Food abstinence to avoid when diarrhea

Continuous bowel movements when diarrhea must be very troublesome. Especially if you are outside the house. The symptoms of diarrhea can go away on their own without medication, but the healing process may be slower or more difficult if you are not careful about how you go about your day. Therefore, know the restrictions on diarrhea that you must obey to facilitate the healing process.

Food abstinence during diarrhea

Diarrhea is a digestive disorder that has a background of many causes, ranging from infection of the digestive organs due to food poisoning or chronic illnesses that first had. When diarrhea strikes, you will feel heartburn, followed by a strong urge to defecate (BAB) more frequently than usual.

Indeed, there are many easy ways to treat diarrhea at home. However, not only using generic diarrhea medicines purchased at the pharmacy or natural medicines, you also need to avoid eating certain foods. This food abstinence is done so that your intestines can recover quickly from infection.

The following is a list of dietary restrictions that should be avoided during diarrhea, including:

1. Spicy food

The spicy taste of chili, pepper, or chili sauce, definitely adds to the delicacy of a meal. Unfortunately, this food is strictly prohibited during diarrhea. The reason is, spicy food is one of the triggers for diarrhea in some people.

Spicy foods contain compounds that can irritate the intestines, namely capsaicin. Capsaicin can interfere with the work of the intestines in absorbing fluids in food and drinks. The process that should be running slow becomes faster so that it does not allow maximum absorption of liquid.

As a result, you have more frequent bowel movements with runny stools. In addition, capsaicin also activates pain receptors in the anus so that the anus feels sore after defecating. If these taboo foods are consumed during diarrhea, the symptoms may reappear and even get worse.

2. Strong herbs

Source: The Partial Ingredients

Food abstinence during diarrhea is strong seasoned foods. Especially if the food contains a lot of salt, mixed with coconut milk, and added lemon juice or vinegar.

These strong-tasting foods affect the digestive process, some of which can even trigger diarrhea symptoms, such as heartburn and bowel movements.

Likewise with foods that are cooked with too much garlic and onions. These ingredients are high in fiber and contain fructants, which are complex carbohydrates that are difficult to digest. If you eat these foods when you have diarrhea, your stomach can get heartburn.

On the other hand, it is recommended that you eat foods that tend to be bland, namely clear, not sour, and not spicy soup. Reduce the use of garlic and onions, and add to the celery or fennel.

3. Oily and fatty foods

Fried foods do taste more crunchy and savory. Unfortunately, this food is taboo food when diarrhea. Because, fried foods tend to have a hard texture so that it will be difficult for the digestive system to digest.

In addition, fried foods also contain a lot of fat, which triggers abdominal muscles to tighten. As a result, the symptoms of diarrhea will get worse.

As a solution, you need to reduce consumption for a while and switch to boiled and steamed foods.

4. Foods high in fiber

Fiber helps you avoid constipation. However, when you have diarrhea, foods that are high in fiber are taboo that should be avoided. The reason is, fiber is to soften the stool, which when eaten can make diarrhea symptoms worse.

Examples of high fiber foods that are taboo during diarrhea include broccoli, cauliflower, or whole grains.

However, that doesn't mean you should avoid fibrous foods altogether. Fiber still needs to be consumed during diarrhea, but choose sources that are lower in content such as carrots or beets.

5. Food contains gas

Some foods such as beans, cabbage, and corn are known to have a high gas content. Foods that are high in gas can aggravate the feeling of bloating with diarrhea. You also pass wind more often because of it.

6. Dairy products

Milk-based foods are also taboo for diarrhea. This is because dairy products contain lactose, which is a natural sugar found in cows.

In people who have lactose intolerance, dairy products can trigger symptoms, one of which is diarrhea. Even if you don't have this condition, it would be better to avoid consuming it when you have diarrhea. Examples of foods are ice cream, cheese, and liquid milk. Eating dairy products may also cause gas, which makes your stomach feel bloated.

However, there is one type of food that is an exception, namely yogurt. This is because yogurt contains probiotics, good bacteria that help improve the work of the digestive system. Yogurt helps balance the intestinal flora so that it can shorten the duration of diarrhea.

7. Gluten

Gluten is the next type included in dietary restrictions when diarrhea. Gluten is a protein contained in processed grain products, such as wheat flour.

Indeed, some people who experience diarrhea don't need to avoid this type of food. However, for patients who experience diarrhea due to Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, foods containing gluten can make the symptoms worse.

8. Alcohol and caffeine

The prohibition of diarrhea is not only about food, but also drinks. Yes, drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine can make diarrhea worse.

In some cases, alcohol is known to cause diarrhea in some people because it can stimulate the intestines to move faster when absorbing fluids from food or drink.

If you are accustomed to drinking coffee in the morning or evening, it is best to stop for a while so as not to make diarrhea worse. Likewise with alcohol and soda. We recommend that you drink lots of water or ginger tea which is good for the digestive system and is able to prevent complications of diarrhea, such as dehydration.

9. Artificial sweeteners

Food contains natural sugars, but is also added with added sweeteners. Examples of artificial sweeteners are aspartame or saccharin. At first glance, the sweet taste may be considered safe and not harm a patient with diarrhea. However, this is not the case.

Foods with artificial sweeteners force the intestines to work hard to absorb nutrients. In fact, the intestines actually produce more water and cause an excess electrolyte condition. In addition, artificial sweeteners can also have a laxative effect that increases bowel movements.

10. Raw food

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, foods that are raw or not perfectly cooked are taboo for people with diarrhea. The reason is, this food probably still contains certain bacteria on its surface.

Washing and heating can kill bacteria. If the food is simply washed, without being thoroughly cooked, certain bacteria may remain alive. When these raw foods enter the body, diarrhea can get worse. That is why, raw food is taboo when diarrhea.

Another thing that should also be avoided when diarrhea

Not only food, it turns out that there are activities that are taboo when you have diarrhea, namely exercising.

Indeed, exercise is an activity that is healthy and makes the body fit. Unfortunately, if you have diarrhea, you should hold off on doing it for a while until your condition recovers.

As with previous taboos, exercise is an activity that will make your body sweat. The electrolytes that come out together with sweat will certainly increase the risk of dehydration.

In addition, exercising when you are dehydrated due to diarrhea can also cause weakness, dizziness, and nausea.

If you still want to exercise, make sure not to exercise too hard and always drink water at every break.

Apart from that, another bad habit is skipping the habit of washing hands. At first glance, washing hands is a trivial thing and is often overlooked. But did you know, it turns out that diarrhea can be transmitted from touching hands that have been contaminated with diarrhea-causing bacteria.

Therefore, wash your hands after every time you go to the bathroom and before cooking must be done to ensure that your hands are free from germs.

A study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews also describes the habit of washing hands will keep you from the risk of getting diarrhea by as much as 30%.

Having abstinence during diarrhea, especially on food consumption, is certainly difficult. However, keep emphasizing on your mind that everything that is done will be good for the body. Remember to keep in touch with your doctor if you have more serious problems with diarrhea.

Don't forget, make sure you meet your fluid needs by drinking lots of water. Drink a glass of water after each bowel movement to replace wasted fluids. You can also help maintain electrolyte balance by drinking an ORS solution.

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