When you’re dealing with diarrhea, it’s understandable to want to make things better ASAP. After all, being chained to the toilet isn’t exactly a fun way to spend your day. But it also raises a lot of questions, including what, exactly, you’re supposed to eat that won’t make the situation even worse.
People often reach for the BRAT diet when they have diarrhea, but it’s hard to say if it’s actually effective, says, M.D., a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. “The BRAT diet generates a lot of interest due to its simplicity, low cost, safety, and apparent effectiveness for a common condition—diarrhea caused by an intestinal virus,” he says. “But the value of a BRAT diet is unproven, and most likely minimal.