Carrot Soup
A soup prepared from carrot has been found effective in controlling diarrhoea. It supplies water to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur and magnesium, supplies pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. Half a kg of carrot may be cooked in 150 ml of water until it is soft. The pulp should be strained and boiled water added to make a litre. Three-quarter tablespoon of salt may be mixed. This soup should be given in small amount to the patient every half an hour.
Chebulic Myroblan
This miraculous herb, known as long-life elixir, has been used in Indian system of medicine for a very long time. The physicians in ancient India used it in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, besides many other elements. It is an effective remedy for chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. Four grams of the pulp of the unripe fruit should be given with honey and aromatics twice a day in the treatment of these diseases.
Curd
Curd or yoghurt is a potent anti-diarrhoeal food of great importance. It is the safest food to prevent and treat diarrhoea, according to tests by Dr. Dennis Savaiano and Michael Levitt of the University of Minnesota. Yoghurt is safe because it is unlikely to harbour bacteria that cause diarrhoea. These two researchers put yoghurt cultures in test tubes with various strains of E.coli bacteria, the number one instigator of traveler’s diarrhoea. They found that infection-causing bacteria either died or did not grow. They were, however, found to thrive in ordinary milk.
In another research study at the University of California at Davis, Dr. Georges Halpern found that healthy people who ate 170 grams of ordinary yoghurt a day had a very few bouts of diarrhoea throughout the year. Eating yoghurt may also help recover faster from diarrhoeal infections, according to Dr. Levitt. The bacterial cultures in curd produce lactic acid in the intestine, making the stomach more acidic.
This inhibits the ability of infectious bacteria to survive and thrive. Buttermilk, the residual milk left after the fat has been removed from curd by churning, is also very effective food in diarrhoea. It helps overcome harmful intestinal flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria. Buttermilk may be taken with a pinch of salt three or four times a day for controlling this disease.
Dill
The Dill is a green leafy vegetable and a culinary herb. The leaves of this plant are stimulant. They are a soothing and calming medicine and help improve the functional activity of the stomach. The seeds of the plant yield 3 to 3.5 per cent of an essential oil called dill oil, known for its very powerful carminative property.
Dill possesses an anti-diarrhoeal activity. The seeds of this plant, when roasted in ghee with fenugreek seeds in equal quantity, are a specific medicine for diarrhoea and acute bacillary dysentery. For better results, roasted seeds should be powdered and then mixed with curd or buttermilk for use in treating these conditions.
Moringa Leaves
The drumstick or Moringa a fairly common vegetable grown all over India. It is valued mainly for the tender pod. It is antibacterial and a wonderful cleanser. Almost all parts of the drumstick tree have therapeutic value. The leaves of this tree possess many medicinal virtues and are therefore beneficial in the treatment of several common ailments. They are full of iron and can be used as food.
The leaves of drumstick tree are an anti-diarrhoeal food. They should be used in the form of juice in controlling diarrhoea. A teaspoon of this juice, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a glass of tender coconut water, makes a very effective herbal medicine for diarrhoea. It should be given two or three times daily.