Healthy Eating Habits to Prevent Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is a common issue experienced by people of all age groups. In most cases, it can bring an individual a lot of discomfort and inconvenience. At the same time, if not well handled in other circumstances, it results in different health challenges, such as dehydration. Whether you have diarrhoea due to allergic reactions or food poisoning, or you are suffering from an irritable bowel condition, your diet and diarrhoea are two linked words. You could eat specific foods during an episode of diarrhoea that may help return your digestive system to normal. Other foods may prolong your symptoms or make them worse.

Understanding the causes of diarrhoea and maintaining good eating habits are the primary ways of preventing and managing it. This blog will cover how to avoid diarrhoea with a proper diet.

Causes of Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea occurs when the digestive system cannot absorb enough water from food and consumed liquids, leading to loose, watery stools. Several factors can cause this condition, including:

• Infections: Various factors like bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections can cause diarrhoea. Consuming contaminated food and water introduces harmful pathogens into the digestive system.
• Food Intolerances: The body of some individuals is intolerant to some food substances like lactose present in dairy products or gluten present in wheat. This results in diarrhoea.
• Medications: Some medicines, mainly antibiotics, are associated with destroying useful bacteria in the intestinal tract, thus causing diarrhoea.
• Digestive Disorders: Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and others can trigger chronic diarrhoea.
• Stress and Anxiety: It means that emotional stressors may ultimately disturb the digestive system and hence cause diarrhoea.

Healthy Eating Habits to Prevent Diarrhoea

Maintaining healthy eating habits is crucial for preventing diarrhoea. Here are some effective strategies:

Eat a Balanced Diet

• Consume a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
• The consumption of foods high in fibre promotes digestion. This is because fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain dietary fibre that ensures good digestion and prevents constipation. This condition can, in turn, cause diarrhoea if it is too extreme.

Stay Hydrated

• Drink enough water throughout the day. Dehydration will worsen Diarrhea.
• Excessive intake of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages is not advisable because it may result in a dehydrated body and an irritated digestive system.

Practice Food Safety

• Always wash your hands before handling any food.
• Cook the food to the right temperature; this may help kill some bacteria that can cause.
• You must refrain from eating raw or undercooked meat, eggs, and seafood.

Limit Fatty Foods

• High-fat foods can be difficult to digest and may trigger diarrhoea. Avoid frying your food, opt for healthier cooking methods like baking, grilling, or steaming. 

Be Cautious with Dairy

• If lactose intolerant, choose lactose-free dairy products or other non-dairy beverages like almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.

Monitor Fibre Intake

• While fibre is essential for good digestion, overconsumption of insoluble fibre from whole grains and some vegetables may sometimes cause diarrhoea. Balance the intake of this type of fibre by increasing soluble fibre foods like those found in oats, bananas, and apples, which will harden the stool.

Introduce Probiotics

• Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that keep a clean gut. Add some foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc., into your diet to keep your gut fit.

Avoid Trigger Foods

• Avoid foods that appear to exacerbate diarrhea. Typical triggers include spicy and fatty foods, artificial sweeteners, and some beverages.

How is Diarrhoea Treated?

Most cases of diarrhea are treated at home. Over-the-counter medications help alleviate symptoms within a very short time. However, it is necessary to see a healthcare provider if it does not show any improvement or occurs with the following severe symptoms. Depending on the cause, your doctor may recommend the following treatment:

• Antibiotics or antiparasitics: These medications kill infection-causing bacteria or parasites.
• Chronic condition medications: Treatment of underlying diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome, can minimise diarrhoea.
• Probiotics: These are dietary supplements containing good bacteria that will fight Diarrhea. Always consult your doctor before taking up probiotics or any other supplement.

Home Remedies for Diarrhoea

Several home remedies can provide relief and promote recovery:

• BRAT Diet: The BRAT diet, an acronym for Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast, can help manage it. These bland foods are not hard to digest and can add bulk to the passages. Those foods are low in fibre and starchy, which goes on to add bulk to your stools. Some of the bland foods can help replace nutrients that you have lost via Diarrhea. For example, potatoes and bananas without skin have potassium, which is a nutrient often washed out by diarrhoea.
• Drink Tea: Try some ginger tea; ginger will help soothe Diarrhea due to its anti-inflammatory properties and help your gut. Drink a cup of herbal tea with chamomile; it will help decrease and let you fall asleep. Some studies show that lemongrass tea may alleviate diarrhoea in cases of an underlying viral infection, such as rotavirus, which causes viral gastroenteritis.
• Probiotics: Probiotics are sources of “good” bacteria that work in your intestines to create a healthy gut. Good bacteria reside in your intestines, which is crucial to the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal system. They also help protect your intestines from infection.

When Should I Call My Doctor About Diarrhoea?

Consult a doctor if it persists for more than a few days or if you experience severe pain, fever, or bloody stools. Furthermore, if you show symptoms of dehydration, get medical attention at a distance since if you wait to address the issue, it might worsen. 

Conclusion

Healthy eating can prevent diarrhoea and other digestive problems. If you really understand the causes and how to maintain a well-balanced diet, keep yourself rehydrated, and follow good food safety, you will drastically cut down the risk of acute and chronic Diarrhea. In the case of diarrhea, early diarrhoea treatment and home remedies help alleviate the condition and get back to normalcy. Keep in mind the fact that one has to pay attention to his body and avoid all sorts of food that he knows causes Diarrhea. By following these very simple yet effective measures, one can easily enjoy a fit digestive system and, at large, health.

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr Nagavender Rao M, General Physician