Contents:
- Medical Video: Foods You Should and Shouldn't Eat When You Have Diarrhea
- What is the BRAT diet?
- The right time to live the BRAT diet
- Lack of BRAT diet
- Alternative ways to apply the BRAT diet
- 1. Choose alternative foods
- 2. Additional food sources of protein
- 3. Drink anti-diarrhea drinks
- 4. Prevent dehydration
Medical Video: Foods You Should and Shouldn't Eat When You Have Diarrhea
When experiencing digestive tract disorders such as diarrhea, the intestine will experience a decline in function in absorption of nutrients and fecal formation. Therefore, it is necessary for the type of food consumed temporarily to help overcome diarrhea. One of them is by living the BRAT diet.
What is the BRAT diet?
BRAT stands for banana (banana), rice (rice), applesauce (applesauce, ie mashed apples but not juiced) and toast (toast bread). The BRAT diet is one type of diet that limits consumption with foods that have dense but easily refined fibers, making it good for the digestive organs even though they are inflamed.
Various digestive disorders can cause symptoms such as nausea, pain, or diarrhea. This will limit the body's ability to digest and consume food. The types of food consumed in the BRAT diet tend to be easily digested and compress feces to prevent sustained diarrhea and the onset of symptoms of dehydration.
The main calorie source in the BRAT diet comes from bread and rice which are simple carbohydrates, so they are easy to digest and help produce energy. While apples and bananas are useful for treating digestive problems. Bananas are chosen because they are rich in potassium, minerals and structures that can help absorb water in feces, and apples have a lot of water and pectin which can relieve diarrhea.
The consumption of the BRAT diet is also not limited to banana foods, rice, apples and bread, but can use other foods that are easy to digest. Avoid high consumption of sugar, processed milk and oil because it can worsen digestive disorders. Consumption of alcohol and caffeine is also not recommended during a digestive system disorder. The BRAT diet can also be applied to adults and children who experience symptoms of abdominal pain or diarrhea.
The right time to live the BRAT diet
The BRAT diet can begin when symptoms of digestive tract disorders appear, but is limited to around 24 hours or for one day, then continued with a normal diet, especially with consumption of protein and fat. Symptoms of acute diarrhea without serious infections and diseases can improve with fluid fulfillment and undergo the BRAT diet. But immediately consult a doctor if indigestion does not disappear on the second day or gets worse as indicated by dehydration, fever or the presence of blood in the stool.
Lack of BRAT diet
The BRAT diet might be easy to run when a person has indigestion, but this cannot replace nutrients lost through vomiting and diarrhea. This is what causes the BRAT diet not to be used in the long term, and should only be done in about one day. The type of food that is easily digested in the BRAT diet is generally low in protein and fat, so it does not meet the daily caloric needs and slows recovery if an infection occurs.
Alternative ways to apply the BRAT diet
Lack of nutrients and variations in food types from the BRAT diet can be minimized by applying the following methods:
1. Choose alternative foods
A substitute source of calories can come from cereals and pasta. In addition, consumption of fruit without skin, and vegetables cooked in the form of soup can still be consumed. Avoid eating raw vegetables, dried foods, spicy foods, acid and high sugar or fried foods to dry.
2. Additional food sources of protein
Tofu and eggs can be good sources of protein as long as you experience digestive disorders because they are easily digested, but avoid or minimize the use of oil when cooking. Avoid sources of protein from beans because they have fiber that is difficult to digest.
3. Drink anti-diarrhea drinks
This can be done by consuming black tea and yogurt. Black tea is rich in tannins which can relieve diarrhea. Although yogurt is made from milk, it is easier to digest and contains good bacteria that can reduce diarrhea symptoms such as Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii.
4. Prevent dehydration
The condition of dehydration is most common in individuals who experience diarrhea and this can be overcome by oral hydration or consumption of electrolytes from isotonic drinks and coconut water.
