Diet for intestinal dysbiosis in adults

What is diarrhea

Diarrhea (colloquially called diarrhea) is a change in the appropriate consistency of stool.

Although this pathology is common (3-5% of the population), there are a lot of concomitant diseases for differential diagnosis, their sum reaches several hundred nosologies.

There are three types of diarrhea: liquid, fatty (malabsorption) and inflammatory etiology (with the presence of blood and pus in the stool).

However, not all cases of diarrhea strictly fit into these categories - there are combined cases. Liquid diarrhea is divided into osmotic (water retention due to poor absorption of nutrients), secretory (decreased water absorption) and functional (intestinal hyperkinesia).

A syndrome characterized by the acute development of watery diarrhea without blood (three or more loose stools per day).

Symptoms of diarrhea

Diarrhea develops against the background of disruption of the natural functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by the following symptoms:

• loose stools with frequent urges;
• nausea;
• stool may be watery, mushy, or poorly digested;
• feces emit a foul odor;
• pain in the lower abdomen;
• the color of the stool can change in any direction (from dark to light);
• a sharp increase in the patient's temperature;
• discharge after defecation contains mucus or blood;
• fecal incontinence;
• dehydration of the body.

Also after diarrhea and vomiting, including dehydration, the following may occur:

• weakness of the body;
• dry mouth;
• Fainting;
• severe dizziness;
• rapid heartbeat, with signs of tachycardia;
• the appearance of peculiar flies before the eyes.

Causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea occurs for various reasons. It usually occurs due to poor diet, poisoning of the body and some infectious diseases that affect the condition of the intestines.

Most often, a diet for upset stomach and intestines is prescribed depending on the cause of loose stools. Here are the main reasons that cause diarrhea:

• heavy food, overeating. It most often causes diarrhea;
• consumption of vegetables, soups, liquid foods, dried fruits, such as dried apricots or prunes;
• individual intolerance to some components;
• bowel irritation;
• mild food poisoning;
• intestinal dysbiosis;
• pancreatitis;
• use of sweeteners;
• use of medications and laxatives;
• gastritis and intestinal diseases;
• stomach ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori bacteria;
• in women – pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome and hormonal imbalance;
• poor quality and irregular food;
• severe degree of toxin poisoning.

If diarrhea is not caused by acute poisoning or intestinal diseases, then with proper nutrition it passes quickly, without causing additional unpleasant symptoms.

In such a situation, special nutrition for diarrhea in an adult is not needed: it is enough to consume liquid and absorbent agents , for example, activated carbon, to remove all the unpleasant symptoms.

If diarrhea does not go away and is accompanied by other symptoms (dizziness, nausea, vomiting), you need to urgently change your diet.

Nutrition rules for gastrointestinal problems

A diet for indigestion is organized according to the following rules:

• The patient should eat food frequently (about 5-6 times a day). At the same time, he needs to reduce the calorie content of his meals. The patient is allowed to consume no more than 2000 kcal per day. You should also reduce the amount of salt to a minimum.
• With severe diarrhea, the patient needs to drink a lot (about 1.5-2 liters of water per day). Products for such patients are boiled or steamed. During seasonal exacerbations, the patient is allowed to eat only liquid or semi-liquid food.
• A strict diet for functional disorders of the intestines and stomach must necessarily last throughout the entire period of exacerbation. After all the main symptoms have been removed and the patient’s condition has noticeably improved, a return to a varied menu is permissible. However, we should not forget that if there is a tendency to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, a person’s food should be as gentle as possible. The foods consumed should not irritate the walls of the intestines and stomach, and therefore it is undesirable for the patient to include hard (poorly chewed), as well as sour and spicy foods in the diet.

What examinations need to be done (diagnosis)

The first step to making a diagnosis is a thorough history. It is important to collect an epidemiological history, including information about recent travel.

Staying in the tropics significantly expands the list of diseases for differential diagnosis, but does not allow us to exclude common etiologies. Thus, bloody diarrhea after traveling to Africa is most likely caused by ulcerative colitis rather than amoebic dysentery.

