What not to eat or drink when you have diarrhea

Q: What foods and drinks stop diarrhea?

Heres another bit of good advice from Mom for treating diarrhea – eat the BRAT diet: bananas, rice (white), applesauce and toast. When your health is good, physicians usually recommend whole-grain, high-fiber foods.

Diarrhea is the passage of loose or watery stool. For some, diarrhea is mild and will go away within a few days. For others, it may last longer. It can make you lose too much fluid (dehydrated) and feel weak. It can also lead to unhealthy weight loss.

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What drinks to avoid with diarrhea?
What foods and drinks stop diarrhea?
What foods stop diarrhea fast?

The stomach flu is a common cause of diarrhea. Medical treatments, such as antibiotics and some cancer treatments can also cause diarrhea.

These things may help you feel better if you have diarrhea:

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of clear fluids every day. Water is best.
Drink at least 1 cup (240 milliliters) of liquid every time you have a loose bowel movement.
Eat small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 big meals.
Eat some salty foods, such as pretzels, soup, and sports drinks.
Eat some high potassium foods, such as bananas, potatoes without the skin, and fruit juices.

Ask your health care provider if you should take a multivitamin or drink sports drinks to boost your nutrition. Also ask about taking a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil, to add bulk to your stools.

Your provider may also recommend a special medicine for diarrhea. Take this medicine as you have been told to take it.

You can bake or broil beef, pork, chicken, fish, or turkey. Cooked eggs are also OK. Use low-fat milk, cheese, or yogurt.

If you have very severe diarrhea, you may need to stop eating or drinking dairy products for a few days.

Eat bread products made from refined, white flour. Pasta, white rice, and cereals such as cream of wheat, farina, oatmeal, and cornflakes are OK. You may also try pancakes and waffles made with white flour, and cornbread. But don't add too much honey or syrup.

You should eat vegetables, including carrots, green beans, mushrooms, beets, asparagus tips, acorn squash, and peeled zucchini. Cook them first. Baked potatoes are OK. In general, removing seeds and skins is best.

You can include desserts and snacks such as fruit-flavored gelatin, fruit-flavored ice pops, cakes, cookies, or sherbet.

You should avoid certain kinds of foods when you have diarrhea, including fried foods and greasy foods.

Avoid fruits and vegetables that can cause gas, such as broccoli, peppers, beans, peas, berries, prunes, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables, and corn.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.

Limit or cut out milk and other dairy products if they are making your diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating.

Contact your provider if you have:

The diarrhea gets worse or does not get better in 2 days for an infant or child, or 5 days for adults
Stools with an unusual odor or color
Nausea or vomiting
Blood or mucus in your stool
A fever that does not go away
Stomach pain

Diarrhea - self-care; Diarrhea - gastroenteritis

Bartelt LA, Guerrant RL. Diarrhea with little or no fever. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 98.

Schiller LR, Sellin JH. Diarrhea. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 16.

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "What Should You Eat When You Have Diarrhea?"

American Academy of Family Physicians: "BRAT Diet."

CDC: "Managing Acute Gastroenteritis Among Children," "Myths about Seasonal Influenza and Influenza Vaccines."

American Academy of Family Physicians: "Vomiting and Diarrhea in Children."

National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus: "Diarrhea."

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Diarrhea."

PubMed Health: "Viral Gastroenteritis."

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging: "Diarrhea."

FDA: "High Blood Pressure -- Medicines to Help You."

Nemours Foundation: "Sorbitol."

MedlinePlus: "Teething," "Diarrhea."

American Dental Association: "Teething."

HealthyChildren.org: "Teething: 4 to 7 months."

Medline Plus: "Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber."

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging: "Diarrhea."

Rao, S. European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, February 1998; vol 10(2): pp 113-118.

McCusker, R. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, October 2006; vol 30(8): pp 611-613.

American College of Gastroenterology: "Diarrheal Diseases."

The Cochrane Library: "Hand washing for preventing diarrhea."

Luby, S. Journal of the American Medical Association, June 2, 2004; vol 291: pp 2547-2554.

University of Maryland Medical Center: "Lactobacillus acidophilus."

What drinks to avoid with diarrhea?

What not to drink. Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soda, may overstimulate the digestive system and make the symptoms worse. Carbonated drinks may also irritate or contribute to other symptoms, such as bloating and cramps. People should also avoid alcohol when dealing with diarrhea.

What foods and drinks stop diarrhea?

Here's another bit of good advice from Mom for treating diarrhea – eat the BRAT diet: bananas, rice (white), applesauce and toast. When your health is good, physicians usually recommend whole-grain, high-fiber foods.

What foods stop diarrhea fast?

A diet known as BRAT may also quickly relieve diarrhea. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. This diet is effective due to the bland nature of these foods, and the fact that they're starchy, low-fiber foods. These foods have a binding effect in the digestive tract to make stools bulkier.