Home Remedies for Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a condition that occurs due to the imbalance of the digestive system resulting in frequent loose stools several times a day. You might blame it on something you ate or a 24-hour bug, but this condition is often faced once or twice for every year. The symptoms include frequent watery bowel movements, nausea or painful cramps, dehydration, accompanied by vomiting. Diarrhea is an unpleasant condition, but it shows no serious effects on healthy adults. If it turns out to be a chronic condition, it might cause serious side effects which could be dangerous as well. Most of the cases of the diarrhea are not serious and will be cured within a few days. If this condition is serious, you need to consult your doctor or else following few home remedies can help in treating diarrhea:
Below are the home remedies that are helpful in treating diarrhea:
Yogurt:
Yogurt contains a healthy dose of probiotics that are helpful in treating diarrhea. The probiotics are responsible for the healthy gut. The good bacteria present in the yogurt can help in treating diarrhea easily.
How to use?
Take a cup of plain non-fat yogurt and eat it. You can even add fruits such as banana, blueberries etc. for additional nutritional benefits. Follow this remedy twice or thrice every day until you experience relief from diarrhea and its symptoms.
Caution:
Don’t use flavored yogurt varieties as they contain preservatives and artificial sugars that are not good for the health. Better prefer a cup of homemade low-fat yogurt and add lots of healthy fruits to enhance its taste.
Ginger tea:
Ginger has several medicinal properties that help in treating diarrhea. It helps in reducing the symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps etc. A cup of ginger tea will not only boost your immune levels but also helps in keeping you hydrated because diarrhea causes dehydration.
How to use?
Grate an inch of ginger. Add this pulp in a cup of hot water. Let it steep. After few minutes, strain this solution and add a few drops of honey for an added taste. Consume a cup of ginger tea two-three times every day until you experience relief from diarrhea. Drinking ginger tea regularly can also keep you hydrated. Alternatively, you can directly add a little honey to the ginger pulp and chew this concoction. This remedy is yet another helpful one in treating diarrhea.
Caution:
Ginger tea can be consumed by pregnant women as well. However, they should limit the intake of ginger to 1gram a day. Also, ginger interferes with blood-thinning medical drugs such as aspirin. Hence, you need to avoid taking ginger when you are taking such medications.
Fenugreek Seeds:
Fenugreek seeds have high mucilage content helpful in treating diarrhea and its irritating symptoms. The mucilage compounds present in fenugreek seeds help in treating diarrhea. You can even add cumin seeds and yogurt for an added advantage.
How to use?
Soak a few fenugreek seeds for a few hours and consume it directly. However, if you can’t chew them you can add a spoonful of yogurt and a few cumin seeds to enhance its flavor. Consume this mixture directly and chew them well. You can consume this mixture three or four times every day for treating diarrhea. You can even prepare fenugreek tea and consume it warm. For preparing fenugreek tea, add a few fenugreek seeds in a pan filled with a glass of water. Simmer for few minutes and strain it. Add a little honey and drink it warm. Consuming it warm helps in treating an upset stomach and symptoms such as nausea as well.
Caution:
This home remedy has no serious side-effects. Also, you should only take 3-5gm of fenugreek seeds for better results.
Peppermint:
Peppermint has soothing properties and has a distinct aroma and flavor. Using peppermint is an easy way for treating diarrhea. It has certain compounds that are helpful in providing relief from cramps and stomach issues.
How to use?
Add a few springs of peppermint leaves to a pan containing a cup of water. Simmer for a few minutes. Strain this solution and drink it warm. This herbal decoction is really healthy and can help in keeping you hydrated, treat abdominal pain and cramps caused due to diarrhea. You can even use peppermint tea bag to prepare this herbal tea. You can consume this herbal decoction two-three times a day.
Caution:
When you are adding a few sprigs of peppermint leaves to water, you need to make sure that peppermint leaves are clean and free from dirt.
Chamomile Tea:
Several herbal decoctions show good results in treating the symptoms associated with diarrhea. Chamomile tea is one such herbal tea that shows many effective results in treating diarrhea because of its pain relieving properties. This herbal tea will help in soothing the affected parts of your digestive system to get rid of diarrhea faster.
How to use?
Dip a chamomile tea bag in a pan filled with a glass of water. Boil it for 5-10 minutes. Strain it and add a little honey. Drink it warm for better results. You can even add a few drops of lime juice for an added taste. Drink it twice every day for best results.
Caution:
Chamomile tea has no side-effects in treating diarrhea. However, children who are having an allergy to ragweed must not drink chamomile tea. You need to consult your pediatrician before trying out this remedy at home for your children.
Carrot Soup:
Carrot contains vitamin A and beta-carotene helpful in improving eyesight. Moreover, carrot soup has great properties that are helpful in treating diarrhea. Carrot soup has lots of properties and nutrients and helps in keeping you hydrated apart from providing you with lots of lost nutrients.
How to use?
Cook a cup of carrots in a half-liter water. Add little salt and pepper for an added taste. Drink this soup every day even after recovering from diarrhea. Drinking this soup regularly can give you a bunch of nutrients and keeps you hydrated because your body gets dehydrated due to diarrhea.