Physical examination:

During a physical examination, additional clues are often found to determine the cause of diarrhea. If postoperative scars (surgical cause of diarrhea), increased peristalsis (auscultation), pain on palpation (infection and inflammation), space-occupying lesions are detected, a rectal examination and fecal occult blood test .

Fistulas in the anal area are characteristic of Crohn's disease. During sigmoidoscopy, ulcers or fecal impaction can be detected; the latter symptom is a common cause of pseudodiarrhea or paradoxical diarrhea.

Laboratory examination:

Basic laboratory examination includes a complete blood count with ESR, determination of the level of albumin, liver enzymes, thyroid-stimulating hormone and electrolytes.

What foods go together: general principles and approximate diet

In case of dysbacteriosis, separate nutrition is recommended. It is recommended to eat legumes with cereals, vegetable oils, sour cream, vegetables, and bread. Sour fruits can be safely combined with fermented milk products. The latter can also be combined with vegetables. You can use nuts and dried fruits with fruits and vegetables. Cereals are combined with plant foods, but combining meat and fish with carbohydrates is not recommended.

It is not recommended to mix whole milk and eggs with other products, except perhaps with a light vegetable salad. Fermented milk products go well with fresh herbs.

Sample diet for a week

The diet should be prepared together with a doctor. An approximate menu for intestinal dysbiosis for a week is presented below.

Monday

• Breakfast: banana, 20-30 minutes later - porridge, herbal tea;
• Second breakfast: vegetable salad with added herbs, medium-sized fruit;
• Lunch: boiled chicken with grated cheese and herbs;
• Afternoon snack: fruit;
• Dinner: boiled or steamed fish, egg.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: buckwheat, kefir, tea without sugar;
• Second breakfast: fruit;
• Lunch: steamed fish with vegetables;
• Afternoon snack: fruit;
• Dinner: steamed chicken, fresh vegetable salad.

Wednesday

• Breakfast: rice, kefir;
• Second breakfast: fruit;
• Lunch: salad of boiled beef and vegetables;
• Afternoon snack: dried fruits and milk;
• Dinner: cottage cheese casserole without sugar.

Thursday

• Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole without sugar;
• Second breakfast: sour fruits;
• Lunch: stewed fish with vegetables;
• Afternoon snack: dried fruits;
• Dinner: salad with cheese, tomatoes, herbs and basil.

Friday

• Breakfast: cereal soaked in kefir;
• Second breakfast: citrus fruits;
• Lunch: veal stew with peppers and tomatoes;
• Afternoon snack: seasonal berries;
• Dinner: vegetable salad with Feta cheese;

Saturday

• Breakfast: millet porridge with water without sugar;
• Second breakfast: fruit;
• Lunch: vegetables, fish soup;
• Afternoon snack: nuts;
• Dinner: steamed omelette.

Sunday

It is recommended to make this day a fasting day by choosing one product: apples, kefir, cucumbers, and so on.

Video on the topic: What is dysbiosis? What foods should be consumed if the intestinal microflora is disturbed?

Basic principles of nutrition for diarrhea in adults

Nutrition serves the following purposes:

• provide the body with all the necessary dietary fiber for normal digestion;
• relieve the load on the digestive tract as much as possible, which is achieved by special selection of products and their culinary processing (food is boiled in water or steamed, served pureed);
• improve the overall functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.

The irritated mucous membrane of the small intestine requires neutral food that would not irritate it, but, on the contrary, soothe and envelop it. Therefore, with loose stools, patients are prescribed diet No. 4, which provides maximum mechanical and chemical sparing of the intestines and a reduction in fermentation processes in it.

As a result of the processes of fermentation and putrefaction (they occur when taking large amounts of carbohydrates and fresh milk), a large amount of gases are released in the intestines, which stretch and irritate the intestinal wall.

What to eat on diet number 4:

• stale white bread or white bread croutons;
• ground lean meats and fish in the form of steamed meatballs or boiled meat souffle;
• soups in weak meat, fish or vegetable broth with boiled cereals (for example, rice);
• freshly prepared cottage cheese, pureed through a sieve;
• boiled or steamed eggs;
• pureed porridge cooked in water;
• weak tea, unsweetened and unconcentrated compotes from dried fruits or fresh apples, jelly;
• mashed raw and baked apples.

