Foods to eat during diarrhea

Consuming bland meals can help reduce diarrhea, which is characterized by loose or watery stools. A diarrhea diet seeks to firm up stools while limiting items that might make them watery.

The BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) helps to firm up stool and reduce stomach distress. Avoid fried and fatty meals, coffee, soda, and dairy items. Soluble fiber-rich foods like potatoes, bananas, and refined wheat absorb moisture in the stomach and impede digestion, whereas insoluble fiber-rich foods like bran, fruits, and whole grains speed up digestion.

This blog contains a list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea:

Bananas:

Banana is considered the best fruit for diarrhea since it contains potassium, which replenishes electrolytes lost during sickness. The fruit is gentle on the stomach and firm up stools, while the resistant starch draws moisture out and alleviates diarrhea symptoms.

White Rice:

Plain white rice is a low-fiber, bland food that bulks up stools and contains readily digested carbs that can ease diarrhea. It is mild on the digestive tract and offers energy, making it more digestible than high-fiber grains such as brown rice and whole grains.

Applesauce:

Unsweetened applesauce is a healthier alternative to raw apples due to its simple digestion and soluble fiber content. It bulks up stools and includes pectin, which promotes bowel movement to reduce diarrhea. 

Plain Toast:

Toasted white bread without butter or spreads can absorb excess fluid in the intestines and provide substance without creating digestive distress. Add bananas, peanut butter, or applesauce for extra taste. Plain crackers produced from white flour or gluten-free low-fiber flour are easy to digest foods you can consume to avoid diarrhea.

Boiled Potatoes:

Boiled or mashed potatoes, without extra seasonings or butter, are one of the best foods for loose motion. They are a good source of complex carbohydrates, easy to digest, and serve as a moderate, starchy base for meals. They also include potassium, which is an electrolyte lost during diarrhea.

Lean Proteins:

Consume readily digested, lean proteins such as grilled chicken, turkey, and fish. These protein sources are less prone to irritate the digestive tract and may aid in muscle repair and recovery, and thus, are foods that can ease diarrhea.

Oatmeal:

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which can reduce diarrhea since it aids in intestinal absorption and firming stools. To reduce diarrhea, it is advisable to avoid high-fiber toppings and instead eat plain oats.

Boiled Carrots:

Carrots, boiled or steamed, are excellent foods for diarrhea since they replenish your vitamin and mineral levels. They are soft on the stomach and provide critical nutrients without adding extra fiber.

Fluids:

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, thus it is critical to replace fluids. Low-fat and low-fiber chicken broth and vegetable soups, excellent sources of water and electrolytes, are the best drinks for diarrhea. Drinking plenty of liquids, such as water, clear broths, electrolyte-enhanced water, coconut water, Pedialyte solutions, and weak decaffeinated tea, will help reduce diarrhea. Limit caffeinated drink intake to avoid diarrhea.

Pretzels:

Pretzels and salty snacks, such as tortilla chips are foods to reduce diarrhea since they are low in fiber but high in sodium, an electrolyte lost during diarrhea. Snacking on saltine crackers or pretzels delivers a rapid source of sodium while being mild on the stomach.

Probiotics:

Probiotics, or "good" bacteria, help reduce diarrhea by breaking down the toxic toxins generated by unhealthy bacteria. They assist in reestablishing a healthy gut microbiota, which aids digestion. Yogurt, kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi are probiotic-rich foods to ease diarrhea. Consuming these foods can assist the gut in recovering from diarrheal illnesses since the live bacteria in probiotics replenish good intestinal bacteria.

OTC Medicines:

People can take over-the-counter drugs like loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol) to ease diarrhea as long as they don't have any serious symptoms like a high temperature or blood in their stool.