Citrus Relief: Are Oranges Good For Diarrhea?

Everyone gets diarrhea occasionally, and it’s not very comfortable. Instead of always taking pills to get better, you can also eat natural foods like oranges to help you feel better. Let’s explore how they can help with diarrhea.

What Makes You Get Diarrhea?

Diarrhea happens when your poop is too watery. This can be because of a lot of things like:

• When you catch a virus,
• When bad bacteria get into your system,
• When parasites enter your body,
• When your body reacts badly to certain foods,
• Side effects of certain medicines,
• Problems with your guts like IBS,
• Feeling super stressed or anxious.

Most of the time, diarrhea is your body’s way of trying to kick out viruses, bacteria, or parasites. This usually happens if you eat something that isn’t clean or if you don’t wash your hands. Your stomach tries to push things through quickly, and you end up with watery poop.

Having problems with what you eat, like food allergies, taking some medicines, and getting really stressed can also give you diarrhea.

How Oranges Can Help With Diarrhea

Oranges have some special stuff in them that can help with diarrhea:

Pectin

Oranges are full of a kind of good fiber called pectin. It’s like a sponge and sucks up extra water in your intestines, making your poop less watery. This can help stop diarrhea from happening so much.

Vitamin C

Oranges have lots of vitamin C, which helps your immune system get stronger and fight off the stuff causing the diarrhea. Plus, vitamin C can also help calm down swelling in your body.

Potassium

When you have diarrhea, you lose a lot of water and minerals like potassium. Oranges have a lot of potassium, which helps you stay hydrated and keeps the water in your body balanced.

Anti-Inflammatory Things

Oranges also have anti-inflammatory antioxidants and other cool substances, like hesperidin and anthocyanins, which can help make your insides less angry and help with diarrhea.

How Many Oranges Should You Eat If You Have Diarrhea?

If you’re dealing with diarrhea, eating a couple of oranges each day could help you feel better. You can drink orange juice, but eating the whole fruit is better because it has more fiber. But remember not to eat too many; around 2-3 oranges per day should be enough.

For kids who have diarrhea, you should ask their doctor how much orange they can have. Sometimes doctors say that young children shouldn’t have citrus fruits when they’re sick because they’re too acidic.

Best Ways to Eat Oranges for Diarrhea Recovery

Enjoying oranges when you have diarrhea is easy. You can peel them and eat them as they are. Or you can cut them into pieces which might be easier to eat.

Here are some other tips:

• Choose navel oranges because they’re not as sour.
• Always peel your oranges to get rid of any wax or chemicals on the skin.
• Slice them into small pieces or sections to help your stomach digest them easily.
• Eat them without any extra sweeteners to avoid more sugar.
• Drink the juice left after you eat the orange sections for extra benefits.

You could also mix oranges with other gentle foods like yogurt, oatmeal, or in smoothies. This can help you get the good stuff from oranges while going easy on your digestion.

Other Benefits of Oranges During Diarrhea

Along with the nutrients they give, oranges have more benefits for managing diarrhea:

Staying Hydrated

When you have diarrhea, you can get very dehydrated. Oranges have a lot of water, so they can help replace the fluids you lose.

Good Taste

Nobody likes eating bland foods. Oranges are tasty and sweet which can be nice when you’re sick and need to get some nutrients.

Energy Boost

Oranges have sugars and carbohydrates that can give you back some energy when you’re feeling tired because of diarrhea.

Easy to Get

Oranges are easy to find in stores all year long. This makes them a handy and affordable choice when you need something to help with diarrhea.

Possible Downsides of Oranges

Even though oranges are helpful, sometimes they can cause some problems, such as:

• The acid in oranges could bother your belly if you have too much.
• Some people might get gas or a bloated feeling if they eat a lot of the fruit sugars in oranges.
• Some folks might not like how oranges taste, especially if they’re already feeling unwell.

• Feeling sick to your stomach.
• Spikes in blood sugar – People with diabetes should eat oranges in moderation.
• Not for very young kids – Don’t give citrus fruits to children below a certain age.

Notice how you feel after eating oranges when you have diarrhea. If you don’t feel good after eating them, stop.

Combining Oranges with Other Home Remedies

Oranges can make you feel better when you have diarrhea, and they are even more effective when you use them with other natural treatments that have been proven to work, such as:2>

• Probiotic foods – They help balance the good bacteria in your intestines.
• Ginger – It helps calm inflammation and stomach cramps.
• Tea with mint or chamomile – These herbs can relax your stomach and stop it from cramping.
• Rice water – It keeps you hydrated.
• Bananas – They are rich in potassium.
• Oatmeal – Absorbs water because of its soluble fiber.

Don’t forget to talk to your healthcare provider before trying new supplements to make sure they are safe and you’re using the right amount. Don’t mix prescription medicines with herbal treatments without asking a doctor first.

Summary

Oranges could be a helpful natural choice for treating diarrhea because they have fiber, lots of water, potassium, vitamin C, and things that stop inflammation. Eating a few oranges each day might calm your stomach and keep you from getting dehydrated. Always be careful with how much you eat because you might get acid reflux or gas. If your diarrhea is really bad, keeps coming back, or if there’s blood, you should definitely see a doctor. Oranges taste good, they’re easy to eat, and they can help with diarrhea.