What to exclude from your diet:

• any flour products (except those permitted);
• fatty, rich soups and borscht with vegetables, strong broths of meat, fish, vegetables or mushrooms;
• fatty meat, fatty fish;
• canned and smoked products;
• milk and dairy products (except cottage cheese);
• some cereals (millet, wheat groats);
• cereals (beans, lentils, beans), pasta;
• vegetables, fruits and berries, raw and not pureed;
• everything sweet, carbonated drinks, cold dishes.

The list of prohibited foods for diarrhea can be continued for a very long time. The main thing when you have diarrhea is not to eat anything that can irritate the intestines and cause discomfort. It is advisable to drink plenty of fluids.

Acceptable foods for disorders

So what foods are allowed to be consumed on a diet for intestinal and stomach disorders? Experts report that in such conditions it is permissible to include in the menu soups prepared with diluted vegetable broth and poultry broth. You can add a little rice or semolina to them. For problems with the gastrointestinal tract, meat is consumed exclusively in ground form (for example, in the form of meatballs).

If a patient with a digestive system disorder loves bread, then he is allowed to eat a piece of wheat, but it should be thinly sliced ​​and slightly dried.

As a second option, a patient with an upset stomach and intestines can prepare porridge, but only with water. In this case, it is advisable to grind the cereal to the state of flour.

For gastrointestinal diseases, especially during exacerbations, patients are allowed to eat porridge made from rice, buckwheat or oatmeal. You can also add a little butter to the dish.

The menu of a person who is worried about diarrhea must include animal protein. It is permissible to use meat as it, but only minced meat (in the form of soufflé or meatballs).

A diet for intestinal upset in adults and children involves the use of lean meats (for example, rabbit, veal, chicken without skin and fat). You can also eat fish or steamed fish cutlets.

If there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the patient is allowed to eat 1-2 eggs per day (in the form of a steam omelet). Patients can also eat fresh cottage cheese.

Patients should not eat berries and fruits, but jelly made from them is acceptable.

Sample daily menu for diarrhea

Daily meals for diarrhea in adults:

• First breakfast: 2 soft-boiled eggs or an omelet of 2 eggs, steamed oatmeal, white bread crackers, weak tea;
• Second breakfast: curd pudding, orange or apple juice half diluted with water;
• Lunch: rice soup, boiled fish or steamed cutlet, mashed potatoes, jelly;
• Afternoon snack: biscuits and mashed baked apple;
• First dinner: steamed chicken cutlets with pureed buckwheat porridge, a glass of unsweetened rose hip broth;
• Second dinner (an hour later): blueberry, quince or pear jelly.

Sample menu for the week

The menu should be compiled individually for the person, taking into account his needs. Example of a weekly diet:

• Monday. For breakfast, rice porridge, cottage cheese and tea are suitable; for lunch - cereal soup with low-fat meat broth, oatmeal with meatballs and jelly. For dinner you can eat a steamed omelette, a portion of buckwheat porridge and tea.
• Tuesday. For breakfast - oatmeal with dried fruits, tea; for lunch - vegetable soup, noodles with cheese, compote. You can have mashed potatoes with a boiled egg for dinner.
• Wednesday. For breakfast you can eat wheat porridge and drink green tea; for lunch - rice soup, stewed vegetables with buckwheat, compote. For dinner, a fruit salad and 50 ml of 1% fat yoghurt are suitable.
• Thursday. For breakfast, an omelette and cocoa with water are suitable; for lunch - fish soup, buckwheat porridge with meat cutlet, fruit puree. You can have rice porridge with a glass of carrot juice for dinner.
• Friday. For breakfast - oatmeal with a boiled egg, tea; for lunch - chicken broth soup with meatballs, steamed vegetables, jelly. Buckwheat porridge with berry compote is perfect for dinner.
• Saturday. For breakfast you can eat cottage cheese with fruit, cocoa; for lunch - vegetable soup, stewed vegetables with meat, compote. For dinner - macaroni and cheese, yogurt or kefir.
• Sunday. For breakfast - an omelet with vegetables and cheese, tea; for lunch - rice soup, mashed potatoes with fish cutlets, berry juice. You can have buckwheat porridge with chicken cutlet for dinner.

