Some common food substances have proven remarkably useful against diarrhea.
Carob powder In a Canadian study of 230 infants with diarrhea only three were not cured by the addition of carob 'powder to their formula. The treatment apparently worked because carob contains high levels of fibre which, as recent research has shown, can clear up digestive problems including diarrhea.
Apple cider vinegar For a preventive measure start taking a teaspoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of water half an hour before each meal a few days before your trip. Continue this regimen during your trip.
Yogurt This seems to be beneficial in maintaining or restoring the health of the intestinal tract. 'In many countries along the Mediterranean Sea and in the Balkans, yogurt has been used for years as a remedy for infantile diarrhea by both laymen and physicians,' wrote Dr Molly Niv, Walter Levy and Nathan M. Greenstein in Clinical Pediatrics.
The three doctors fed yogurt to half of a group of children hospitalized with severe diarrhea. Those in the yogurt group ate a little less than 4 fl. oz three times daily, while the rest of the children received an anti-diarrhea drug. More children in the yogurt group than in the drug group recovered within three days.
Ginger - Ginger tea can stop cramps and pain. Or take Ginger in capsules.
Take a teaspoon of paste made from equal parts powdered ginger, powdered cumin, and powdered cinnamon mixed with honey three times a day.
Bran The normal functioning of the intestinal tract depends upon the presence of adequate fibre - the kind that absorbs water and forms soft bulk. Fibre like bran. Bran relieves both constipation and diarrhea. It is not a laxative; It is a normalizer of bowel functions. Transit times - the amount of time it takes for food to pass through the body - are lengthened in individuals with chronic diarrhea who eat bran, but they are shortened in those with constipation. Bran thickens the loose, watery stools of diarrhea and softens the hard, dry stools of constipation. A few tablespoons (less for a child) followed by a glass of water should do the trick in a few days. If diarrhea persists, see your doctor.
Lemon juice Drinking the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon in a large glass of water three to five times a day will kill off the pathogens causing the diarrhea. For prevention in case there is a stomach virus going around, take 1-2 tablespoons of juice before meals.
