Can I Eat Sugar with Gastroenteritis? Expert Nutrition Advice

October 10, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the NIDDK, replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is the most critical aspect of managing viral gastroenteritis. During this time, the question of whether you can I eat sugar with gastroenteritis is common, as a sensitive stomach can be aggravated by the wrong foods. This guide provides clarity on managing your diet to promote a faster, smoother recovery.

Quick Summary

This article discusses the dietary recommendations for gastroenteritis, clarifying that high-sugar foods and drinks should be avoided as they can worsen diarrhea. It highlights the importance of hydration with appropriate electrolyte solutions and explains how to gradually reintroduce bland, easy-to-digest foods like the BRAT diet.

Key Points

Avoid High-Sugar Items: Refined sugars, sugary juices, and candy can worsen diarrhea due to their osmotic effect, drawing water into the intestines.
Hydrate with Caution: Sip water, clear broths, and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) to replace fluids and electrolytes lost. Avoid gulping large amounts at once.
Embrace the BRAT Diet: Bananas, plain rice, applesauce, and dry toast are excellent choices for starting solid foods as they are bland, low-fiber, and gentle on the stomach.
Introduce Foods Gradually: After the initial phase, slowly reintroduce other bland, cooked foods like potatoes and lean protein before returning to your normal diet over several days.
Steer Clear of Irritants: Until fully recovered, avoid fatty/fried foods, spicy meals, caffeine, alcohol, and high-fiber foods that are difficult to digest.

Understanding the Impact of Sugar on an Upset Stomach

When you have gastroenteritis, the delicate balance of your digestive system is thrown into chaos. Inflammation of the stomach and intestines leads to common symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. During this period, your gut struggles to properly digest and absorb nutrients, making it highly sensitive to irritation from certain foods and drinks. The gut is a complex ecosystem, and a balanced diet is key to maintaining it, but when sick, adjustments are necessary.

Why High-Sugar Foods are Problematic

For most people suffering from gastroenteritis, consuming high amounts of sugar can be detrimental to recovery. The primary reason for this is a physiological effect known as the osmotic load. Large amounts of sugar, especially refined and simple sugars found in candies, sodas, and sweet fruit juices, are difficult for your inflamed intestines to absorb. As a result, this unabsorbed sugar pulls excess water into the gut, which can significantly worsen diarrhea.

Common high-sugar items to avoid include:

Soft drinks and sugary juices
Candy, cookies, and pastries
Ice cream and high-fat dairy
Sugary cereals

Artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol and xylitol, can also cause digestive issues and should be avoided, as they have a laxative effect.

The Right Approach to Hydration

While high-sugar drinks are a problem, not all sources of sugar are created equal. The key difference lies in the balance with electrolytes. Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) are specifically formulated with precise ratios of sugar and salt to help the body absorb fluids and electrolytes lost through vomiting and diarrhea. This is completely different from chugging a sports drink laden with excessive sugar, which can backfire and worsen symptoms. Adults and older children can use diluted sports drinks, but ORS is often recommended for more reliable results.

How to rehydrate safely:

Small, frequent sips: Drinking too much too quickly can trigger nausea and vomiting.
Prioritize water: Plain water is always a safe and effective choice for staying hydrated.
Consider broths: Clear broths provide fluids, salt, and other nutrients gently.

Gradually Reintroducing Foods for Recovery

Once your stomach settles and you can tolerate clear fluids, you can begin to introduce bland, easy-to-digest foods. The well-known BRAT diet is often recommended for this stage.

The BRAT diet consists of:

Bananas: Rich in potassium to replace lost electrolytes and easy to digest.
Rice: Plain white rice is a bland, low-fiber starch that is gentle on the gut.
Applesauce: A source of easy-to-digest carbohydrates and calories.
Toast: Plain, dry white toast is a simple carbohydrate that is less likely to cause irritation.

Other suitable options include plain crackers, boiled potatoes, and low-fat lean protein like skinless chicken.

What to Avoid as You Recover


Food/Drink Type	Example	Rationale
High-Sugar Drinks	Soda, sugary fruit juices, sports drinks with high sugar content	Pulls water into the intestines, worsening diarrhea.
Fatty/Greasy Foods	Fried foods, pizza, burgers	Difficult to digest and can irritate the gut.
Spicy Foods	Dishes with chili, curry, or heavy spices	Irritates the lining of the digestive tract.
Caffeine & Alcohol	Coffee, energy drinks, cocktails	Can cause dehydration and further irritate the gut.
Dairy Products	Milk, cheese, ice cream	Lactose can be difficult to digest during gut inflammation.
High-Fiber Foods	Raw vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts	Hard to digest and can aggravate symptoms.

Slowly Returning to Your Normal Diet

As your symptoms subside, you can begin to broaden your diet. This should be done gradually over several days. Start by introducing soft, bland versions of your regular meals and monitor how your body reacts. Some people may experience temporary lactose intolerance after gastroenteritis, so reintroducing dairy cautiously is wise. Listen to your body and pull back if symptoms return. A return to your regular diet can take 7 to 14 days, though individual recovery times vary. For comprehensive guidelines, the NIDDK provides excellent resources on diet and nutrition for viral gastroenteritis, which can be found here: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/viral-gastroenteritis/eating-diet-nutrition.

Conclusion

In summary, while you should not eat excessive, high amounts of refined sugar with gastroenteritis, specific sugars in balanced rehydration solutions and bland, natural sources like bananas are acceptable. The most important strategy is to listen to your body, prioritize hydration with electrolytes, and follow a diet of bland, easily digestible foods. Avoiding irritating substances like fatty, spicy, and very sugary items will help reduce symptoms and pave the way for a quicker recovery. Always consult a healthcare provider if symptoms are severe or persistent.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is generally not recommended to drink large amounts of sugary fruit juice, as the high sugar content can worsen diarrhea. Diluted juice or bland options like applesauce are better choices for rehydration and nutrition.

While sports drinks contain electrolytes, many also contain high levels of sugar, which can worsen diarrhea. For proper rehydration, Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) are preferable. For adults, diluted sports drinks can be used, but in moderation.

High concentrations of sugar are not easily absorbed by the inflamed intestines during gastroenteritis. This unabsorbed sugar creates an osmotic effect, pulling excess water into the gut and making diarrhea worse.

Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) are the most effective way to rehydrate and replace lost electrolytes. Other good options include water, clear broths, and mild herbal teas like ginger or chamomile.

You can begin to slowly reintroduce more foods once you can tolerate the bland, BRAT-style diet. The process should be gradual, taking several days, as your digestive system needs time to recover fully.

For children, it is crucial to avoid sugary foods and drinks like soda and candy, as they can exacerbate diarrhea. Oral rehydration solutions specifically for children, like Pedialyte, are recommended instead.

No, you should avoid artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and xylitol. These can have a laxative effect and further irritate your digestive system during gastroenteritis.