Food for diarrhea: the best tips and tricks

If you have diarrhea, make sure you only eat easily digestible foods. In this article, we explain which foods can help against diarrhea and which you should avoid.

These foods help against diarrhea

If you have diarrhea, it is best to only eat light food. This is how you supply your body with important nutrients without overwhelming your intestines. Proven foods for diarrhea are:

• Rusk is low in fat and very digestible, especially for diarrhea. The dry bread binds liquids in the intestine. It is best to take rusk pure and without topping. Because rusks have a long shelf life, you can always keep a pack at home - just in case.
• Dry white bread is just as effective as rusk. The same applies here: eat without topping.
• Peeled apples contain the fiber pectin. This swells in the intestine and thereby binds liquid. Grate an apple with a peel and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes before consuming it. The pectin develops particularly well in grated apples.
• Pureed bananas also supply your body with pectin, making them slightly tamping. In addition, the yellow fruits contain a lot of healthy potassium and magnesium, which can compensate for the loss of minerals due to diarrhea.
• Pectin is also found in carrots . Cooking also forms sugar molecules in the carrots. The intestinal bacteria that cause the diarrhea attach themselves to these sugar molecules and are therefore excreted more quickly. Tip: prepare a vitamin-rich carrot soup for diarrhea.
• Potatoes protect your ailing gut and at the same time provide important nutrients. Preparation: Boil the potatoes with a little salt in water.
• When cooking, rice forms mucilage that binds the water in the body. This means that the grains have a stuffing effect when consumed. Preparation: Boil the rice with water and a little salt. Alternatively, prepare it with healthy vegetable broth.
• If you have diarrhea, only drink non-carbonated water or teas . Both are very digestible and do not additionally irritate your digestion. Tip: Teas made from chamomile, peppermint, anise or fennel also calm the stomach.

Avoid these foods if you have diarrhea

Avoid fatty, sugary and spicy dishes during your diarrhea. After that, eat only easily digestible foods for a few days. If you have gastrointestinal problems, avoid the following foods:

• Dairy products such as butter, yogurt, cheese or milk
• Spicy foods, such as chilli or pepper
• Greasy foods, such as sausage, chips or fast food
• Acidic foods, such as pickled vegetables
• Sugary foods, such as sweets or cakes
• Flatulent foods, such as cauliflower or broccoli
• Legumes, such as lentils or beans
• Very hot or cold dishes
• Carbonated drinks
• alcohol
• fruit juices
• coffee

Cola and pretzel sticks: that's all there is to it

If you have diarrhea, cola and pretzel sticks are no longer recommended. These foods can make your gastrointestinal problems worse.

• The sugar in cola binds the water in your body and drains it away. However, more fluid gets into your intestine and diarrhea can get worse.
• In addition to sugar, there is also caffeine in cola, which stimulates kidney function. As a result, your body also excretes more water.
• In addition, the carbon dioxide contained in cola also affects the already sensitive stomach and intestines.
• Salt sticks can help compensate for the amount of salt lost in your body. The pretzel pastries only provide sodium and no potassium. If you have diarrhea, you should resume both.

In the case of diarrhea and other diseases, a wholesome diet is very important. In the next article we will therefore show you how to eat properly when you have a fever.