The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) has been a standard home cure for gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, for quite some time. The diet has gained popularity, particularly with the parents of children with digestive issues, since it consists of just four items that are simple to prepare and generally accessible.
Despite its great appeal, however, many health professionals are no longer prescribing it because of the possible dangers and drawbacks.
The BRAT Diet: What Is It?
The BRAT diet also includes items such as chicken or vegetable broth soups, apple juice, water, decaffeinated tea, canned peaches and pears, sweet potatoes, crackers, cream of wheat, eggs, and gelatine, in addition to the staples of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Due to being easier on the digestive system and low fibre foods, these meals were suggested for both adults and children suffering from diarrhoea. On the BRAT diet, you should stay away from dairy, alcohol, fried meals, pork, salmon, sardines, raw vegetables, citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and tomatoes, liquids that are excessively hot or cold, coffee, caffeinated beverages like soda, and added sugars and sweets.
The BRAT diet recommended eating meals that were both easy on the digestive tract and bland enough to promote the development of solid stools. The conventional wisdom was that eating normally would only make the diarrhoea worse. These suggestions, however, are no longer being made, and here is why.
How Does the BRAT Diet Actually Help?
A short-term diet known as the BRAT diet was formerly advised as a means of easing digestive symptoms, including diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting brought on by conditions like gastroenteritis and food poisoning. It’s a common home cure, and doctors may occasionally suggest it to help with digestive issues.
The BRAT diet may be considered a bland diet; however, true bland diets are more comprehensive and are meant to facilitate digestion and nutrition absorption without worsening symptoms.
By restricting yourself to bland foods, you may give your digestive system a break and let it repair. Symptoms like diarrhoea and nausea may be mitigated by eating a bland diet since its foods are low in acid and fibre.
Basic grilled chicken, crackers, and cream of wheat are just a few examples of the bland foods that make up bland diets. In contrast, the BRAT diet consists just of these four items and a few drinks like tea or broth: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
Adults and kids alike might benefit from the low fibre diet regimen known as the BRAT diet. The BRAT diet is helpful for treating stomach issues and diarrhoea since it:
- The diet’s prescribed meals increase the consistency of your faces. The reason for this is that these foods are known as “binding” foods. They’re high in sugar and carbohydrates but poor in fibre.
- The nutrients lost during vomiting and diarrhoea may be replace with brat diet for diarrhoea. Bananas, for instance, have a lot of the mineral potassium in them.
- The stomach is not bother by bland meals. The BRAT diet is depicte to help you gradually reintroduce solid foods after an episode of diarrhea or vomiting. Some pregnant women suffer nausea and vomiting; this low fiber diet may help alleviate such symptoms.
- The BRAT diet may be modifie to include additional tasteless items. Try some clear soup broths, boiled potatoes, or saltine crackers. Don’t go wild on the cheese, candy, and fried things straight soon. There is a chance that eating them will make you sick.
Brat Diet Chart
It is recommend to avoid eating or drinking anything for at least the first six or so hours after you have finished throwing up since your stomach needs time to recover. After an interval of one to two hours, taking but not chewing sweets or popsicles is the next step. If the nausea continues, proceed to eat ice chips or take little sips of water.
· Day One
If the vomiting has stopped, you may start adding clear drinks gradually. A reasonable starting point would be to take one or two sips at regular intervals of 10 minutes. The following are some options to consider: water, apple juice, a sodium-rich beverage, light tea, stock or bouillon (the clear base from a non-greasy soup), and Jell-O in liquid or gelatin form. If you experience nausea or vomiting again, you should restart the procedure and refrain from consuming anything by mouth for the next hour or so.
· Day Two
On day two, you should start incorporating bland, low-fat meals such as those described above, such as bananas, rice, applesauce, crackers, cooked cereals (such as Farina and Cream of Wheat), toast with jelly, yogurt, cooked carrots, chicken or turkey, and toast with peanut butter. Consume many modest meals throughout the course of the day.
· Day Three
On day three, if your symptoms have improved, you should transition to a “regular” diet. Maintain a schedule of eating many modest meals throughout the course of the day. If you are still experiencing symptoms, you should stick to the bland meals that were suggeste above.
Does the BRAT diet work for Weight Loss?
The BRAT diet is not considert be follow on a regular basis for the purpose of weight reduction or as a treatment for disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or diverticulitis. However, it may be helpful as a short-term remedy for a day or two for those who are experiencing digestive issues.
The BRAT diet does not include sufficient amounts of essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12, protein, or fiber. If you use it for a longer period of time, you won’t obtain all you need. But in the short term, it serves as a type of means to an end. However, it does not provide you with a particularly high nutritional value. Nor will it provide you with everything you require.
Sometimes the BRAT diet simply doesn’t work. If you have been experiencing nausea, diarrhea, or both for more than a day or two. So and you are not feeling any better, it is time. So to seek medical help from your primary care physician or another qualified medical professional.
The Bottom Line
The BRAT diet is a traditional suggestion for children and adults. Who struggle with diarrhea; nevertheless, the diet is quite restricte and does not provide enough nutrients. When you have diarrhea, you should follow the more recent rules that have been create. Which have been based on research. Always seek the advice of a qualifie medical professional if you are worrie about any aspect of your health.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do doctors recommend the BRAT diet?
The BRAT diet is base on the idea that persons with stomach problems. What ever might feel better if they stick to bland food which are easily digest foods. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are characteristic of this condition. Those who advocate for these meals also claim that they aid in a speedy recovery from an upset stomach.
- What is recommend instead of the BRAT diet?
The BRAT diet might benefit from a few additional bland meals, such as clear broths, saltine crackers, and oatmeal. While on the BRAT diet, it is acceptable to feed young children dry, basic cereals.
- Can you eat anything else on the BRAT diet?
Some pediatricians and other medical professionals argue that any bland foods. So may be add to the diet during stomach disorders, not only those listed in the standard BRAT diet.