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Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea?

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea?
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When we have diarrhea, whether it is due to some food that has disagreed with us or because we are suffering from a stomach infection or any other condition, one of the first things we should consider is the way we eat. Since diarrhea causes dehydration, drinking fluids is critical to our recovery, but is it alright to drink milk when you have diarrhea? At OneHowTo we answer this question.

You may also be interested in: Foods to Avoid if You Have Constipation
Steps to follow:
1

When you have diarrhea drinking milk is not recommended, since it prolongs digestion due to its lactose content, a sugar found in this food that is difficult for our stomach to digest. For a person with diarrhea, milk becomes a very heavy food.

2

However, yogurt - a food made from milk - is recommended when we have diarrhea or after an episode of diarrhea. Why is yogurt alright and milk is not? Well, because yogurt contains a smaller amount of lactose than milk, which makes it an easier food to digest.

Furthermore it is a natural probiotic that acts as a source of good bacteria for our body, which will help rebuild the intestinal flora that is lost when we have diarrhea.

Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea? - Step 2
3

When you have diarrhea, it is important to stay hydrated, but if you can't drink milk what is alright to have? These liquids will help you to keep yourself refreshed:

  • Natural water (not fizzy)
  • Sports drinks, thanks to their mineral content that can help you to recover lost salts
  • Whey protein shakes, in cases of severe dehydration
  • Homemade chicken broth without additives or strong spices, as natural as possible
Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea? - Step 3
4

In addition to these recommendations, at OneHowTo we invite you to read our 2 articles that will help you clear up your doubts about what you should eat when you have diarrhea. Discover how to eat when suffering from diarrhea and what herbal teas are good for diarrhea, and in doing so, you will recover much quicker.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea?, we recommend you visit our Healthy living category.

Tips
  • Cheese should also be out of the picture as it is a dairy product that has a great amount of milk in it so stick only to yogurt when you have diarrhea.

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What did you think of this article?
1 comment
Barbara
Can you drink almond or rice milk when you have Diarrhea
OneHowTo Editor
It doesn't seem like the best idea due to their high fiber content.
Hope this helps
Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea?
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Can You Drink Milk When You Have Diarrhea?

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