DIARRHOEA
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About Diarrhoea
Babies
with diarrhoea can become dehydrated very quickly and should be seen by a
medical Doctor.
Diarrhoea is a common symptom with many possible
causes. Often diarrhoea lasting one
or two days is caused by eating too much fruit or spicy food, or something to
which you are sensitive, an intestinal bacterial or viral infection, or food
poisoning.
Diarrhoea lasting more than a few days should not
be taken lightly; its cause must be determined by a medical Doctor and treated
appropriately.
Common causes of diarrhoea include insufficient
digestive enzymes for the amount of carbohydrate eaten, excessive consumption of
beans and pulses, and excessive use of artificial sweeteners such as mannitol
and sorbitol. Food allergy is
probably one of the most common causes, with lactose from cow’s milk being the
worst culprit.
Other considerations include parasites, drugs,
caffeine, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rancid foods, stress, and
contaminated water.
Nutrition facts & Diet
Advice for Diarrhoea
Follow the nutrition facts below to help alleviate
diarrhoea:
-
Do not take any medication to stop mild diarrhoea
for two days. Stick to a
liquid diet for twenty-four hours to give the bowel a rest.
Diarrhoea is often the body’s way of cleaning out toxins,
bacteria and other foreign invaders, so let the body do its job.
-
For one or two days eat no solid food, but drink
plenty of liquids, such as spring or filtered water and vegetable juices.
Particularly helpful is equal parts of sauerkraut juice and tomato
juice, which is high in electrolytes.
Cabbage juice also helps heal the intestinal lining.
-
Home made vegetable broth is good.
-
Once the acute stage is over, eat soups, grated
apple, cooked fruits. Goats
or sheep yoghurt and brown rice are useful.
-
Avoid other dairy products, fatty foods and wheat
products.
-
Also avoid sugar, alcohol, caffeine and spicy
foods.
-
Once the bowel feels normal again, eat a high-fibre
diet, but continue to avoid dairy and wheat.
Consult
your medical Doctor if any of the following conditions occur:
-
The diarrhoea lasts for more than two days
-
There is blood in the stool
-
The stool looks like black tar
-
You have a fever above 101oF
-
You have severe abdominal or rectal pain
-
You suffer from dehydration (very dry skin around
mouth and elsewhere)
-
Urination is reduced or stops
Check for food
allergies and sensitivities with a nutrition consultant or allergy specialist.
Babies
with diarrhoea can become dehydrated very quickly and should be seen by a
medical Doctor.
Health Supplements
- Diarrhoea
Often, a combination of supplements
may help in alleviating this
condition. You may wish to consult a
nutritional therapist for personal
advice. Supplements that may be
helpful in alleviating symptoms are
shown below:
Recommended
Health Books
see also:
allergies
candidiasis
cookbooks |
