What to Eat to Cure Severe Diarrhea: A Guide to Recovery

November 21, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, most cases of acute diarrhea clear up on their own within a few days. However, knowing what to eat to cure severe diarrhea is crucial for managing symptoms, preventing dangerous dehydration, and speeding up your overall recovery.

Quick Summary

This article explains the best foods for severe diarrhea, focusing on bland, low-fiber options like the modified BRAT diet, along with essential hydration tips, and a list of foods to avoid to support recovery.

Key Points

Prioritize Hydration: Replenish lost fluids and electrolytes immediately with water, clear broths, or commercial oral rehydration solutions to prevent dehydration.
Start with Bland Foods: Follow a modified BRAT diet by eating small, frequent portions of binding foods like bananas, white rice, applesauce, and white toast to help firm stools.
Avoid Irritating Foods: Steer clear of fatty, spicy, and high-fiber items, as well as caffeine and alcohol, which can all worsen symptoms.
Introduce Probiotics Cautiously: Consider adding low-fat yogurt or kefir to help restore beneficial gut bacteria, but monitor for any signs of lactose intolerance.
Progress Your Diet Gradually: As your symptoms improve, slowly reintroduce a wider variety of foods, such as lean proteins and cooked vegetables, before resuming your regular diet.
Know When to Seek Medical Help: Consult a doctor if diarrhea persists for more than two days, or if you notice a fever, severe pain, or blood in your stool.

Prioritizing Hydration: The First Step to Recovery

When dealing with severe diarrhea, the most immediate and critical concern is preventing dehydration, which is caused by the significant loss of fluids and electrolytes. While water is essential, it does not contain the necessary electrolytes (minerals like sodium and potassium) that your body is losing. Therefore, it is important to consume liquids that can help replenish these vital minerals.

Essential rehydration liquids:

Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS): Commercial ORS products (like Pedialyte) are specifically formulated with the correct balance of salts and sugars to facilitate absorption and replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
Clear Broths: Chicken or vegetable broth provides sodium and fluid, which are easy for the digestive system to tolerate.
Electrolyte-Enhanced Water: Look for products that contain added minerals but are low in sugar.
Diluted Fruit Juices: Small amounts of diluted, low-sugar apple juice or grape juice can offer some sugar and electrolytes. Avoid pulpy juices and those high in sugar, as they can worsen symptoms.

The BRAT Diet and Expanding Your Food Choices

The BRAT diet—Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast—has long been recommended for diarrhea due to its bland, binding nature. While a good starting point, experts now advise expanding this restrictive diet to ensure adequate nutrition and calories for proper recovery. The goal is to eat small, frequent meals of easy-to-digest foods.

Recommended bland and binding foods:

Bananas: A good source of potassium and pectin, a soluble fiber that helps absorb excess fluid in the gut and firm up stools.
White Rice: Refined white rice is low in fiber and easy to digest. Unlike whole-grain brown rice, it won't overstimulate the digestive system.
Applesauce: A better option than raw apples, as the skin contains insoluble fiber that can be irritating. Applesauce contains pectin, which aids in binding the stool.
White Toast: Made from refined white flour, white toast is easier to digest than whole-grain alternatives.
Oatmeal: Cooked oats can provide soothing, soluble fiber that helps firm stools.
Boiled or Baked Potatoes (peeled): These are gentle on the stomach and offer much-needed potassium.
Lean Protein: Plain, baked, or broiled skinless chicken or turkey, and soft-cooked eggs are excellent sources of protein that are easy to digest.
Saltine Crackers: These salty snacks help replenish sodium and are gentle on the digestive tract.

Restoring Gut Health with Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that can help restore a healthy balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, which can be disrupted by diarrhea. Including probiotic-rich foods can aid in recovery.

Consider these probiotic sources:

Low-fat Yogurt and Kefir: These fermented dairy products contain live, active cultures. While many dairy products should be avoided due to potential temporary lactose intolerance, low-fat yogurt is often well-tolerated and can be beneficial. Choose low-sugar varieties.

What to Avoid While Recovering

Certain foods and drinks can irritate the gut and prolong or worsen diarrhea symptoms. It is best to avoid these until your digestive system has fully recovered.

