Diarrhoea, commonly known as loose motions, occurs in all human beings periodically from birth to death. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to this disease. Most people get the swift attack of this disease for a short duration. For others, it is a habitual and chronic problem with apparently no cause.
The intestine nomrJly gets more than 10 litres of liquid per day. This liquid comes from the diet and from secretions of the stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines. In the case of diarrhoea, water is either not absorbed or is secreted in excess by the organs of the body. It is then sent to the colon where water-holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.
Diet plays a vital role in controlling diarrhoea. Certain foods counteract diarrhoea effectively as they contain tannins and other astringent compounds. These foods fight bacteria in the intestines and thereby exert a soothing effect. They help drain water out of the gut and solidify faeces. They also help restrict the intestinal track’s contractions, which push contents along. In fact, by eating the right food, a person can shorten by one-third to one-half the recovery time from a bout of diarrhoea.
FOODS THAT CONTROL DIARRHOEA
Apple, Babul, Bael Fruit, Banana, Carrot Soup, Chebulic myroblan, Curd, Dill, Drumstick leaves, Fenugreek Seeds, Garlic, Ginger, Guava (unripe), Jambul, Lemon, Mango, Mint, Nutmeg, Pomegranate, Rice, Starchy Fluids and Turmeric.
Apple
Apples are anti-diarrhoeal food. Tissot in 18th century first introduced apple-cure in acute diarrhoea. In recent times, Von-moro and Hessler revived the importance of its curative value in the treatment of this disease. The beneficial effects of the apple-cure are attributed to its pectin and malic acid contents. The pectin swells and engulfs the bacteria that cause diarrhoea and the malic acid inhibits the bacterial growth. In severe types of diarrhoea, supplementing apple juice with specific treatment is found to be very effective.
Grated raw apples have been found especially valuable in infantile diarrhoea. In 1929, Dr. Moro of Heidelberg uses this remedy on a large scale with great success. The method for this treatment is that the child-patient should not undergo any other treatment. Apples, selected from among half-ripe ones, should be peeled, cored and grated. The pulp of the fruit is thus reduced to a soft mass, which rapidly turns brown due to oxidation.
The quantity to be used in treating infantile diarrhoea varies between 500 and 1500 grams, depending on the age of the patient. The total quantity to be used should be divided into five meals, varying from 100 to 300 grams at each feeding. During the first two days of the treatment, child-patient should not be allowed any other food or drink except pure water to quench the thirst so also to prevent dehydration. From third day for two days, he should be given transition diet, which should include only cereals and gruels, and exclude milk and vegetables, before return to the normal diet.
The use of apple juice, mixed with banana, has been found beneficial in the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhoea. Cooked or baked apples are also good for diarrhoea. The cooking process softens the cellulose. Much of its value as a regulating material is thus lost and it is effective in looseness of the bowels.
Babul
Acacia, popularly known as babul tree, is a common large tree, which occurs wild all over India. It is planted for its bark. The tree yields a gum, known as babul gum. The bark of babul tree contains tannin and gallic acid. The leaves and fruits of the tree also contain tannin and gallic acid. The various parts of this tree are useful in diarrhoea of ordinary intensity.
A mixture of equal parts of the tender leaves with white and black cumin seeds can be administered in doses of 12 grams, thrice daily. An infusion made of the bark of the tree may also be taken thrice daily in treating this condition. The gum, used either in decoction or in syrup, is also an effective medicine for diarrhoea.
Bael Fruit
The bael occupies an important place among the indigenous fruits of India. The unripe or half-ripe fruit is perhaps, the most effective anti-diarrhoeal food and is thus valuable food remedy for chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, where there is no fever. Best results are obtained by the use of dried bael or its powder. The bael fruit, when it is still green, is sliced and dried in the sun. The bael slices can also be reduced into powder and preserved in airtight bottles. The unripe bael can be baked and used in such cases with jaggery or brown sugar.
Banana
The banana is one of the oldest and best-known fruits in the world. It is a tropical fruit cultivated all over India. It has a rare combination of energy value, tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals. The fruit is very hygienic as it comes in a germ-proof package. Its thick covering provides an excellent protection against bacteria and contamination.
Banana is of great value as anti-diarrhoeal food and its use helps control diarrhoea. It normalises colonic functions in the large intestine to absorb large amount of water for proper bowel movements. It also possesses the ability to change the bacteria in the intestines, from the harmful type of bacilli to the beneficial acidophyllus bacilli. It would be advisable to take an exclusive diet of banana, rice and curd during acute stage of the disease.