Caution:
This remedy has no side-effects.
Bananas:
Bananas contain a good dose of potassium, a mineral that helps in balancing the electrolytes. Dehydration can damage the electrolyte balance and hence including bananas in your diet can help in giving you a great dose of potassium. Also, bananas contain a great dose of pectin that helps in treating diarrhea.
How to use?
Eat two bananas daily or add chopped banana slices to a cup of yogurt. Eating them regularly help in giving you a nutrient boost and treats diarrhea.
Caution:
You should not eat unripe bananas as it might worsen your condition.
Turmeric:
Turmeric is one of the natural ingredients that have several medicinal properties. It has an active compound known as Curcumin which shows its effectiveness. Using it can help in treating diarrhea right away.
How to use?
Add 5gm of turmeric in a glass filled with warm water. Stir it well. Drink it once every day. Alternatively, you can mix a 3-5gm of turmeric in a few drops of yogurt and honey. Consume this concoction three times every day on an empty stomach for a period of two days to get rid of this condition completely.
Caution:
If you are using this remedy for your children, you need to use only half a teaspoon i.e. 3gm of turmeric in a few drops of yogurt or honey.
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar:
Organic ACV is one of the best treatments for treating diarrhea easily. Apple cider vinegar has antiviral and antimicrobial properties. It acts as a parasitic as well. ACV helps in replenishing the healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. If diarrhea is associated with nausea, stomach pain, and cramps, ACV is found effective in treating such conditions.
How to use?
Add 15-30ml of organic ACV in a half-liter distilled warm water. Drink this solution on an empty stomach. Drink this concoction three times a day for the first 24 hours. Later, you can drink a glass of this concoction once in the morning and again in the evening to keep diarrhea at bay. You can add little organic honey if you are not liking the taste of the ACV. Alternatively, you can have ACV capsules as well.
Caution:
This remedy has no side-effects. However, pregnant women need to talk to the doctor before trying this remedy at home.
Cinnamon-ginger concoction:
Cinnamon and ginger concoction is yet another amazing remedy to try for treating diarrhea effectively. These two ingredients are available in your kitchen shelf and can be used instantly for treating this condition.
How to use?
Add 5 grams of cinnamon powder to a 3-5ml of ginger powder along with a few drops of organic honey. Consume this concoction once every day for better results. Alternatively, you can try adding 5 grams of cinnamon powder to a half inch grated ginger pulp in a pan containing a cup of hot water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain this solution and add a few drops of honey to it. Drink it warm.
Caution:
This remedy has no side-effects when taken in limited doses.
Activated Charcoal:
Activated charcoal works effectively in treating an upset stomach and diarrhea. If diarrhea occurs due to water contamination or food poisoning then activated charcoal is the effective remedy to try out. It helps in treating diarrhea and an upset stomach by simply absorbing the microbes and the unhealthy bacteria that are responsible for this condition. Also, activated charcoal helps in relieving intestinal gas as well as nausea linked with diarrhea and stomach upsets.
How to use?
You can purchase activated charcoal supplements online or from pharmacies and health food stores. Adults need to take around 5grams after a meal and for children the dose should be in small quantities.
Caution:
Activated charcoal interferes with nutrient absorption. So, you need to check it out with your doctor before trying out this remedy.
Green Tea:
Green tea is a great way to treat diarrhea because of the presence of active compounds in it. It helps in cleansing your internal system and improves its functioning. Green tea helps in soothing your stomach and reduces the severity of diarrhea apart from keeping you hydrated.
How to use?
Add a green tea bag in a pan containing a cup of water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain this solution and add a dollop of honey. Drink it warm. Follow this remedy on a regular basis to get rid of this condition.
Caution:
This remedy has no side-effects.
Coconut/barley water:
Starchy liquids such as barley water and coconut water are effective in treating diarrhea. Drinking such starchy liquids can help in keeping you hydrated and reduce the excess fluid present in the intestine to excrete. It helps reduce the burning sensation as well. Consuming them on a daily a basis helps in treating diarrhea.
How to use?
Drink a glass of coconut water for every two-three hours to replenish your body with the lost nutrients. Also, barley water can be prepared at home by boiling a cup of barley seeds in a half-liter water. Cool down this solution and drink it. Consume barley water frequently to keep your body hydrated. Follow this remedy for a week or so even after recovering from this condition.
Caution:
Don’t use packaged coconut water and barley water as they contain artificial sugars and preservatives that are harmful to your health.
Lime juice:
Lime juice is one such effective home remedy helpful in treating diarrhea. Lime juice contains compounds that are helpful in relieving the symptoms linked to diarrhea such as nausea, vomiting etc. It also helps soothe your stomach and aids in keeping your body hydrated.
How to use?
Prepare lime juice by squeezing fresh lemons in a glass of lukewarm water. You can add a few drops of honey to sweeten it. Stir it well. Drink a glass of lime juice once for every two-three hours to keep your body hydrated. Alternatively, you can prepare a concoction by adding a few drops of ginger extract, lime juice, and honey. Mix it well and consume it directly two-three times a day.
Caution:
This remedy has no side-effects.
