What to Eat After Food Poisoning?

As the name suggests, food poisoning wake forest nc occurs when contaminated food or beverages are consumed.  While uncomfortable, most cases of food poisoning tend to clear up in a few days without needing treatment.

People that have been diagnosed or suspect they have food poisoning may be wondering how their diet will be impacted which will be the focus of this article.

What to Eat and Drink After Food Poisoning

Common symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.  After going through these uncomfortable symptoms, experts recommend letting the stomach settle or rest by abstaining from food and drink for a few hours.  Once the stomach has settled, the following are recommended:

  • Stay Hydrated: Because vomiting and diarrhea rapidly deplete the body’s fluids leading to dehydration, ensuring adequate liquid intake is vital to helping the body combat the effects of food poisoning.  Slowly drinking small amounts of water or sucking on ice chips is a great starting point.  Electrolyte or sports drinks can also be used but may need to be diluted with water if they contain too much sugar which could upset the stomach.  Non-caffeinated sodas, tea, and vegetable or chicken broths can also be consumed to provide electrolytes and hydration.
  • Eat Bland Foods: If the stomach has settled and the patient feels they can resume eating, it is advisable to stick to easy to digest foods that won’t upset the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.  Foods should be bland, low in fat, and low in fiber.  Because fat is harder for the stomach to digest, avoid fatty foods as much as possible.  Foods that are easier on the stomach include cereal, bananas, egg whites, gelatin, oatmeal, plain potatoes, rice, crackers, toast, and applesauce.
  • Natural Remedies: It is important to allow the body to purge and cleanse the digestive tract to eliminate harmful bacteria from food poisoning.  As such, it is not recommended to use over the counter diarrhea medications as these can kill the good stomach bacteria needed for a healthy gut.  Natural remedies like ginger can be used to soothe an upset stomach.  Once symptoms have fully resolved, taking probiotic capsules or eating natural yogurts can help replace the normal intestinal flora lost during illness.

What NOT to Eat and Drink After Food Poisoning

Because the stomach is already upset and the body on the offensive fighting food poisoning pathogens, you want to avoid anything that will exacerbate the situation.  The first, and most obvious, thing to avoid would be the food or drink that got you sick to begin with.  Dispose of any of the remaining food or drink immediately.

Besides avoiding the known or suspected food or beverage, other things to avoid include:

  • Alcohol
  • Caffeine – sodas, coffee, tea, energy drinks
  • Overly spicy or seasoned foods
  • High fiber foods
  • Dairy products – milk, cheese, ice cream
  • Fatty, fried, or greasy foods
  • Tobacco/nicotine
  • Fruit juices

 Luckily, food poisoning is generally short lived and manageable.  By following the dietary recommendations discussed in this article, patients should be back to normal in short order.

More on Food Poisoning : Symptoms of Food Poisoning