BRAT Diet

21 Jun

Posted by admin as Uncategorized

The BRAT diet is a historically prescribed treatment for patients with various forms of gastrointestinal distress such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, and/or gastroenteritis. The BRAT diet consists of foods that are relatively bland, easy to digest, and low in fiber. Low-fiber foods are recommended because foods high in fiber may cause gas, possibly worsening the gastrointestinal upset. A well-balanced diet is best even during diarrhea, but studies have found that incorporating foods from the BRAT diet can reduce the severity of diarrhea. Applesauce provides pectin, as does toast with grape jelly. The BRAT diet should include additional protein supplements such as tofu or protein pills.

BRAT Diet: how it works?

The bananas provide potassium, a vital mineral for controlling the body’s fluid balance - while boiled rice and toast provide low-fiber carbohydrate that doesn’t irritate the bowel. The applesauce supposedly has a cleansing effect on the digestive system. Some alternative BRAT diet foods include: vegetable or fruit juices (except prune juice) cooked cereals, crackers and pasta.

How to Take / Introduce BRAT Diet?

Incase toast and rice does not stay down, then you can opt resting the stomach completely for some hours.After this, you can begin by drinking clear liquids like water, ginger ale, broth or maybe even a sports drink mixed with water. Remember to drink in small sips than in big gulps, as there will then be more chances of the drink staying down.When you have reached a stage when liquids are well-tolerated i.e. not getting vomited out, then begin gradually adding the BRAT foods to your diet. Incase liquids still continue to encourage vomiting, then better check with a doctor. You need to be extra cautious in case of kids.

Keeping a Healthy Diet:

Some pediatricians no longer advise parents to use the BRAT diet, for two reasons. One is a concern that children on the diet won’t get the nutrition they need. This is a valid worry if parents continue the child on the diet for more than a day or so.In addition, there isn’t any scientific evidence to prove that the BRAT diet helps people recover from diarrhea or other stomach illnesses more quickly than any other diet. Since it’s not proven, there’s no real medical reason to use it.

The BRAT Diet treatment of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea:

NAUSEA, or a sick queasy feeling in the stomach maybe accompanied by the desire to vomit or actual VOMITING of foodstuff contents of the gastrointestinal system. They are symptoms of some underlying process frequently related to diseases of the gastrointestinal system, which may be caused by viruses, food poisoning, medications, alcohol, anxiety and pregnancy. In addition, nausea may be a sign of an upper respiratory illness with a post-nasal drip. DIARRHEA is a symptom of gastrointestinal disease resulting in loose, watery often frequent bowel movements. It may be “acute”, beginning suddenly and resolving over a few days with dietary discretion, or of a “chronic” ongoing process.

The BRAT diet can be used for babies with diarrhea. It should be known as the anti diarrhea brat diet. However, this should only be done with the careful supervision of a physician. A child or adult with diarrhea should eat carefully – the BRAT diet for children and toddlers is only recommended for short term use to help relieve the symptoms of diarrhea and stomach upset.

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