Myth #11: Don't Eat When You Have Diarrhea

This is a dangerous piece of advice, even if eating does make you go to the toilet more often. Indeed, diarrhea decreases the intestines' digestive capacity, but denying the body of food and water is the worst thing one can do in this situation, because it quickly causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

The best way to manage your stomach flu is by fluid and electrolyte replacement, which means you should try to eat and drink as much as you lose through your stools. Antimotility drugs do help in some cases, but unless you increase your intake your body will have a hard time restoring homeostasis, leaving you feeling ill and weak for much longer.

Worse, there are some diarrheal diseases such as cholera that can rapidly lead to death unless aggressive fluid replacement is done immediately. This of course is best accomplished in the hospital, but patients must take food and water continuously on the way to the emergency room.

In short, food avoidance is not the solution to loose stools. Food intake is. Stay tuned.