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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffSome research suggests that probiotics — foods and supplements containing beneficial bacteria — may help treat diarrhea, particularly viral diarrhea in children. Helpful bacteria live in your digestive tract, where they help digest your food and protect you from harmful bacteria. Probiotics contain strains of living bacteria that are similar to the ones normally found in your digestive system.
Probiotic foods, such as yogurt, cheese, miso and tempeh, are generally safe to eat and may help. Side effects of probiotics might include gas and bloating.
References
- Schiller LR, et al. Diarrhea. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed May 12, 2010.
- Diarrhea. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Understanding food allergies and intolerances. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parml=5679. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Surawicz CM, et al. Diarrheal diseases. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/diarrheal.asp. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Nutrition therapy for diarrhea. ADA Nutrition Care Manual. http://nutritioncaremanual.org/index.cfm. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Guarino A, et al. Probiotics as prevention and treatment for diarrhea. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. 2008;25:18.
- An introduction to probiotics. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Wash your hands. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Basics for handling food safely. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Basics_for_Handling_Food_Safely/index.asp. Accessed May 14, 2010.
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