Dealing with a bout of diarrhoea is not only inconvenient, but it can also be extremely uncomfortable. This is because during a bout of diarrhoea, your body tends to lose not just water but essential nutrients and salts. This can leave you feeling drained and dehydrated. While medication can help to manage the symptoms, what you eat and drink can also have a big impact on your recovery.
In this blog, we explore the best food to eat when you have diarrhoea and unpack what to drink for a running stomach to help you on your way to feeling better.
When you have diarrhoea, you tend to lose a significant amount of water. When you have diarrhoea, the body doesn’t have time to absorb the water like usual, often leading to dehydration. This makes increasing your fluid intake very important.
When it comes to hydration, it is hard to beat water. Besides being very good for you, water also helps to replace lost fluid without any added sugar or chemicals getting in the way.
In addition to losing water, when you have diarrhoea you also lose important salts called electrolytes. Most adults can get away without replacing these immediately, although it may make you feel better. However, babies and young children should alternate between water and drinks that contain electrolytes. These include over-the-counter rehydration drinks.
Clear broths may not be suitable to combat dehydration on their own, but they can offer some hydration benefits along with offering easy-to-digest nutrients, electrolytes, and important calories.
There is some evidence to suggest that herbal teas like ginger tea can be beneficial when you have an upset stomach, helping to soothe diarrhoea and other gut symptoms.
When dealing with a bout of diarrhoea, it is important to look for foods that are easy to digest and don’t cause any more irritation in your gut. Below are some good options to try:
Bananas can be a great option when you're dealing with diarrhoea, and form part of the BRAT (banana, rice, apple sauce, and toast) diet, a specialised diet recommended by some doctors to treat diarrhoea and other stomach complaints. They are easy to digest and can help restore the potassium that your body loses and contain pectin to help absorb excess liquid in the intestine. The soft texture of bananas also makes them easy to consume, even when you have a reduced appetite.
Cooked apple, which can be bought in the form of apple sauce, is another excellent food choice during diarrhoea. It is gentle on the stomach and provides a fair amount of calories and nutrients. Apples also contain pectin, a soluble fibre that takes the body longer to digest. This pectin can help reduce the speed of the gut and create more solid stools.
The final two elements in the BRAT diet are rice and toast, both belonging to the starch family. Foods rich in starch are generally easy on the digestive system and can help form more solid stools. Boiled potatoes, unseasoned crackers, and hot cereals are also great options. These foods are not only bland, which reduces the risk of upsetting your stomach further, but also provide a good source of energy.
When you have diarrhoea you not only lose water and salts, but you also lose a significant amount of the bacteria in your gut, causing an imbalance called dysbiosis. Restoring this balance is an important step to feeling better. Yogurt and kefir are particularly beneficial for the digestive system, thanks to the active cultures known as probiotics. While these beneficial bacteria help to restore the gut flora, the dairy can irritate the digestive system.
Recently, anti-diarrhoeal medication, Tasectan has launched a first of its kind product, Tasectan Duo, to help address this problem. Tasectan Duo is unique in that it combines a clinically proven anti-diarrhoeal medication with six known beneficial probiotic strains. This helps to reduce the symptoms of diarrhoea while also helping to replenish gut flora, helping you to feel better faster.
Diarrhoea is an unfortunately common and uncomfortable ailment that can impact your quality of life during a bout. Thankfully, diarrhoea is manageable with the right balance of hydration, diet, and medication. By focusing on easy-to-digest foods and ensuring proper hydration, you can overcome symptoms and restore your digestive health, helping you feel better faster. Remember to always consult your healthcare practitioner if your symptoms persist or in the case of diarrhoea in a young child or elderly person.
