While no single food can instantly stop diarrhea, certain foods can help soothe your stomach and firm up loose stools. For many experiencing diarrhea, a temporary diet of gentle, binding foods can significantly ease symptoms.
The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) is a well-known approach. However, many other easily digestible foods can be beneficial, such as soft-cooked eggs, low-fat yogurt, clear broths, plain pasta, and saltine crackers.
It’s also crucial to stay hydrated and know when to seek medical advice if your diarrhea becomes severe or persists.
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Best Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea
A diet to manage diarrhea is often straightforward because the impact of food choices is quite noticeable and rapid. This dietary approach is designed for short-term relief.
For optimal results, consume smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than large meals, which can put added stress on your digestive system.
Foods Recommended for Diarrhea:
- White Bread or Toast: Easily digestible and low in fiber, white bread and toast are gentle on the stomach.
- Clear Broth: Provides hydration and electrolytes without being heavy or difficult to digest.
- Coconut Water: A natural source of electrolytes, helping to replenish those lost due to diarrhea.
- Plain Pasta: Simple and easy to digest, offering a source of carbohydrates for energy.
- White Potato (peeled): Peeled potatoes are bland and a good source of potassium, which is important to replace during diarrhea.
- Bananas: Part of the BRAT diet, bananas are easily digestible and rich in potassium.
- White Rice: Another component of the BRAT diet, white rice is easily digested and helps to bind stools.
- Canned Pears: Canned fruits are generally easier to digest than fresh fruits due to their softer texture and lower fiber content.
- Farina (milled wheat): A hot cereal that is gentle on the stomach and easy to digest.
- Applesauce: Cooked apples are easier to digest than raw apples and the pectin can help to firm stools.
- Eggs (soft-cooked): A good source of protein that is easily digestible when cooked softly.
- Low-Fat Yogurt: Probiotics in yogurt can help restore gut health, but ensure it’s low-fat and dairy is tolerated.
- Chicken Breast (skinless): Lean protein that is easily digestible when skinless and simply cooked.
- Saltine Crackers: Bland and salty, these can help settle the stomach and provide sodium.
- Decaffeinated Tea (weakly brewed): Provides hydration and can be soothing to the stomach.
- Pretzels: Offer salt and are generally easy to digest in small quantities.
Foods to Avoid During Diarrhea:
- Dairy (except yogurt): Lactose in most dairy products can be difficult to digest and worsen diarrhea.
- Fried, Fatty, or Spicy Food: These can irritate the digestive system and exacerbate diarrhea.
- Whole Grains: High in insoluble fiber, which can stimulate bowel movements and worsen diarrhea.
- Nuts and Seeds: High in fiber and fat, making them harder to digest during diarrhea.
- Beans and Legumes: Can cause gas and bloating, and are harder to digest when experiencing diarrhea.
- Raw Vegetables: Difficult to digest and high in insoluble fiber, which can aggravate diarrhea.
- Corn: Can be difficult to digest due to its high fiber content.
- Onion and Garlic: Can be irritating to the digestive system for some people during diarrhea.
- Potato Chips: High in fat and salt, and offer little nutritional value.
- Sugar-free Candy: Artificial sweeteners can have a laxative effect and worsen diarrhea.
- Cabbage and Broccoli: Cruciferous vegetables known to cause gas and bloating.
- Dried Fruit: Concentrated source of sugar and fiber, which can be hard to digest.
- Nut Butters: High in fat and fiber, making them difficult to digest.
- Carbonated Drinks: Can cause gas and bloating, and may irritate the stomach.
- Coffee: Caffeine can stimulate bowel movements and worsen diarrhea.
- Citrus Fruit and Juice: Acidic and can irritate the digestive system.
- Alcohol: Can dehydrate and irritate the digestive system, worsening diarrhea.
Specific Food Recommendations for Diarrhea Relief
Bananas and Applesauce: These are excellent choices when you have diarrhea. Bananas are bland, easily digestible, and a good source of potassium, an essential electrolyte lost during diarrhea. Applesauce is preferable to raw apples as the skin of apples contains insoluble fiber, which can worsen diarrhea. Applesauce also contains pectin, which helps to bind stools.
Boiled or Steamed Vegetables: Cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw ones. Peel vegetables and remove seeds before cooking them thoroughly. Peeled and boiled potatoes, carrots, and squash are good options. Avoid cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, as they can cause gas and bloating.
Grains: Easily digestible hot cereals like farina are often fortified with vitamins. Oats are also a good source of soluble fiber, which can help to firm up stools. Refined wheat products like white bread, plain pasta, saltines, and pretzels are also helpful for binding stools. Avoid whole grains, nuts, and seeds as they can worsen diarrhea.
