Diarrhea

See also “Diarrhea—Babies”
Generally, diarrhea occurs when agni (the digestive fire) becomes weak. As a result, absorption and assimilation become minimal, and the undigested foodstuff gets eliminated as a liquid, watery stool. To relieve diarrhea, Ayurveda aims to strengthen agni and to pacify whatever dosha—generally pitta—is aggravated.

Indigestion, nervousness, or eating some wrong food or food combination can also create diarrhea.

PACIFY PITTA

The first line of defense against diarrhea is to immediately reduce pitta in your diet. Follow the guidelines for the pitta-pacifying diet (see chapter 8), especially keeping away from spicy and fermented foods.

TIME TO SEE THE DOCTOR

If there is no serious illness, diarrhea is usually quite easy to control. However, this condition can also be a symptom of a more serious illness, so if these home remedies don’t work in 2 or 3 days, consult a doctor.

FOUR FOOD CURES

• Cook one or two apples until they are mushy, then add 1 teaspoon ghee, a pinch of cardamom, and a pinch of nutmeg. Eat slowly. This mixture is not only delicious, it will also help stop diarrhea right away.
• If you don’t have apples, you can use bananas, only you don’t have to cook them. Chop 1 or 2 ripe bananas into pieces, and as with the apples, add 1 teaspoon of warm ghee and a pinch each of cardamom and nutmeg. Bananas are high in potassium, which helps to bind the stool.
• Another effective remedy for diarrhea is cooked rice with yogurt. Take about a cupful of cooked basmati rice, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and 3 or 4 tablespoons of plain fresh yogurt, stir together, and eat.
• Another remedy using yogurt is to blend together equal parts of yogurt and water (about ½ cup each), add about ⅛ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, and drink.

HERBAL REMEDIES

• Try ginger powder (about ½ teaspoon) with 1 teaspoon raw natural sugar. Mix together, and chew the mixture with some warm water. Take 2 or 3 times a day for 2 to 3 days.
• Another simple remedy is the following:

ghee 1 teaspoon
nutmeg ¼ teaspoon
ginger powder ¼ teaspoon
natural sugar 1 teaspoon

Mix together and eat. Like the ginger-sugar mixture above, take this formula 2 or 3 times a day for 2 to 3 days.

• For acute diarrhea, mix ½ teaspoon fennel powder with ½ teaspoon ginger powder, and chew this mixture 2 or 3 times a day.
• Try drinking a cup of hot black coffee with a little lime juice (about 10 drops) and a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg.
• If your diarrhea appears to be the result of high pitta, use this herbal formula:

shatavari ½ teaspoon
arrowroot ½ teaspoon

Mix together, and take with ½ cup warm water 2 or 3 times a day.

• You can also use sat isabgol (psyllium husks) to combat pitta diarrhea. This may sound strange, as psyllium is often used as a laxative. However, in pitta diarrhea, an excess of pitta accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract and irritates the wall of the colon, creating the diarrhea. So at bedtime, take 1 teaspoon sat isabgol mixed into a cup of fresh yogurt. That will absorb pitta and bind the stool, helping to correct the diarrhea. Be sure the yogurt is freshly made, not old.

AVOID DEHYDRATION

Diarrhea can sometimes cause dehydration. To prevent this from happening, add 1 teaspoon of natural sugar, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of salt to a pint of room-temperature water, and sip throughout the day.

NOTE: If the diarrhea continues beyond three days, it would be wise to consult a doctor.