Diarrhea, or having more than three loose or watery stools per day, can happen for a variety of reasons. While it’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, diarrhea can usually be managed at home with rest, plenty of fluids, and the easily digested foods that make up the diarrhea diet.
Benefits
If you have diarrhea and other symptoms (like nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloating), temporarily following a limited diet of easily digested foods reduces stress on your digestive system and gives your bowels a chance to rest, so you can recover. The diarrhea diet also encourages you to restore your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance.
Simple food choices decrease the amount of waste or residue in your colon, meaning you’ll have fewer and less frequent bowel movements. The slower transit time reduces diarrhea and helps your body stay nourished. (When food is moving through your digestive tract too quickly, it’s harder for your intestines to pull out all the nutrients.)
The diarrhea diet has a lot in common with the well-known BRAT diet, which is used for a variety of gastrointestinal concerns. BRAT is an acronym for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. You’ll find these items along with others on the list of approved diarrhea-diet foods.
How It Works
Duration
You will probably only need to stick to the diarrhea diet for a few days—a good thing, especially since compliant foods don’t supply enough nutritional variety for this eating plan to be considered healthy long term.
As you begin to feel better, you can start easing back into a well-rounded diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You may need a week to 14 days to fully transition back to your normal diet.
What to Eat
White bread or toast
Broth
Coconut water
Plain pasta
White potato (peeled)
Bananas
White rice
Canned pears
Farina
Applesauce
Eggs (soft-cooked)
Low-fat yogurt
Chicken breast (skinless)
Soda crackers
Decaffeinated tea (weakly brewed)
Pretzels
Dairy products (except yogurt)
Fried, fatty, or spicy meat
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Beans and legumes
Raw vegetables
Corn
Onion and garlic
Potato chips
Sugar-free candy or gum
Cabbage and broccoli
Dried fruit
Nut butters
Carbonated drinks
Coffee
Citrus fruit and juice
Alcohol
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