Yogurt and Kefir: While most dairy is best avoided, yogurt with live cultures can be beneficial due to probiotics. Probiotics help restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut, aiding digestion. Kefir is another probiotic-rich dairy option. Steer clear of other dairy products like milk and cheese until your diarrhea improves, as lactose can be difficult to digest and can aggravate diarrhea.
Lean Meats: Plain, white-meat chicken is a good protein source when you have diarrhea. Lean cuts of turkey, beef, pork, and fish are also acceptable. Avoid rich sauces, gravies, butter, or heavy spices. Also, limit fatty red meat and processed meats like sausage and bacon, which are high in saturated fat.
Ice Pops and Popsicles: These can help prevent dehydration, especially in children. Choose brands like Pedialyte freezer pops which are low in sugar and offer added electrolytes. Avoid ice cream, baked goods, pudding, and whipped toppings. Also, avoid frozen treats with artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, or erythritol, as these can have a mild laxative effect.
What are the Best Drinks for Diarrhea?
Staying hydrated is vital when you have diarrhea to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Water is good, but coconut water, electrolyte-rich sports drinks, and bone broth can also be beneficial as long as they are low in sugar.
Good Drink Choices:
- Plain water
- Coconut water
- Electrolyte-rich sports drinks
- Bone broth
- Weakly brewed decaffeinated tea
- Kefir
Drinks to Avoid:
- Caffeinated coffee and tea
- Sodas
- Alcohol
- Carbonated drinks
- Extremely hot or cold drinks
These drinks can stimulate bowel movements or cause gas and bloating, potentially worsening your symptoms.
Benefits of Following a Diarrhea Diet
A temporary, restrictive diet for diarrhea can help bind watery stools and allow your digestive system to rest. It also aids in restoring lost fluids and electrolytes, which are crucial for bodily functions.
The goal is to eat foods that help firm stools and avoid foods that make stools watery. Soluble fiber, found in foods like potatoes, bananas, and refined wheat, absorbs fluid in the gut, slowing digestion. Insoluble fiber, found in whole grains and some fruits, does not absorb fluid and can speed up digestion, so it’s generally best to avoid it until your stools are firmer.
This diet is intended for short-term use to manage occasional diarrhea or sudden flare-ups in chronic conditions like IBS, IBD, and celiac disease.
Diarrhea Diets for Children
Dehydration is a serious concern in infants and young children with diarrhea, as they dehydrate more quickly than adults. If your child has additional symptoms like fever, vomiting, or diarrhea lasting several days, or if they are an infant, consult a healthcare provider.
For mild diarrhea in children, it’s often advised to continue their regular diet but possibly reduce dairy milk intake. For more significant diarrhea or vomiting, electrolyte solutions are recommended. Breastfed or formula-fed babies should typically continue their usual feeding.
Always seek medical advice if you are concerned about your child’s diarrhea, especially for babies under 3 months with a fever.
Expert Advice on Children’s Diarrhea
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer recommends the BRAT diet for children with diarrhea due to the risk of nutritional deficiencies and lack of evidence supporting its necessity.
Modifications to the Diarrhea Diet for Other Conditions
Dietary adjustments might be necessary based on individual medical conditions. Consult your healthcare provider for personalized advice.
Potential Side Effects of a Diarrhea Diet
Generally, a diarrhea diet is safe for short-term use in older children and adults. However, prolonged use can lead to nutritional deficiencies, showing symptoms like fatigue, paleness, weakness, breathing difficulty, cold sensitivity, depression, and high blood pressure.
If symptoms don’t improve within a couple of days, other treatments, including anti-diarrheal medications, may be needed. Consult your healthcare provider before using anti-diarrheal drugs, as they may be contraindicated in certain conditions.
Once symptoms improve, gradually reintroduce other foods back into your diet over one to two weeks.
Other Related Bowel Diets
The principles of a diarrhea diet overlap with other diets used for chronic bowel conditions or for pre- and post-surgery dietary management.
Low-Fiber Diet
A low-fiber diet limits fiber intake to around 10-15 grams per day, significantly less than the recommended 28 grams for adults. If managing diarrhea long-term with fiber restriction, carefully choose soluble fiber sources.
Low-Residue Diet
A low-residue diet is similar to a diarrhea diet but more restrictive, often used before or after procedures like colonoscopies. It limits dairy intake to 2 cups per day, as dairy can leave undigested material in the colon, potentially worsening digestive symptoms.
Low-FODMAP Diet
The low-FODMAP diet restricts fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, short-chain carbohydrates found in many foods. This diet can help manage digestive symptoms like pain, gas, and bloating. It’s less restrictive than other low-fiber diets and may be a good transition from a diarrhea diet back to a regular diet.
Summary: Managing Diarrhea with Diet
Dietary changes can effectively manage occasional diarrhea. A diarrhea diet focuses on bland, binding, and easily digestible foods, along with ample hydration. For children, especially babies and toddlers, dietary changes should be supervised by a healthcare provider.
