Is Your Diet Giving You Diarrhoea?


If you’ve been suffering from constant diarrhea for a while, it may be time to re-think your dietary habits. You may be eating all the wrong kinds of foods for your body.

Alternatively, you may also have ye transitioned into a new diet to lose weight or eat healthier, in which case your body may respond to this kind of adaptation through diarrhea for a little while.

This article will explore the types of diets that can give you diarrhea and also the dietary staples that may occupy a prime place in our cupboards, which may also contribute to diarrhea.

Diets And Their Potential to Cause Diarrhoea

If you have been eating one way your whole life, and suddenly decide to switch gears and start eating healthy, or use a fad diet to quickly lose some weight, your body is prone to have some trouble adjusting.

Diarrhea is one of the external manifestations of internal changes in bowel functioning. The component foods of each diet, quantities, and your body's physiological constitution will impact whether you have episodes of diarrhea.

In general, meat is harder for the digestive system to process and break down which leads to constipation. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables will help your stool become softer, more frequent, and easier to pass. However, too much fiber can make your stool watery and not bulky enough. It’s all about striking a balance.

Many people who move from a largely meat-based to a primarily plant-based diet observe more regular, softer, and easier stools.

Too much fiber in the form of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or whole grains escalated suddenly in quantity can also trigger diarrhea. Introduce them slowly and sustainably. You need to have a little of all the food groups, to keep your bowel movements ideal and regular.

The Keto Diet

Since the keto diet is based on predominantly fats, moderate proteins, and minimal carbs, it is unlikely you will get in enough fiber to move your stool regularly. The limit on carbohydrates means the number of fruits and vegetables you can fit in a meal plan is restricted. What will happen then is either you will have constipation, or the excess strain on the intestines will cause the water to be pulled out resulting in liquid-like stools few and far between.

The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet is also primarily a meat-based diet plan. It doesn’t exclude fruits and vegetables, except legumes and whole grains so it's quite high-fiber. If you were eating a low-fiber diet before the transition, this moderate-high-fiber diet can have a laxative effect and cause diarrhea.

On the other hand, if you fill up on meat and do not include enough fibrous plant-based foods, you face constipation and infrequent visits but not diarrhea.

The Low-FODMAP Diet

The FODMAP diet is the one diet that is certain to relieve you of diarrhea while also ensuring that you eat healthily and possibly lose weight.

The FODMAP constituents are fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine finds difficult to digest and process.

High FODMAP foods include fruits- mainly stone fruit, vegetables like asparagus and artichoke, condiments like garlic and onion, dairy and dairy products, wheat and wheat products, and lentils and beans.

These foods attract more water in the gut and make your stools watery. The additional fluids and gas cause bloating, expansion, and stretching of gut walls and muscles exerting too much strain.

This doesn’t seem too daunting and the excision of the high-FODMAP foods from your diet will not only reduce diarrhea, but also abnormal cramping, gas, and bloating.

The diet is also helpful for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)If you want to, you can gradually reintroduce some of these foods while maintaining a record of which ones cause diarrhea or other adverse reactions.

Other diets may have differing effects on your body. Consult your dietician before embarking on any of them, as they may cause such unpleasant episodes for you as well. Some food groups may not sit well with you, so plan your diet accordingly.

In any case, most healthy diets are good for you as the removal of processed foods and drinks will give your bowels a much-needed cleanse and reprieve and also get you much healthier.

Foods That Cause Diarrhoea to Avoid in your Diet

Even if you aren't on any specific diet, whatever you choose to eat will affect your bowel movements. So, these are some staples that you may eat or drink regularly or from time to time that may cause diarrhea and thus should be avoided −

  • Dairy − Dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice creams that are high in fat content and have high lactose. Many people are lactose intolerant, with dairy causing flatulence, diarrhea, and cramps.

  • Some people may not have lactose intolerance but still have low levels of lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose in milk products; milk also has disaccharides which are tough to digest.

    If you sense discomfort when having dairy products or you are lactose-intolerant, switch to low-lactose options like hard cheeses and probiotic yogurts.

  • Sugar − both natural and artificial sugars are culprits in causing diarrhea. Fructose, found in stone fruit, sodas, and juices is the main culprit. Artificial sweeteners like mannitol, xylitol, and sorbitol are also equally bad as they aren’t even absorbed into the intestines.

  • These sugars draw water into the intestines along with electrolytes causing dehydration and diarrhea.

  • Creamy and Fried Foods − These rich foods are notoriously difficult to digest and just pass through the system without the gut extracting anything useful from them. The saturated fats are broken down into fatty acids which in turn cause the gut to secrete too much water, resulting in diarrhea.

Conclusion

Finally, it’s all about knowing your body and what doesn’t work for you.

In general, though, too much caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and spice may have you on the ceramic throne for longer than usual. It comes down to moderation and keeping track of food/drink that doesn’t suit you.

Updated on: 30-Mar-2023

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