Home remedies for diarrhea: what works now

Rapid help is required in acute diarrhea. We'll reveal the best home remedies for diarrhea that you can use to gently relieve the symptoms.

Diarrhea – what now?

Diarrhea often comes suddenly – and of course you usually don't have any medication in the house. But that's not that bad, because In fact, acute diarrhea in particular can often be relieved with gentle home remedies for diarrhea. Constipating foods, for example, are a good and gentle way of getting the symptoms under control.

Home remedies for diarrhea: how to get rid of the symptoms!

Easily digestible foods that are easy on the stomach are particularly useful in the case of diarrhea. The following home remedies help against diarrhea:

  • Grated apple: It is not for nothing that the apple is considered a real health miracle in nutrition. In addition to many other healthy nutrients, apples also contain the fiber pectin, which can thicken stool as it swells up in the intestines. Important: pectin sits directly under the apple peel, which is why the apple should not be peeled. The best effect against diarrhea is the fiber when the apple is grated. By the way: bananas also contain a lot of pectins and are therefore suitable as an alternative to apples. Besides, bananas are full of potassium. Since the body loses a lot of the mineral during diarrhea, increased potassium intake is very important.
  • Carrot soup: Carrots are also full of pectins, but they are particularly effective in the case of diarrhea because of certain sugar molecules called oligosaccharides that are only created when cooking. This is why carrots should be cooked differently from apples or bananas if they are to help as a home remedy for diarrhea. The Heidelberg pediatrician Ernst Moro developed an effective recipe for carrot soup as early as 1908. Simply peel half a kilo of carrots, cut into small cubes, cook for an hour and then puree. The resulting porridge is filled with one liter of water and seasoned with three grams of salt (about a teaspoon).
  • Potatoes: Potatoes are also a real source of potassium and at the same time easy to digest, which makes them a good helper for diarrhea. They can be cooked in plenty of water and eaten as it is, as well as consumed in puree form. Important: the potatoes should not have any green spots. Because these contain chaconin and solanine – slightly toxic ingredients that can even promote diarrhea and vomiting.
  • Zwieback: Rusk is considered very digestible and is therefore also used in many light foods. When consumed dry, it is easy on the stomach and can stop diarrhea. Alternatively, dry white bread is also possible.
  • Camomile tea: Chamomile is a real all-rounder and is used against various symptoms. If the diarrhea is caused by an infection with bacteria, as is the case with gastrointestinal flu, for example, chamomile is anti-inflammatory. In addition, it can relieve pain and soothe cramps in the stomach. The best way to do this is to make a chamomile tea infusion yourself by pouring boiling water over two teaspoons of chamomile flowers and letting it steep for five minutes. In the case of diarrhea, the tea is ideally drunk several times a day in small sips.
  • Electrolytes: The body loses a lot of important nutrients with diarrhea. A so-called electrolyte mixture helps to replace them. You can buy these ready-made in the pharmacy or make them yourself. To do this, mix half a liter of mineral water with half a liter of orange juice, add three quarters of a teaspoon of salt and eight level teaspoons of sugar. The mixture is drunk in small sips throughout the day.
  • Rice: Rice is one of the constipating foods – when it is cooked, mucilage is created that binds water in the body. If you add a little salt, you can also do something for your electrolyte balance. In addition, in combination with some steamed vegetables such as carrots, rice is also suitable for a light meal if you have diarrhea.
  • Oatmeal: Oatmeal is also considered to be easy to digest and also contains lots of nutrients that the body loses more quickly in the event of diarrhea. For an oatmeal soup, mix 250 milliliters of cold water with two tablespoons of oatmeal and add either a little salt or a teaspoon of vegetable stock. The mixture is brought to the boil, then you should turn the heat on low and let the soup simmer until it is covered. To make the whole thing a little tastier and on top of that to use another home remedy for diarrhea, some grated apple can be added to the gruel.

The general rule: If we have diarrhea, we should drink a lot of water, because the body loses a lot of fluids. Still water is best. But tea such as the chamomile tea mentioned above is also allowed.

What about cola and pretzel sticks?

One hears again and again that the combination of cola and pretzel sticks can help with diarrhea. In fact, this so-called home remedy for diarrhea is urgently not recommended – because these foods can make the symptoms even worse. Cola is full of sugar, which in turn binds water. This increases the release of fluid into the intestine. Cola also contains caffeine, which in combination with the sugar causes more potassium to be flushed out. Pretzel sticks, on the other hand, simply don't have the desired effect: We do need salt for diarrhea, but pretzel sticks simply contain far too little of it to really have an effect. The home remedies for diarrhea mentioned above are definitely better advice.

What should I avoid if I have diarrhea?

If you are tormented by diarrhea, you are usually rarely really hungry. If you want to eat something, should refrain from the following foods, because these can strain the intestines and / or, in the worst case, worsen the symptoms:

  • coffee
  • Fruit juices
  • alcohol
  • Carbonated drinks
  • Fatty foods, for example fast food
  • Spicy dishes, for example curry
  • Raw fruits and vegetables (except apples and bananas)
  • Flatulent foods like cabbage or onions
  • Sweet snacks, for example chocolate
  • Dairy products like yogurt or cheese
  • Generally very hot or cold dishes

Traveller's Diarrhea – What If Home Remedies Don't Help?

When you are out and about, for example on vacation, you don't always have home remedies on hand – travelers' diarrhea is quite common because bacteria lurk around every corner. But even if the home remedies simply do not help and the symptoms do not subside, there will come a time when where you have to resort to medication. For example, agents with the active ingredient loperamide, which reduce both bowel movement and fluid accumulation in the bowel, are helpful.

If diarrhea persists or other symptoms such as abdominal cramps or vomiting, it is also It is important that a doctor searches for the causes as soon as possible and appropriate treatment begins so that the body does not lose too much fluid.

Reading tips: You now know how to get a grip on diarrhea! You can find home remedies for gastrointestinal flu here. We also explain what you should know about stomach ache and minerals.

Do you want to exchange ideas about health topics? Then take a look at our BRIGITTE Community!

sources

S2 guideline "Acute diarrhea" of the German Society for General Medicine and Family Medicine; Stand 2013

Bachmann, S., Längler, A .: Home remedies in modern medicine, Urban & Fischer, Munich 2005

German Society for General Medicine and Family Medicine: Acute Diarrhea