What Is The BRAT Diet?

Guide To Following The BRAT Diet

Individuals may find adhering to the BRAT Diet is easier on their stomach than simply jumping back into eating full meals after a period of vomiting or diarrhea. The most important thing to remember is food should be introduced slowly. In the first six hours after vomiting or diarrhea has finally ceased, individuals should focus on sucking on appropriate hard candies or popsicles, and small sips of water or sports drinks to replace electrolytes. Eating anything that must be chewed is discouraged. If the stomach is able to handle hard candy or a popsicle, after 24 hours clear liquids can be introduced slowly. The individual should only consume clear liquids during this time and if their stomach seems able to handle it, they can add solid, bland foods to their diet. By day three if there are no other issues, individuals can begin eating their regular diet again.

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Benefits And Downfalls Of The Diet

As stated before, there are both benefits and downfalls of the diet. The primary benefit is it slowly reintroduces easily digestible food to the digestive system, increasing the likelihood that the individual will not have a negative reaction or return to vomiting or diarrhea. It has been shown to decrease diarrhea by firming stools. The BRAT diet has also proven to be beneficial to the health of the digestive tract due to the pectin contained in bananas. One of the primary downfalls of the BRAT diet is the fact it is extremely restrictive in regards to calories, vitamins, and fiber. Thus, it can lead to malnutrition, especially if individuals use it for longer than three days. Due to the risk of malnutrition, the BRAT diet is typically not recommended for children suffering from diarrhea.

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