Natural home remedies for the treatment of diarrhea.

/Home/Health Conditions/Diarrhea - Alternative Remedies/Diarrhea - Natural Home Remedies

Buttermilk is one of the most effective home remedies in the treatment of diarrhea. Buttermilk is the residual milk left after the fat has been removed from curd by churning. It helps overcome harmful intestinal flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria. Buttermilk may be taken with a pinch of salt three or four times a day for controlling this disease.

Carrot soup is another effective home remedy for diarrhea. It supplies water to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium, supplies pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It also checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. Half a kilogram of carrots may be cooked in 150 ml of water until they become soft. The pulp should be strained and enough boiled water added to it to make a litre. Three quarters of a tablespoon of salt may be added. This soup should be given in small amounts to the patient every half an hour.

Mash a tender, just ready to eat banana (not over-ripe) and have with a cup of milk twice a day. It useful in diarrhea and dysentery.

Fenugreek leaves are useful in diarrhea. One teaspoon of seeds which have been boiled and fried in butter should be taken with a cup of buttermilk twice daily. They are valuable in allaying biliousness. The seeds are also beneficial in the treatment of this disease.

In case of diarrhea caused by indigestion, dry or fresh ginger is very useful. A piece of dry ginger should be powdered along with a crystal of rock salt, and quarter of a teaspoon of this powder should be taken with a small piece of jaggery. It will bring quick relief as ginger, being carminative, aids digestion by stimulating the gastrointestinal tract.

Mint juice is also beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea. One teaspoon of fresh mint juice, mixed with a teaspoon each of lime juice and honey, can be given thrice daily with excellent results in the treatment of this disease.

The juice of bottle gourd is a valuable medicine for excessive thirst due to severe diarrhea. A glass of plain juice with a pinch of salt should be taken every day in treating this condition .

The juice of fresh leaves of drumstick is also valuable in diarrhea. A teaspoon of this juice, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a glass of tender coconut water, can be given two to three times as a herbal medicine in the treatment of diarrhea.

The pomegranate has proved beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea on account of its astringent properties. If the patient develops weakness due to profuse and continuous purging, he should repeatedly be given about 50 ml of pomegranate juice to drink. This will control the diarrhea.

Mango seeds are valuable in diarrhea. The seeds should be collected during the mango season, dried in the shade and powdered, and kept stored for use as a medicine when required. A dose of about one and a half to two grams with or without honey, should be administered twice daily.

Boil an unripe banana with the skin on. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low fire. Remove the skin of the banana and slice it. Heat two teaspoons of ghee in a vessel, splutter 2-3 cloves and add the sliced banana. Add one-fourth of a teaspoon of turmeric, one-fourth to half a teaspoon of rock salt, half a teaspoon of ground coriander seeds, and a tablespoon of yoghurt, or a cup of buttermilk.
Cover and cook for a while. The unripe plantain or banana is astringent and antibilious.

Sesame seeds are helpful in the treatment of this condition. Two tablespoons of the seeds should be lightly roasted in a frying pan. They should then be ground into a fine powder and mixed with one tablespoon of cow's ghee. The mass should be divided into three parts and each part should be taken with half a cup of boiled goat's milk thrice daily for six days by the patients. It acts as an excellent medicine in this condition.

Slice a tender, just ready-to-eat plantain, sprinkle rock salt on it for taste and smear half a tablespoon of tamarind pulp on it. Mix and have it twice a day.

Turmeric has proved to be another valuable home remedy for diarrhea. It is a very useful intestinal antiseptic. It is also a gastric stimulant and tonic. One teaspoon of fresh turmeric rhizome juice or one teaspoon of dry rhizome powder may be taken in one cup of buttermilk or plain water.

Take a teaspoon of the dry powdered bark of the banyan tree. Make an infusion using a glass of hot water. Let it steep for a while. This water is 'cooling' and helps control diarrhea. Take half a glass of this infusion twice a day.

Crush a handful of fresh curry leaves. Grind them to a paste. Add one-fourth of a cup of water. Strain and have this curry-leaf juice with a teaspoon of honey once or twice a day. Chewing a few curry leaves twice a day will also help.

Summer diarrheas are usually self-limiting and need fluid replacement more than medicine. Drinking ORS (oral rehydrating solution) and eating the fresh, tender kernels of water chestnuts, known as shinghara, either fresh, boiled or roasted, with buttermilk, provides nourishment as well as fluid and minerals. This too has a binding action.