Diarrhea is characterized by the evacuation of abundant and liquid stool. The number of bowel movements often exceeds three per day. Diarrhea can be acute or chronic if it lasts longer than 3 weeks. It is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, and general weakness. The special diet of diarrhea is designed to rehydrate the body and slow intestinal transit through an anti-diarrhea diet rich in soluble fiber, protein, and nutrients.
- If the mother is breastfeeding, it is quite possible to continue.
- If fed with a bottle, it is best to stop, as milk lactose can irritate the digestive mucosa and accentuate diarrhea. In any case, the child will stop drinking if he feels that the milk does not pass. Even if he continues to eat, he should be offered rehydration bags. If he is dehydrated he will drink!
Is There Anything Else We Can Do?
Around the age of 3 or 4, he sometimes refuses rehydration bags. In this case, we can offer her a mint tea, with a few drinks a day. Both will give her some energy. Also, don’t cover it too much: clothes that are too hot could cause it to sweat and cause them to lose even more water.
When Do You Want To Go Back To Normal?
As soon as he’s better. He will resume eating spontaneously when the gastro-enteritis is over. A child can stay a few days without eating, it’s nothing to worry about! But he can’t stay long without drinking. It is best to avoid spinach and prunes at first and to choose carrots, rice or quince, which are rather constipating foods.
Diarrhea, Gastro? What To Eat? To Understand Everything In 2 Min:
Essential points of the special diet diarrhea :
- Avoid foods that irritate the intestine.
- Promoting foods rich in soluble fiber.
- Compensate for losses of water and micronutrients.
- Splitting the feed.
- Limiting lipids and simple sugars.
- Benefits of the anti-diarrhea diet.
The purpose of the anti-diarrhea diet is to :
- Favor foods that slow down transit
- Avoid foods that irritate the intestine
- Compensate for losses of water and micronutrients
- Regain digestive comfort quickly
- Restoring the intestinal flora
Know The Causes Of Diarrhea To Adopt An Appropriate Anti-Diarrhea Diet
The first step when diarrhea occurs is to look for the cause, and if possible eliminate it. In cases where fructose is a problem, eliminating it is usually enough to end the episode of diarrhea. The special diet diarrhea will aim to bring a state of optimal hydration by compensating for fluid and electrolyte losses. Whatever the cause of diarrhea.
Different Types Of Diarrhea:
- Osmotic:Â it is due to the ingestion of substances little or not absorbed by the digestive tract. These substances then retain the water to be removed by the stool. It is often carbohydrates such as fructose, sorbitol or mannitol that cause osmotic diarrhea.
- Secretory:Â this diarrhea is due to excessive secretion of water and electrolytes caused by bacteria. It can also be caused by bile salt malabsorption, laxative intake or chronic alcoholism.
- Exudative:Â the release of proteins and blood into the intestines that increases the water content and mass of the stool. This type of diarrhea is caused by infections and intestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Motility disorders:Â in this case, the contact time between the stool and the absorption surface decreases. The stools are more liquid. Bowel motility disorders are observed after certain bowel resections, surgical procedures, or medication.
If the episode of diarrhea is acute, accompanied by fever or if it lasts more than 10 days, it is imperative to consult a doctor.
What To Eat For Diarrhea? Recommendations For a Diet Against Diarrhea
The nutritional recommendations to be followed as part of the special diet diarrhea aim to reduce water and electrolyte losses to avoid any risk of dehydration. In addition, the following tips can help correct some of the nutrient deficiencies that can occur in prolonged diarrhea.
Good Foods Against Diarrhea:
We often wonder what to eat for diarrhea. The special diet diarrhea brings the right foods to avoid dehydration and meet the nutritional needs of the body despite greater losses. It is a diet rich in soluble fiber, water, protein, and nutrients.
Soluble Fiber:
Soluble fibers have the ability to form a gel in the digestive tract, so they allow liquid stool to become more consistent.
The best sources of soluble fiber to integrate in case of diarrhea are:
- Beans, beans, dried peas, and chickpeas according to tolerance
- Bread and oat bran
- Psyllium
- Lawyer
- Brussels sprouts, asparagus, turnip, broccoli
- Coffee
- Figs, apricots, nectarines, oranges
- Chia or flax seeds
- Sweet potato
- Pectin contained in apples, pears, peaches, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, and potatoes
Psyllium can be integrated by adding 1 teaspoon to a glass of water. You can increase it by one teaspoon a day if the tolerance is good.