You should drink liquid between meals.

Folk remedies for the treatment of diarrhea

Rice water - probably many have heard about such a popular remedy for diarrhea as rice water.

This drink is much more effective than many advertised tablets and does not cause any harm to the body. And, if we are talking about the advantages, then it is impossible not to mention that this remedy saturates the body well with useful substances that are so necessary during diarrhea.

The recipe for such a useful medicine is simple:

To begin with, you should take a pan (preferably enameled), pour 0.5 liters of water into it and put it on fire. Then, two small spoons of rice, which was previously soaked in cold water, should be placed in boiling water. The potion must remain on the fire for at least fifty minutes. During this time, it needs to be stirred periodically.

The finished infusion is cooled and filtered through a tea strainer. It is worth taking depending on age. Adults – 150 ml. – every 3 hours a day. Children can be given from 50 to 100 ml. 3-4 times a day. Usually, an hour after use, the condition improves. You not only need to drink the infusion, but also eat some rice. This product is also good for children because it does not cause allergies. After improvement, you can replace the decoction with tea with simple crackers.

Bird cherry – Another great remedy for eliminating diarrhea is bird cherry. This is how people were treated in ancient times. Today, for proper treatment, it is worth using the bark and flowers of the plant. But you should drink such a decoction only if the diarrhea is non-infectious.

Making a medicinal drink at home is quite simple. You need to rinse the grapes under the tap. Pour them into a glass halfway. Then fill the pan with the contents of the glass in which the product will be prepared.

You also need to pour 2 glasses of hot water directly there, and then put it in a water bath for half an hour. After this, the broth should stand under the lid for about 30 minutes. Next, the drug needs to be strained. Be sure to mix the drink with the same amount of blueberry juice.

The resulting product will simply become an indispensable assistant in the fight against diarrhea in adults. This drink should be taken every hour, 1 tablespoon.

Pomegranate infusion - pomegranate peels have beneficial properties in the treatment of diarrhea. They need to be prepared in advance. To do this, you need to cut off the red layer of the pomegranate and dry it in the oven.

To prepare a medicinal decoction, the peels need to be ground to a powder and boiled in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, after pouring boiling water over them. You need to take a small spoon only once a day. Repeat the procedure until the patient recovers completely.

Proper diet for diarrhea

What foods can you eat: bread products; dried in the oven or toaster; dietary types of meat - boiled or steamed; chicken meat or turkey fillet, after removing the skin; fish containing 4-5% fat; omelette; cottage cheese with a low percentage of fat or low fat; buckwheat; oatmeal porridge; boiled or steamed vegetables broccoli, zucchini, carrots; baked apples; jelly; decoction with rose hips and black tea.

What foods should not be consumed: baked goods; bread products containing bran; noodles and pasta; semi-finished meat products; varieties of fish classified as fatty - salmon, salmon; egg; dairy products; vegetable oil; salads made from fresh vegetables; barley porridge, millet; chocolate candies; jam; natural honey; citruses; bananas; grape.

Specifics of diet for impaired digestion

The proper effect for diarrhea is achieved by strictly observing the following rules. Eat in 200 gram portions and at intervals of one and a half to two hours. Following a diet when the digestive tract is upset becomes a necessary component in the treatment and alleviation of symptoms of the disease. Taking medications and following nutritional recommendations are equally important.

Liquid stool flushes salt and essential microelements from the body, so eating liquid-based foods returns the water-salt balance to normal. It is better to add one-fourth teaspoon of table salt to drinks and food; at the same time, the body replenishes the loss of salt and at the same time salt helps retain fluid in the body. After each loose stool, drink an additional 200 ml of liquid.

