One thing I just can’t stand is diarrhea !
Who has never had this disorder at least once in their life?
It is undoubtedly one of the most frequent problems and the causes can be the most disparate.
Fortunately, nature offers a great deal of help, with numerous plants and extremely effective remedies for diarrhea . In this article I will show you the ones that, for what is my personal experience, I consider the best .
In order to fight an enemy, it is first important to know their nature.
For this reason, in the following paragraph, I will explain to you what diarrhea is and who are the main culprits of this disorder.
What is diarrhea?
Diarrhea is not a disease, but a self-defense reaction of the body that manifests itself through repeated discharges of fluid consistency.
Basically the intestine quickly eliminates feces with the aim of eliminating a “threat” , which can be a virus, a bacterium, a parasite or an irritant of some kind.
At best, diarrhea occurs occasionally, lasting one, two, or at most three days.
But if the problem persists for weeks, it is important to consult a doctor immediately, so as to promptly find the real causes.
Starting from the causes it will then be easier to find a cure.
The most frequent causes
Diarrhea can have multiple triggers. Generally the most common are the following:
- spoiled or contaminated food;
- infections of viral or bacterial origin;
- ingestion of cold or frozen drinks.
In the cases described, the episodes of diarrhea should resolve naturally within a few days .
However, you can speed up the healing process by eating a good diet and making use of some natural remedies that I will tell you about shortly.
Chronic diarrhea
We speak of a chronic disorder when the problem persists for weeks or even months .
In these cases, I strongly recommend that you go to the doctor immediately.
What are the causes of chronic diarrhea?
When diarrhea is chronic, there may be some kind of food intolerance behind it . The most common are:
- Gluten intolerance or sensitivity (not necessarily celiac disease) ;
- Lactose intolerance (milk sugar) ;
- Casein intolerance (milk protein) .
Certain medications can also cause diarrhea. For example many chemotherapy drugs, some beta blockers, or the abuse of NSAIDs.
At other times, chronic diarrhea could hide a more serious problem, such as colitis , or Crohn’s disease (an autoimmune disease).
Natural remedies for diarrhea, which ones to choose.
1. Fasting
The first thing to do when suffering from diarrhea is not to overload the body with food.
The ideal would be not to eat anything for at least 12 hours , or even more if possible. In fact, fasting does not tire the body and gives it time to detoxify.
At the same time it is important to drink water (not cold) to rehydrate, or even better some of the herbal teas I will tell you about shortly.
After the first 12 hours, if the episodes of diarrhea go away, you can start consuming something light, such as boiled white rice (which by the way is an excellent astringete), chicken broth, zucchini or lean fish. , better if steamed, boiled, in foil, or with a quick cooking in a pan. Among these are excellent sea bass, sole, hake and turbot.
2. Warm water and lemon
The lemon is an astringent , ie has the ability to make it less permeable cells of the gastrointestinal tract, reducing secretions, so the loss of liquids and isolating them from the entrance of bacteria or pathogenic microorganisms. It also has an antibacterial and antiviral action .
Warm / warm water reactivates the body’s cells and has a relaxing action on the digestive mucous membranes. Conversely, cold water creates congestion.
I therefore advise you to prepare a nice cup of warm water (around 40 ° C) with the addition of a squeeze of half a lemon .
Do not drink it after meals, but always and only on an empty stomach , especially in the morning as soon as you get up.
This is the best time ever.
3. Ginger
The ginger is a fantastic remedy, especially in cases of intestinal virus, which more often than diarrhea also presents another symptom even more annoying: vomiting .
Ginger acts on the intestine, where thanks to the presence of its active ingredients, such as gingerol and zingiberene, it promotes the regeneration of the bacterial flora , essential for intestinal well-being and reduces inflammatory states that can be the triggering cause of diarrhea (for example example in cases of colitis).
It is also an effective anti-nausea and anti-vomiting , which is why many people who are particularly susceptible to travel by car, at sea, or by plane, often carry it with them, in order to prevent any problems.
At the same time it can be useful to stem the nausea and vomiting caused by the presence of the intestinal virus.
Contraindications:
Ginger is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women and in cases of gastritis and ulcers, as it can excessively stimulate gastric secretions.
How to use?