Proteins:
Proteins prevent loss of body masse muscular. It is recommended to have a source of protein at each meal. Protein-rich foods to fight diarrhea are :
- Meat
- Fish
- Poultry
- Seafood
- Egg
- Cheese
- Leguminous crops
- Soy
- Oilseeds
Probiotics:
Probiotics can be useful in reducing or preventing diarrhea when caused by bacteria. They recolonize the intestinal mucosa with good bacteria while eliminating pathogenic bacteria to restore intestinal balance and strengthen the immune system. In addition, it is recommended to take a course of probiotics after an episode of diarrhea because this last one damages the intestine and unbalances its flora
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Compensate For Electrolytic Losses:
Sodium and potassium are the two nutrients most important to replace during an episode of diarrhea. In addition, eating more often but in small amounts helps to obtain a better surface area for absorbing these nutrients.
Foods rich in sodium and potassium, preferred in the framework of anti-diarrhea are :
- Soups and broths
- Vegetable juices
- Cheese
- Natural and smoked fish
- Potato
- Banana
- Yogurt
Maintain Good Hydration:
It is very important to compensate for the fluid losses caused by diarrhea. For this purpose, it is recommended to drink often and in small quantities. It should be ideally 1.5 to 2 liters per day.
- Other recommended foods
- Omega-3
- Yogurt with Bifidus
- Cooking with water or steam
- Diarrhea: what to avoid eating
In the case of diarrhea, it is not enough to know what to eat. The anti-diarrhea diet also aims to adopt a specific diet low in food that can worsen diarrhea. Until the symptoms disappear you should avoid foods that can irritate the intestine, foods that are rich in fat, lactose, and simple sugars.
Irritating Foods:
Irritating foods should not be used as part of the anti-diarrhea diet. Indeed, they stimulate intestinal function and accelerate transit.
They are mainly foods rich in insoluble fiber, irritants or gases:
- Bran and whole grain products
- Vegetables and pulses
- Nuts and seeds
- Coffee, tea
- Alcohol
- Soft drinks
- Chocolate
- Strong spices
- “Gas-producing” foods: cabbages, onions, leeks, garlic, corn, peas, chewing gum, etc.
Lactose:
Lactose intolerance can occur during an episode of diarrhea, it is often transient and short-lived. If you find that foods rich in lactose (especially milk) cause discomfort, limit your intake for a few days. However, it is important to meet calcium requirements by choosing low-lactose dairy products or alternatives such as hard pasta cheeses, yogurts, soy milk, etc.
Lipids:
Fats are to be avoided in the special diet diarrhea as they increase the rate of intestinal transit.
Here is a list of fatty foods to avoid as part of the special diet diarrhea :
- Fatty meats and cold cuts
- Fried or breaded products
- Pastries, pastries, and biscuits
- Fatty cheeses
- Butter, margarine, cream
- Dressing, mayonnaise
- Mashed potatoes oilseed
Simple Sugars:
Foods rich in simple sugars and sweeteners should be avoided to fight diarrhea. Sweeteners are used in many industrial products and have a laxative effect consumed at high doses. We will also avoid sugar-reduced products, 0% that contain artificial sweeteners. The most famous artificial sweeteners are aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, saccharin, and cyclamate.
Products rich in simple sugars to avoid in case of diarrhea are :
- White sugar, red, brown sugar
- Glucose-fructose syrup, maple syrup, honey, jam, and jellies
- Spreads, caramel
- Pastries, pastries, desserts
- Breakfast cereals and cereal bars
- Cakes, cookies, and candies
- Sauces in the shops: ketchup, bbq, marinades
- Fruit yogurt, ice cream
- Flavored drinks based on milk or syrup, fruit juices
- Soft drinks, alcohol
- Low sugar products: jams, sodas, yogurts, etc.
Destructured Feeding
It is recommended to make several small meals a day in case of diarrhea to increase the intestinal absorption of nutrients. Avoid skipping meals or having only three rich meals to make sure you don’t leak micronutrients and make digestion easier.
Other foods not recommended :
- Alcohol
- Industrial products
- Prepared meals
- Dishes with sauce and cream
- Special diet DR: our practical daily tips
Here is a recipe to include in the special diet diarrhea to compensate for electrolyte losses:
- 350 ml orange juice, unsweetened
- 600 ml boiling water, cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
It is important to put the exact amounts of each ingredient and drink this mixture in small amounts throughout the day.
Here are other recommendations to facilitate the follow-up of the anti-diarrhea diet :
- Drink small sips of water throughout the day
- Make snacks several times a day, if needed
- Favor the vegetables in the form of soup or cooked: courgette, carrot, leek white
- Consuming refined grain products: white pasta, basmati rice, etc.
- Avoid sodas, straw drinks and meals too fast to avoid bloating
- Eating fruit in the form of unsweetened homemade applesauce
- Systematically consume a source of protein at each meal
To Go Further.
See the FODMAP fact sheet for more information on the treatment of chronic in irritable bowel syndrome.
Read Also:
- How To Face Dehydration In Toddlers?
- About Babies Throwing Up Curdled Milk.
- The Reason For My Child’s White Tongue.