For pain in the abdominal area

If you experience bloating, stomach cramps, or abdominal pain, you should drink herbal teas or infusions, such as brewed oak bark, mint tea, or chamomile tea. It is useful to drink the prepared rosehip decoction in small portions at intervals of 2 hours. Rowan and pomegranate juice restores the functioning of the digestive tract and helps fight diarrhea due to intestinal disorders.

Tips for recovering from a bowel disorder

Dehydration of the body due to diarrhea and vomiting leads to destabilization of the immune system. As a result, long-term recovery is important. Therapeutic nutrition and following recommendations are the main assistant in restoring proper digestion. For the healing and rehabilitation of the intestinal tract, the following foods are recommended:

• Steamed cutlets made from minced chicken or beef.
• Cottage cheese and kefir.
• Low-fat soups, preferably cooked in a second broth.
• Porridge: rice and semolina.
• Drink tea, juices and herbal infusions.
• From baked goods, slowly introduce gray bread or black bread, with bran, into the diet.

Diet for poisoning

When eating spoiled food or violating the rules of heat treatment, signs of intoxication appear. Frequent vomiting and stool disturbances appear. Diet helps the body cope with the disease. And the task of restorative nutrition is to reduce the load on digestion.

The goal of the diet is to provide comfortable conditions for digestion, taking into account the condition of the patient. This effect can be achieved by gentle thermal, mechanical and temperature effects of the foods consumed. Requirements for thermal conditions for processing food for a dietary diet: boiling, steaming, grated food, sometimes baked in the oven. During this period, to eliminate side negative effects on the intestines and digestive tract as a result of prolonged bowel dysfunction and vomiting, diet therapy should:

• replenish electrolyte balance;
• reduce dehydration and weaken inflammatory processes in the digestive organs, promote regeneration of mucous membranes;
• compensate for the loss of minerals, proteins and vitamins in the body.

Recommended diet for digestive disorders

Gentle therapeutic nutrition in the form of “Table number 1”. Fat consumption is not allowed to exceed 100 grams per daily intake, of which one fifth is fats of vegetable origin. Proteins up to 100 grams and 50% of them are of animal origin. The norm for carbohydrates entering the body with food, according to doctors’ advice, is 200 grams. You need to eat without exceeding your daily calorie intake (2000 kcal). The duration of a therapeutic diet varies from person to person, but often takes seven to eight days. The resumption of the usual diet is carried out progressively and systematically.

Meals according to the regime

Food consumed during the day is divided into small fractions (parts). Eat at intervals of two hours. The capacity of the dishes in the first days is 160 grams or a maximum of 200 grams, later you can consume larger quantities. But it is important to know that you should increase the volume of dishes gradually. These principles of gentle dietary nutrition will reduce the load on the digestive organs, and food can be quickly digested in case of indigestion.

Fluid intake regimen

You need to drink half or two liters of water or, if desired, replace it with other liquids. In case of poisoning, it is extremely important to adhere to a drinking routine. The liquid will cope with the removal of harmful toxic substances from the body and help stop dehydration (dehydration). During the first 15-18 hours after food and toxic intoxication, it is wise not to eat, but to drink only water. It is recommended to drink no more than half a glass every half hour, as this causes an attack of anabolia (vomiting). Pre-boiled water, or even better, still mineral water, will cope with dehydration and help the body finally recover from digestive disorders. And it will be useful to take drugs that prevent rehydration and also have a detoxification effect (Regidron, Gidrovit, etc.).

Recommendations for heat treatment and temperature conditions

Prepare food correctly using the following methods (boiled, steamed, grated and pureed dishes). It is recommended to grind the meat in a meat grinder twice. Ready-to-eat dishes are served at a temperature that does not cause discomfort to the mucous membranes. Hot or, conversely, cold food will not work. Food with a temperature of 40-50 degrees is considered comfortable. If these conditions are not met, muscle contraction, reflex stomach cramps and possible vomiting will occur. Hot food has a negative effect on the mucous membrane, increasing recovery time. Cooking is healthy with minimal addition of table salt (up to 10 grams).

