups. Consuming those foods can cause loose stools as well other intestinal discomforts. Common triggers include dairy and gluten. Dairy contains lactose, and some people are not able to digest it. Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat, rye and barley and other food products. If the body can’t tolerate these substances, it can cause problems in the intestines. And diarrhea is a common symptom of most digestive issues.
- You can eat certain foods to stop diarrhea or find some relief from the symptoms. White rice, bananas, white bread, potatoes, plain yogurt (the only dairy product to eat during diarrhea) and applesauce can help alleviate diarrheal symptoms. You can also include tomato soup, steamed carrots, baked chicken and celery in your diarrhea diet to improve your condition.
- Certain foods in your diarrhea diet can worsen the condition. These include fatty foods, spicy foods, nuts, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, milk, cheese, sour cream, beans, broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetables that can cause bloating.
- Some people can also develop diarrhea due to high sugar intake. Even artificial sweeteners are not gut-friendly foods and can trigger diarrhea bouts.
- Some people cannot digest fatty and spicy foods well. These individuals can develop diarrhea every time they eat foods high in fats and spices.
The solution
- For people with food intolerances and allergies, the only way to keep diarrhea away is to avoid the trigger foods.
- Consult your doctor to find relief from chronic diarrhea.
A good diarrhea diet can ease the symptoms in a short amount of time.
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