Food poisoning happens when you eat food or drink water that contains infectious bacteria, viruses, or parasites. These germs can make you sick, causing digestive symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. These symptoms can cause fluid loss and keep your energy low. Drinking plenty of fluids and eating plain, nutritious foods can help you recover after food poisoning.
You may lose your appetite for a short time after food poisoning. Your stomach also tends to be more sensitive during this time, which may cause you to vomit soon after eating. It’s important to stay hydrated by taking small sips of water throughout the day to prevent too much fluid loss.
If you can’t keep food down, you may feel better by resting your stomach and avoiding eating. Once you can tolerate food, starting to eat and drink little by little can help you feel better faster.
Most of the time, people recover from food poisoning without treatment. Drinking enough water and eating easy-to-digest foods are recommended to support recovery.
Fluids
Dehydration is the most common symptom of food poisoning. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever can cause water and electrolyte loss. It’s important to replace lost fluids by drinking water or other liquids, like oral rehydration solutions (ORS).
You can buy ORS over the counter. Or, you can make it at home by mixing ½ teaspoon (3 grams) of salt, ½ teaspoon (2.3 grams) of baking soda, and 4 tablespoons (50 grams) of sugar in 1 liter of water.
You can also consume other liquids you can tolerate, such as clear broth, popsicles, Jell-O, and fruit juices without pulp.
BRAT Diet
BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It is often used when a person has vomiting or diarrhea and cannot tolerate most food. You would follow this diet for a short period until symptoms start to go away. Most healthcare providers do not suggest eating only these four foods if you can eat other things.
Restricting the diet to these four foods for a short time isn’t likely to pose a risk for most people. However, following the BRAT diet long-term may lead to malnutrition, or a lack of adequate nutrients to support health and recovery.
Your body needs nutrients to support the immune system and recovery. Other soft, low-fiber, non-acidic, and non-spicy foods can also be helpful to eat after food poisoning, like boiled and shredded plain chicken or plain pasta instead of rice. If you can tolerate a variety of foods, evidence doesn’t show any benefit in limiting your choices.
Easy-to-Digest Foods
Easy-to-digest foods can help the digestive system rest after food poisoning. These foods are low in fiber, acidity, and are not spicy.
Your response to food can be individual. Follow your body’s response to foods. If you cannot tolerate a food, it’s generally better to avoid it for a short period until symptoms start to go away. Some foods that might be easier on the digestive tract include:
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Lean meat
- Cooked vegetables
- Broth
- Pudding
- Cream of wheat
- Diluted fruit juices
Some foods and drinks can worsen nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. You may not be able to tolerate some of these foods after food poisoning:
- High-fat foods: Digestion of high-fat foods takes longer. Consuming fried foods and fast foods can tire the stomach and gut, which are already irritated.
- High-sugar foods: High-sugar foods draw water into the bowels, which can worsen diarrhea. Foods rich in sugar, such as candies, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fruit juices with added sugars, contain high amounts of sugar.
- Spicy foods: Spicy foods may irritate the stomach and intestines, which could worsen or extend food poisoning symptoms.
- Dairy products: Dairy can upset the gut, especially in people with lactose intolerance. If you are sensitive to milk and milk products, it is safer to avoid them after food poisoning. People who typically tolerate dairy well may also be sensitive to milk products after food poisoning.
- Caffeinated drinks: Caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee, some teas, some sodas, and energy drinks cause water loss. After food poisoning, the body can be dehydrated due to vomiting and diarrhea. It can be helpful to avoid drinks and food that can increase water loss.
- Alcohol: Alcohol can dehydrate you, irritate the stomach, and delay your recovery. All can counteract your efforts to replenish lost fluids after food poisoning.
Most people feel better within a few days after food poisoning. A few signs and symptoms can indicate a more severe condition. Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience:
- Blood in your stool
- Diarrhea without drinking enough fluids
- A fever above 101°F (38.3°C)
- Thirst, dizziness, or lightheadedness
- Diarrhea that doesn’t improve within five days or gets worse
- Severe abdominal pain
Delaying treatment can cause damage to the kidneys, nervous system, joints, and tissues around the heart, and potentially lead to death.
Some people have a higher risk of food poisoning and experiencing more severe symptoms. This includes:
- People with weakened immune systems due to health conditions
- People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Adults over 65
- Children under 5
You can reduce the possibility of food poisoning by taking simple precautions, such as:
- Wash your hands regularly: Wash your hands before preparing food, after touching raw meat, using the bathroom, changing diapers, or touching animals. You can use alcohol-based hand wipes when you don’t have access to water and soap.
- Only drink treated and chlorinated water: Water from a stream may contain harmful germs, even if it appears clear and clean. Drink treated and chlorinated water to stay safe.
- Practice food safety: Some foods carry a higher risk of food poisoning. Experts advise against drinking raw milk or eating food products containing raw milk. Avoid consuming foods that are past their expiration date, have broken seals, or come in bulging cans.
- Wash and cook thoroughly: Wash fruits and vegetables and fully cook meats and eggs. You can use a food thermometer to check if a food’s internal temperature is correct.
- Know your food storage: You can store non-perishable foods at room temperature, away from sunlight, and in a clean storage area. For foods that need refrigeration, keep them at 40°F (4.4°C) or lower. Keep frozen foods at 0°F (-17.8°C) or lower. You can store some foods at room temperature, while others need refrigeration. Leaving cooked foods at room temperature allows germs to grow.
Drinking enough liquids and eating easy-to-digest foods can help you recover from food poisoning. Most people recover without special medication by getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and eating foods they can tolerate. You should consult your healthcare provider if your symptoms don’t get better or get worse in a few days.