Alcohol

If you have digestive tract disorders, it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, as excessive stress on the digestive organs will cause the condition to worsen. Kidneys and liver affected by intoxication due to poisoning will begin to function much worse. In the first days of the disease, it is recommended to give up even small doses of alcoholic beverages.

When does a person need medical help?

In some cases, you simply cannot do without the help of specialists. You should call a doctor when the diarrhea does not stop and all the above remedies do not help. Under no circumstances should this be delayed. There are examples when people who ignored seeking qualified help died.

The most serious sign is blood in the stool.

Eligible Products

The menu during a diet for diarrhea in an adult should include nutritious and healthy foods that will not overload the gastrointestinal tract. A diet for diarrhea allows the consumption of the following foods:

• porridge. This is a real salvation for intestinal problems. They are easy to digest and contain a large amount of nutrients;
• dried bread. It is not recommended to eat fresh and black bread. You can eat white crackers;
• dairy products. These include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt without additives, fermented baked milk;
• boiled chicken or turkey;
• eggs. They can only be eaten boiled or as an omelette;
• vegetables. They need to be well boiled or stewed. They are undesirable in their fresh form;
• fish. It is considered a dietary product, with a high content of vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids. It is advisable to choose lean fish, steam it or bake it in the oven;
• apples. Fresh apples irritate the mucous membranes. They can be baked in the oven with low-fat cottage cheese.

You can drink clean water, green or black sweetened tea, jelly, a small amount of still mineral water. If you follow these rules, the effect can be noticed already on the second day.

It is allowed to consume, but carefully and in small quantities, pasta, berries, fresh milk (not in cereals).

Briefly about pathology

Diarrhea is a pathological condition characterized by an increase in watery stool.
Often this disorder is accompanied by an increased urge to defecate. A similar problem arises due to disruption of the small intestine, accompanied by the release of a large amount of exudate and increased peristalsis.

Diarrhea is a symptom, not an independent disease. It occurs in response to poisoning, bacterial infection, parasitic invasion, inflammatory process of autoimmune or endocrine etiology, etc.

It is believed that diarrhea is a manifestation of the body's defense mechanisms.
It helps to quickly cleanse the intestines and remove toxins. At the same time, loose stools are dangerous because... leads to loss of fluid and beneficial microelements. Depending on the etiology, diarrhea can occur in both acute and chronic forms.

Possible causes of diarrhea.

Acute form

The acute form is diagnosed when diarrhea persists for no more than 5-7 days.
Common causes of the problem include:

• drinking unboiled water;
• binge eating;
• allergic reactions to certain types of food and medications;
• intestinal and viral infections;
• poisoning;
• parasitic infestations;
• severe stress;
• consumption of poorly combined foods, etc.

After allergens and toxins are removed from the body, the condition quickly stabilizes.
In addition, acute diarrhea occurs when eating food high in mineral salts. In this case, water from the blood returns to the intestines. Diarrhea in this case helps to quickly eliminate excess salts and prevent tissue damage.

Chronic form

With this form, attacks of diarrhea occur at least 3-5 times a month.
Some patients experience loose stools and frequent urge to defecate all the time. Periods of remission are short-term. Chronic diarrhea often accompanies the following diseases:

• irritable bowel syndrome;
• rectal cancer;
• ulcerative colitis;
• Crohn's disease;
• malabsorption syndrome, etc.

Sample menu

With diet No. 4, an approximate menu for 1 day could be as follows:

1. Breakfast: oatmeal with raisins on water - 150 ml, sandwich of dried bread and low-fat cheese - 1 piece, jelly - 1 tbsp.
2. Lunch: dry cookies - 50 g, dried fruit compote - 1 tbsp.
3. Lunch: pike perch soup with croutons, steamed meatballs - 3 pcs., zucchini game - 50 g, jelly - 1 pc.
4. Afternoon snack: fruit and berry jelly - 100 g.
5. Dinner: mashed potatoes - 100 g, steamed cutlets - 2 pcs., dried bread - 2 slices, rice water - 1 tbsp.
6. Second dinner: kefir - 1 tbsp.