# What is BRAT diet **URL:** \ **Category:** Health\ **Created:** [October 3, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://howtodiscuss.com/t/what-is-brat-diet/26201 "2020-10-03T19:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 3
**Author:** ![Atiyaomar](https://howtodiscuss.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Atiyaomar](https://howtodiscuss.com/u/Atiyaomar)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://howtodiscuss.com/t/what-is-brat-diet/26201/3 "2021-03-05T16:51:20Z")
**The BRAT diet** , also known as the Bland diet, is a diet that used to be recommended for people suffering from gastroenteritis or other stomach problems. The BRAT diet is very simple and consists of only 4 basic foods: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. There are also other variations, such as the BRATT diet, which includes tea, and the BRATY diet, which includes yogurt. ![bananas on toast that can be eaten as part of the BRAT diet](https://i0.wp.com/cdn-prod.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/318/318255/bananas-on-toast-that-can-be-eaten-as-part-of-the-brat-diet.jpg?w=1155&h=1297) In this article, we take a look at the benefits and risks of the BRAT diet. ## 🍞 What is the BRAT diet? The BRAT diet recommends eating easy-to-digest foods. The term “BRAT” is an acronym for diet foods, which are: The BRAT diet recommends eating easy-to-digest foods. - Bananas - Rice - Apple jam - Toast The theory behind the BRAT diet is that by consuming only light, easily digestible foods, people can reduce the symptoms of stomach ailments. These symptoms generally include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Proponents also believe that these foods promote quick recovery from stomach ailments. However, doctors no longer recommend this diet because it has a limited nutritional profile and may not promote a quick or full recovery. ## 🍁 How does it work? Some people believe that following the BRAT diet can have several benefits for people with stomach pain and diarrhea. The apparent advantages include: - Firmer stools - Diet foods are high in starch and low in fiber, which can make loose, watery stools stick more easily. - Gentle on the stomach- The foods are low in fat and protein, which means they are not likely to upset your stomach and overload your digestive system. - Nausea reduction- Due to its mild taste and lack of strong odors, BRAT foods are unlikely to cause nausea or vomiting. However, these foods do not contain enough nutrients to justify the long-term use of this diet. ## 👉 It is effective? Although people have recommended the BRAT diet for decades, no recent clinical trials have evaluated the effectiveness of the BRAT diet in treating diarrhoea or gastrointestinal illness. ## ✏ Steps to do BRAT diet? ### 🔹 Step 1: Limit insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is considered “insoluble” because it does not dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber accelerates the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract. Soluble fiber, such as pectin (found in applesauce), slows down the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract and forms a gel when combined with water.Soluble fiber has a property called viscosity, and fibers with higher viscosity are more beneficial for diarrhea. ### 🔹 Step 2 Eliminate foods that might be contributing to your diarrhea, such as high fructose foods, sugar-free foods sweetened with sugar alcohols, and dairy products. Dairy products can make diarrhea worse in people who are not lactose intolerant because food usually moves through the intestines faster during diarrhea, which can reduce lactose absorption. Unabsorbed lactose can then draw water from the bowels. ### 🔹 Step 3 After recovery, try some yogurt. If the diarrhea is not caused by the antibiotics, yogurt with live cultures is often helpful in restoring balance in your digestive tract. Often times, the cause of antibiotic-related diarrhea is an overgrowth of Clostridium bacteria, and “good” bacteria often help keep this at bay. ## 📍 BRAT Diet alternatives The American Academy of Pediatrics for children with acute gastroenteritis complicated by dehydration. Commercially available liquids or powders such as [Pedialyte] are sufficient. It doesn’t recommend apple juice, soda, or sports drinks because they have too much sugar and carbohydrates, while not having enough electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. More research is needed to say definitively what types of foods help and harm stomach problems. The current consensus is to eat foods generally considered to be healthy, such as lean meats, yogurt, fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. Fatty foods are not recommended for gastroenteritis. ### 📍 Non-BRAT Diet Method: Note that some believe that the BRAT diet is not a good idea to follow, as you don’t want anything with sugar, like a banana. If you don’t want to try the BRAT diet follow these. 👉 **Step -1** Drink only water for the first 12 hours of your symptoms. This is because the bacteria in your stomach flow and thrive on any type of food, especially sugars. DO NOT DRINK any fluid other than water! 👉 **Step - 2** After your symptoms have cleared up, start drinking the broth, make sure you don’t have any fat or other substances inside the broth. Again, you can have toast with it. Plain green tea tea is also a good choice. 👉 **Step - 3** Follow the above method and only until you start to feel better, and diarrhea becomes less common can you start to eat more foods. Limit yourself to healthy foods such as vegetables, bananas, bland chicken, etc. Avoid dairy products until your symptoms are clear. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1️⃣ What foods are included in the BRAT diet? The BRAT diet includes these foods: bananas, applesauce, toast and rice. The BRAT diet, another variation, includes tea, while the BRATY diet includes yoghurt. 2️⃣ How long should you stay on the BRAT diet? The BRAT diet is not recommended for any duration as it is not a complete nutritional diet. However, if you try it, it is probably safe to use it for a short duration such as 1-2 days. 3️⃣ Is the BRAT Diet Safe? The BRAT diet is probably safe to try for a short period of time. However, it is generally not recommended for longer than a day or two as it is low in essential vitamins, protein, fiber, fat and other nutrients. > ## Conclusion: The theory behind the BRAT diet is that because the food is simple and bland, it promotes “bowel rest” which will help relieve stomach problems. People sometimes use the BRAT diet to treat diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and other types of stomach upset. However, this diet carries several risks, including nutrient and calorie deficiencies. BRAT diet foods are low in protein, fat, and fibre, making them easy for most people to digest. --- _[View the full topic](https://howtodiscuss.com/t/what-is-brat-diet/26201)._