Herbs for diarrhea

What is Diarrhea?

It is a very common digestive disorder and causes frequent stools, that are usually loose and watery.

Having diarrhea for an extended period of time can also result in dehydration. There are many disorders that can lead to diarrhea, though most of them are not that serious, like a common cold, for example.

It is not so much a disease itself as it is a symptom of a disease, which brings about disruption in the large intestine, which in turn, affects the digestive system and the passing of water and food through the digestive system.

Diarrhea speeds up the rate of the passage of fluids and the fluid that is usually absorbed by the body is then passed with the stool, which results in the watery stool that is a common characteristic of diarrhea.

Others causes of diarrhea can be irritation and inflammation of the intestinal and digestive areas of the body. Infection can occur from a pathogenic agent, such as a bacterial or viral infection triggering the diarrhea. These can enter the body through contaminated food or water, which usually is what occurs to people who have a case of travelers’ diarrhea.

When a person is traveling to an area of the world where the risk of contaminated water and food is high, they need to be very careful with what they are consuming.

Mild food poising is another common cause of diarrhea.

A person can also develop diarrhea when they consume more fruits or vegetables than the digestive tract can handle at a time. It can also be triggered by consuming a lot of chemicals, such as those found in low-calorie sweeteners.

Lactose intolerance is another common cause of diarrhea. Diary products can cause some people to produce large amounts of gas, which leads to abdominal bloating and persistent diarrhea in people who are lactose intolerant and eat things such as ice cream, cheese or milk.

Supplements and herbs

Teas made from herbs such as agrimony, blackberry herb or raspberry leaf can fight off diarrhea.

These herbal teas have tannins, which are chemicals that have a binding effect on the mucous membranes that line the intestines, which results in a better absorption of fluids in the intestines.

The herbal teas will also replenish the fluids that were lost and the dehydration that occurred during the bout with diarrhea.

Fiber rich psyllium is also suggested as an herbal remedy, especially for people that did not see any improvements from drinking herbal teas.

Even though, this type of fiber usually treats constipation, it can also treat diarrhea by absorbing all excess fluid present in the intestinal region. This will control the frequency of stools and keep the stool solid as well.