You can use both fresh and dried ginger.
In the case of dried ginger powder , one teaspoon of powdered ginger is used, to be infused in a cup of boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Then everything is filtered and drunk.
I recommend that you drink 2 to 4 cups a day of this herbal tea until the symptoms subside.
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4. Rosehip
The wild rose is very popular in herbal field, especially for its high content of vitamin C .
But it also has other very interesting qualities and one of them is that it is a really good remedy to stem diarrhea .
In fact, the berries of this plant are rich in tannins , astringent substances . So rose hip, like lemon, helps reduce the number of discharges and the amount of fluids evacuated.
Furthermore, the rosehip berries are an excellent remedy to stimulate the immune defenses , which will help your body to react better and faster, in case the diarrhea was caused by an external pathogen, such as a virus, a bacterium or parasite.
How to use?
Like ginger, rosehip berries are also used for the preparation of herbal teas .
The herbal tea is prepared in this way: a teaspoon of rosehip berries on a cup of hot water. The berries are left to rest in hot water for 10 minutes and then filter and drink the hot or warm herbal tea.
2 to 4 cups a day are recommended. If you want you can alternate with ginger (for example 2 cups and 2 cups).
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5. Chamomile
When diarrhea is caused by pathological inflammation, such as in cases of colitis, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease, a purely anti-inflammatory remedy may be more helpful .
The chamomile is certainly one of the oldest, safe and effective anti-inflammatory remedies to the intestines and stomach.
It is good for adults and children and can be used without major contraindications.
How to use?
The chamomile tea is prepared by letting it rest for 5-6 minutes, a teaspoon of chamomile flower heads in a cup of boiling water. Then you filter and drink the hot herbal tea. I recommend that you drink at least 2 cups of chamomile tea a day.
German or Roman chamomile, which one to choose?
Both German chamomile (or matricaria) and Roman chamomile are suitable for stomach and intestinal problems . The latter is most effective when it comes to sleep disorders, anxiety and stress.
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6. Nettle
Another very effective antidiarrheal remedy is nettle .
If you have the possibility, collect the fresh leaves, otherwise you can always buy it in herbal tea cut , that is dried.
In addition to purifying the body, nettle leaves are also an excellent remedy for stopping diarrhea .
It also has a haemostatic and vasoconstrictive action, that is, it is able to block possible internal bleeding . For this reason, nettle is very useful if, in addition to diarrhea, blood loss occurs.
How is it taken?
The nettle leaves are taken as an infusion, in the same way as the other remedies seen above. The infusion time is 8-10 minutes.
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7. Green tea
Speaking of astringent remedies, it is impossible not to mention green tea . In fact, like rosehip berries, green tea also contains tannins .
To enhance the anti-diarrheal effect of green tea, I always recommend adding the juice of half a lemon, so as to obtain an even better result.
How is it taken?
It is usually recommended to steep green tea for 3 to 4 minutes. This is so that the tea is not too bitter.
In this particular case, for green tea to release all the tannins into the water, the infusion times must be longer: at least 5 minutes .
The drink will be more bitter, but so will its effectiveness .
The tea should be drunk hot or lukewarm. You can add mint to improve the flavor and a squeeze of half a lemon to increase the astringent action.
Better to drink it in the morning and mid-afternoon. Never in the evening, otherwise you risk spending sleepless nights due to its exciting action on the nervous system.
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How to sweeten drinks
Personally I’m used to not sweetening drinks and I recommend you do the same. Taking in sugars when you have diarrhea is never a wise move.
But if you really can’t do without it, avoid using white or brown sugar .
What are the alternatives?
Much better a little honey , which will be added when the herbal tea has cooled until it becomes lukewarm. This is because when honey is heated too much it loses most of its active ingredients.
The best sweetener
However, the optimal choice remains stevia , a plant that has the particularity of sweetening without containing real sugars.
In fact , stevia has 0 calories, does not raise blood sugar and does not cause tooth decay .
Furthermore, very little is needed, since it has a sweetening power 300 times greater than sugar.
In a 250 ml herbal tea, just add about 1/4 of a teaspoon of sugar.
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NB : All information published on this site is informative and should not be considered as advice, or medical prescriptions, or other.