Is apple good for diarrhea?
Diarrhea – is not a very pleasant experience to have. Loose stools, besides being very uncomfortable and causing significant distress in people, can have quite dangerous consequences, since you can lose a lot of fluid and important nutrients through defecation.
It’s very common, It can be acutely caused by food poisoning, allergy, or chronic because of some underlying GI disease like IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome), Celiac disease (gluten enteropathy), Pancreatic insufficiency, and so on.
If diarrhea lasts for more than 3-4 days or you feel any signs of dehydration, make sure to get a consult from a healthcare professional.
When you already have diarrhea, you are afraid to leave the house and might even have cramps, or a fever thinking this might never end. On the good side, there are certain things you can do to relieve those symptoms at home
Secondly, you should pay special attention to your diet. Certain foods make symptoms worse and some will help you recover quicker.
Which category does apple belong to?
The list of foods beneficial during diarrhea are cereals, bananas, potatoes, rice, etc. And apple is for sure part of this list.
Apples are certainly a great source of healthy nutrients like fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.
All of the things we lose while having diarrhea and need compensation. I’m sure most of you have heard about the great benefits of fiber for digestive health, they relieve not only diarrhea but also constipation.
How do they act on both opposing processes you may ask? It’s simple:
There are two main types of dietary fibers: soluble and insoluble.
As names imply, soluble ones can be solved in water, meaning they can attract and hold on to water while insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is left intact as food moves through the gut, giving bulk to the stool, its presence speeds up the digesting process in intestines, therefore it can prevent constipation.
Apple is full of different types of fibers. The most important fiber in this instance is pectin, It is a form of soluble fiber that is especially abundant in apples, It’s considered to be a natural form of prebiotic hence it restores the healthy microbiota of our gut and normal digestive activity.
Pectin helps to bulk up stool and improves bowel motion, besides that it binds with toxins and waste products in the intestines.
Apple’s Nutrition Content
Antioxidants in apples like – polyphenols, decrease the extent of inflammation in the gut and decrease the Gastrointestinal tract for external toxic factors.
Apple can replenish many of the nutrients that are lost through defecation like Potassium, magnesium, calcium, and Vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B6 – which are often lost during diarrhea.
Important to remember, all the healthy nutrients of apples are mostly in a fresh non-pealed form, although it’s doubtful whether fresh, dried, baked or sauce/smoothie is a better form to take those nutrients during diarrhea.
Most healthcare experts agree that all those forms can be beneficial.
There are a lot of simple and affordable recipes for cooking home remedy foods for diarrhea. They do sound quite delicious, the Ingredients are mostly foods we have already mentioned.
For example, mix baked apples and banana to make a smoothie, baked apple with a spoonful of honey, and just a tiny bit of cinnamon. or just chop apple to a puree-like state.
This is done with a blender or strainer. Apple in this form does not lose any useful properties or taste qualities.
You can also make applesauce or dry the fruit, in these processes it does not lose its nutritional benefits. Or you can just simply enjoy a fresh non-pealed apple.
To get the maximum benefit from apples, you need to choose the right fruit. Suitable for dietary nutrition is considered sweet apples that contain a minimum amount of acids.
It is noteworthy to mention, despite apple being a tasty remedy for diarrhea, it is a cause of it too.
In general eating too much of any other fruit, can cause diarrhea? An exception is a banana, which is why it’s commonly the first recommendation during soft stools. Apple contains a lot of fructose and insoluble fiber, which can be a stimulus for diarrhea if taken in great quantities, it’s especially true for apple juice.
See Also
In conclusion,
Apple has the “dose-dependant” action on diarrhea. In moderation, meaning 2-3 apples a day maximum mostly has a positive effect on soft stools.
Diarrhea is an unpleasant condition that many people face. But you can overcome the problem by following the advice of experts.
The main recommendation is to abstain from gut-irritating foods and imply a lot of fluids and nourishing ingredients into the diet. Nutritionists unanimously advise “Eat apples, but in moderation”!
References:
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
https://www.fodyfoods.com/pages/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/
https://j-vaynah.ru/simptomy-i-diagnozy/
As a nutritionist, I research, find and experiment with recipes, natural diets and meal plans for weight loss, bodybuilding, and detoxing.