7 foods that can trigger bouts of diarrhea

There are a plethora of health issues caused by bacteria and viruses, and combating them can be a challenge. One of the common health problems caused by these trouble-causing agents is diarrhea. Diarrhea is known to affect an estimated 2 billion people over the globe and affects children mostly. Though diarrhea is very common, it is known to claim lives if left unchecked or in the absence of proper treatment.

Diarrhea is also a common symptom among patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel syndrome. In such cases, along with the various medical measures, the patients are required to adhere to a special diet to prevent occurrences of diarrhea.

Certain foods are known to trigger bouts of diarrhea, and it is essential to avoid these diarrhea-triggering foods.

Here’s a list of diarrhea-triggering food that one needs to avoid to prevent the onset of diarrhea.

• Fatty foods
  Some of the symptoms of diarrhea include stomach pain, abdominal cramps, and bloating. It is imperative that to prevent these symptoms, one avoids consuming greasy, fatty food such as meat with high-fat content.
• Alcohol
  Alcohol is known to be a trigger of diarrhea. In fact, there are instances where long-term use of alcohol is known to cause diarrhea. So, as a part of one’s diarrhea diet plan, it becomes necessary to abstain from consuming alcohol.
• Fiber-rich foods
  To maintain a healthy digestive system, people should consume fiber-rich foods as a part of their regular and balanced diet. However, when an individual suffers from diarrhea, they need to avoid consuming fiber-rich foods. A well-constructed diarrhea diet plan involves avoiding foods rich in fiber as they are hard to digest. However, eliminating fiber from the diet isn’t advisable; instead, one can consume low-fiber foods like rice or plain bread.
• Dairy products
  Dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, are diarrhea-triggering foods. They are hard to digest and difficult on the already-weakened digestive system. Even if the patient isn’t lactose intolerant, they could be temporarily sensitive to dairy products while suffering from diarrhea.
• Too much fruits and vegetables
  Consuming fruits and vegetables ensure that one gets all the essential nutrients required to stay healthy. However, consuming too much of these food items can trigger diarrhea. People who consume a lot of prunes, dates, figs, and raisins, are at the risk of suffering from bouts of diarrhea. So, a patient’s diarrhea diet will contain only the required amount of fruits and vegetables to prevent such episodes.
• Sweeteners
  Certain foods and drinks contain artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and fructose. These sweeteners are known to have a laxative effect, thereby, worsening the symptoms of diarrhea. Thus, it is essential that the patient goes through the ingredient list before purchasing any food item.
• Coffee and tea
  It is common knowledge that beverages like tea and coffee contain caffeine, and caffeinated drinks are known to irritate the digestive tract, and can speed the fluid and electrolyte loss. So, it is necessary to cut down on the caffeine consumption as a part of one’s diarrhea diet plan.

Tags- Diarrhea Diet/Food