Table: Foods to Avoid vs. Recommended Foods for Diarrhea


Foods to Avoid	Reason to Avoid	Recommended Foods	Reason to Recommend
Fried, fatty foods	Can be difficult for the sensitive digestive system to process, leading to irritation.	Lean proteins (baked chicken, fish)	Easy to digest and provides essential nutrients.
High-fiber foods (whole grains, raw vegetables)	Insoluble fiber speeds up digestion and can exacerbate symptoms.	Refined grains (white rice, white toast, crackers)	Low-fiber and gentle on the stomach.
Spicy foods and strong seasonings	Irritates the digestive tract and can trigger more diarrhea.	Bland foods (cooked without seasoning)	Less likely to agitate the sensitive digestive system.
Caffeine and alcohol	Both can have a diuretic and dehydrating effect, and overstimulate the bowels.	Water, clear broth, decaffeinated tea	Helps with rehydration and avoids digestive irritants.
Dairy products (milk, cheese)	May cause temporary lactose intolerance, worsening symptoms.	Low-fat yogurt (with probiotics)	Can restore gut flora; lactose is often broken down by cultures.
Artificial sweeteners and high-sugar drinks	Can have a laxative effect and disrupt gut bacteria.	Electrolyte drinks (low-sugar)	Replenishes fluids and minerals without high sugar content.

Managing Your Recovery: A Step-by-Step Approach

Your diet should progress as your symptoms improve. Start slow, and only add new foods once you feel ready.

Phase 1 (First 24 hours): Focus exclusively on liquids to prevent dehydration. Sip on oral rehydration solutions, water, and clear broths.
Phase 2 (Day 2): Introduce binding foods from the BRAT diet and other bland options. Eat small, frequent portions to avoid overloading your stomach.
Phase 3 (Day 3 and beyond): As you feel better, begin to add soft, low-fat proteins and more cooked, peeled vegetables. Continue to prioritize hydration and listen to your body.

Important Medical Disclaimer: If you experience severe symptoms such as high fever, severe abdominal pain, bloody or black stools, or signs of severe dehydration, it is essential to seek medical advice immediately. This dietary guidance is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical care.

Conclusion

Successfully navigating severe diarrhea involves a strategic dietary approach. The core principles are to prioritize hydration with water, broths, and electrolyte solutions, and to follow a bland, low-fiber diet, starting with binding foods like the BRAT components. Gradually expanding your intake to include lean proteins and probiotics will support your recovery. By avoiding fatty, spicy, and high-fiber irritants, you can give your digestive system the rest it needs to heal. Remember that proper hydration and listening to your body are the most important steps toward feeling better quickly. For more information on managing digestive health, you can consult resources such as the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Frequently Asked Questions

For severe diarrhea, the best thing to drink is an oral rehydration solution (ORS) or electrolyte-enhanced water to replace fluids and vital electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Clear broths are also effective. Water alone is good but does not replace lost minerals.

While the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is a great starting point, it's very restrictive and lacks essential nutrients. It should be used for a short time and then expanded to include other bland, easy-to-digest foods like lean proteins, cooked vegetables, and probiotics.

You should avoid fatty and fried foods, spicy meals, high-fiber foods (like whole grains and raw vegetables), dairy products (except possibly low-fat yogurt), caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners. These can all irritate the digestive system and worsen symptoms.

Yes, probiotics can be helpful. They are beneficial microorganisms that may help restore a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, which can be disrupted by diarrhea. Low-fat yogurt with live cultures is a good source.

You should see a doctor if your diarrhea lasts for more than two days, or if you have a high fever, severe abdominal pain, bloody or black stools, or signs of severe dehydration (like dizziness or dry mouth).

Yes, most dairy products should be avoided with diarrhea. An episode can cause temporary lactose intolerance, making dairy difficult to digest and potentially worsening symptoms. Low-fat yogurt with probiotics is often a well-tolerated exception.

Plain, baked, or broiled skinless chicken or turkey, and soft-cooked eggs are excellent choices for lean protein. They are easy on the digestive system and provide essential nutrients without added fats or seasonings.