Ask Dr Xiang Jun: What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea
Diarrhoea is defined as having three or more times of bowel movements within a day with an increase in volume, wateriness and/or frequency of the stools.
Accompanying symptoms of diarrhoea can be nausea, fever, headache, bloating, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and development of dehydration.
Causes of diarrhoea can be short term or long term. Short term diarrhoea may be due to food poisoning, stress, alcohol, diet change or certain allergic food triggers. Long term diarrhoea causes can be from long term health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, cancer, HIV.
For mild and short term diarrhoea, diet therapy may be able to help ease off the condition. Here are some of the foods according to Science and Traditional Chinese Medicine that may be able to help:
Watch my video on What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea on my Youtube or Instagram.
rice
White rice is able to firm up the loose stool and replace lost nutrients. Hence it can help clear the diarrhoea quicker and prevent stomach upset and irritation.
congee / porridge
Congee or porridge can help rehydrate and curb diarrhoea at the same time. The congee water is able to heal the lining of the gut and intestine which may be inflamed due to the various possible causes of diarrhoea.
Banana
Banana is high in pectin which is a water soluble fibre that can help to reduce diarrhoea. Potassium is also often lost in diarrhoea therefore replenishing potassium rich foods such as bananas can definitely help in easing off diarrhoea. Banana is yin nourishing and Stomach soothing in Traditional Chinese Medicine which can help in diarrhoea recovery.
Read more about Banana here.
Activated Charcoal
According to scientific studies, activated charcoal is able to help with diarrhoea by removing the drugs or bacteria that causes digestive irritation.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, charred herbs which include charcoal can be used to warm the middle energizer of the Triple Burner and that is able to help stop diarrhoea.
Further reading:
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