The destruction of the intestinal flora

The intestine is also home to an impressive microflora, 100,000 billion "friendly bacteria", located mainly in the colon. Daily exposure to toxic chemicals, bacteria in drinking water, residues of antibiotics in food, causes a decrease in the number of "friendly bacteria". This encourages a proliferation of harmful and even pathogenic microorganisms, the flora is thus completely unbalanced and this generally triggers episodes of diarrhea.

The flora can also be destroyed by taking antibiotics. Other types of diarrhea include Traveler's diarrhea or turista resulting from a sudden change in diet, infectious diarrhea of bacterial, viral or even parasitic origin, diarrhea due to food intolerances and allergies, or hypersensitivity to a particular substance. Other diarrheas have their origins in real pathologies, such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Gee's disease and chronic infantile diarrheas.

Natural treatment of diarrhea

Probiotics are live bacteria, which when ingested in the right quantities, have preventive or curative effects on diarrhea. Bacteria from the Lactobacillus family, the most beneficial bacteria of the small intestine flora, and Bifidobacterium, the main beneficial bacteria of the colon flora, which has a very important antimicrobial activity, are mainly used.

Food origins

The diet can undoubtedly, according to extremely complex mechanisms of intolerance, cause, aggravate or relieve diarrhea. It also largely determines the duration of occasional diarrhea episodes. It is possible, with a studied diet, to reduce by a third or a half the length of the recovery period from severe diarrhea.

Acute diarrhea or gastroenteritis

Microorganisms or bacteria that cause gastroenteritis enter the digestive system through contaminated food or dirty hands. The infection is considered highly contagious and spreads easily. If you have gastroenteritis, it is best not to touch or prepare food, or wash your hands thoroughly before touching food, cutlery, dishes or cooking utensils.

Food poisoning is caused by bacterial toxins in contaminated food. Sufficient cooking destroys bacteria, but not toxins.

Foods such as raw seafood, eggs and soft cheeses that are not fresh are all possible sources of infection. Avoid dented cans or expired food. Avoid letting frozen foods thaw too long and slowly.

Beware of dehydration, drink a lot to compensate for water loss, but avoid alcohol. If you vomit, take frequent sips of water. Eat foods rich in potassium, as losses of this mineral are significant during acute diarrhea. Don't forget that raw garlic helps fight infection and unpasteurized yogurt can help rebalance the gut flora after an infection. Also consider the data provided below for turista.

The turista

To avoid Travellers' Diarrhea, wash your hands before eating, drink mineral water, purified or boiled, avoid ice, fruit skins or rinse them with mineral water and avoid salads washed with tap water.

If you are affected by turistaIf you have diarrhea, do the same as for any other type of diarrhea: keep eating. And drink a lot, preferring caffeine-free and sugar-free carbonated drinks. Eat starchy foods, such as potato, rice or lentil soup. Chicken noodle soup, if not too salty, is a good anti-diarrheal food as are bananas, rice and toast. Avoid milk, caffeine, fatty foods and any form of inassimilable material.

Is it necessary to fast?

Don't stop eating, just change your diet, favoring foods such as rice or carrot soup, tapioca, in short, foods that expand in the digestive tract. Swallow small portions, frequently and slowly, as swallowing food in large bites or gulps can cause nausea.

Also encourage children with diarrhea to eat as often and as much as they want - five to seven times a day.

Lots of liquids, but which ones?

To confine oneself to broths without substance, with tea and other "clear" beverages, while the colon is trying to gradually rehabilitate itself to a solid diet, is usually unnecessary. This strategy only reduces the amount of nutrients needed by the body, especially in infants and young children, thus prolonging the duration of the disease.

Avoid clear liquids because they contain too much (beef and chicken broths, for example) or too little sodium (soft drinks, tea); they are too low in potassium (Gatorade). In addition, their harmful sugar content in many home remedies is sugar, as it absorbs water and salts from the body, causing vomiting.

Some old remedies

 There is no better remedy for diarrhea thanstarchy liquids. A thick soup or drink made from any starchy food (rice, corn, wheat or potatoes...), has a beneficial effect. Some populations have long been aware of its virtues. Lentil or carrot soup, rice porridge, tapioca, coconut juice and chicken noodle soup are the most popular anti-diarrheal medications around the world.

Unlike sugar liquids, starchy liquids tend to decrease vomiting, reduce fluid loss and shorten the recovery period.

How do we explain it? Certain non-assimilated substances such as fibers and starch would restore the stool to its normal consistency and hasten healing.

• Yogurt with live bacteria, a protective food, is probably the most recommendable food for preventing diarrhea. Yogurt gives diarrheal agents little chance to develop in the intestinal tract. It is an absolutely harmless food, but let's not forget that it is a dairy with all the disadvantages that this entails. Yogurt made from Lactobacillus GG (L.GG) appears to be more effective than other types of yogurt. It was also noted that patients undergoing antibiotic treatment (erythromycin) who ingested half a cup of yogurt each day were much less vulnerable to diarrhea, gastric discomfort, gas and other abdominal discomforts that often accompany the absorption of this type of medication. The L.GG would survive for several days in the intestinal tract of humans and would produce a bactericidal substance acting like antibiotics.

• • A Swedish remedy: blueberry soup. Dried blueberries have long been used in Sweden in the composition of a soup that is said to have anti-diarrheal properties. The anthocyanosides, present in very high quantities in bilberry, would destroy bacteria, including E-coli, often the cause of diarrhea.

• • Currant, a variety of gooseberry, is also very rich in bactericidal compounds. It has been shown to be effective in human tests to fight gastrointestinal infections. The usual therapeutic dose for children is approximately 10 g.

• Fenugreek, a popular adult anti-diarrheal, it has been scientifically tested. Half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds mixed with water, three times a day, would produce rapid and marked relief, usually after the second dose. This spice is a good remedy for diarrhea and gastrointestinal spasms.

Beware of fiber overdose!

Fiber is a great remedy for many ailments, but overconsumption of this food substance can lead to quite severe diarrhea.

Chronic diarrhea

• Lactose-free diet
  

  Children and adults with chronic diarrhea should go on a lactose-free diet for about two weeks.
  AVOID milk, cheese and ice cream. Yogurt with live bacteria should not be a problem. If the diarrhea is decreasing, it is likely that it was, at least partially, due to milk intolerance

• Coffee
  

  Stop drinking coffee for a few days and wait to see if the problems go away. Coffee is a common cause of diarrhea in people with a hypersensitive colon.

• Sorbitol
  

  Diabetics and dieters who suffer from frequent diarrhea for no apparent reason should pay attention to their consumption of sorbitol (a natural sugar substitute used in diet candy, sugarless gum and processed foods). Sorbitol is, medically speaking, a recognized laxative agent.

Conclusion

In addition to a personal adaptation of the diet, the following will always be useful: peeled and grated apples, yoghurt, healthy cooking methods without fat, simple meals with good chewing, avoiding food that is too cold. You can also introduce white rice water into your hydration.