Coke for diarrhea: myth or effective home remedy

Drink coke when you have diarrhea and you feel better? The myth about it persists. However, doctors advise against it. Coke can only make things worse…

If you drink a cola when you have diarrhea to get well again quickly, you may have the exact opposite effect. Because diarrhea is just a symptom: The problem behind it is completely unclear. In addition to a virus, possible causes can also be stress, unfamiliar food and intolerance to a medication. Whatever it is, from a medical point of view, cola is not a solution.

Coke for diarrhea: why it can’t help

Despite numerous studies, it has never been proven that cola helps with diarrhea. Coca-Cola has to admit that too. The company argues that cola makes some people feel good and is therefore recommended, but we don’t believe in that. Because something completely different is important in the case of diarrhea:

• The body loses a lot of minerals and a lot of fluid. Those affected have to compensate for this, i.e. drink several liters and eat foods with minerals (especially potassium).

• Patients can fill up their fluid balance with cola. But the enormous amounts of sugar make cola a poor liquid supplier.
• Cola also contains almost no minerals at all and is therefore not recommended for diarrhea.

As a rule, the diarrhea goes away on its own after about three days, writes Öko-Test in issue 06/2019. In the case of prolonged diarrhea or bloody stools, those affected should definitely seek medical advice instead of experimenting with cola.

Coke can make diarrhea worse

Experts assume that in some cases, cola can even make diarrhea worse.

• Stiftung Warentest explains that the caffeine in cola encourages the kidneys to excrete even more potassium. The undersupply of minerals is thus increased by cola.

• The sugar in the cola causes the body to lose even more water.

It is also problematic that the exact cause of the diarrhea is lost sight of. If the skin is sagging and the body is very dry, an IV in the hospital may be necessary. Some antibiotics have diarrhea as a side effect. However, it can also be an intestinal disease or food poisoning. If in doubt, you should therefore seek medical help.

Which really helps with diarrhea

Other home remedies for diarrhea are better than cola:

• Fennel tea and chamomile tea

• juice spritzer
• Electrolyte Mixture (Instructions)
• mashed bananas (rich in potassium)
• Morose carrot soup
• Relaxation exercises against stress

Read more at Utopia:

• Gastrointestinal: home remedies for the symptoms
• Light diet for diarrhea: recipes for light food for gastrointestinal
• Grated apple: A simple home remedy for diarrhea