Diet for poisoning in adults: what is possible and what is not

The cause of food intoxication can be a poorly cooked steak, stale fish, ready-made food from a restaurant, an exotic dish, or poorly washed fruit. If food is prepared incorrectly or from expired products, it can cause poisoning. Along with bad food, pathogenic bacteria enter the body, which cause intestinal intoxication.

In case of poisoning, it is very important to take timely measures to remove toxins, as well as follow a diet. A proper diet will help the adult body get into shape faster.

Basic principles of nutrition

Food must contain the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. To quickly normalize the functioning of the digestive organs, it is important to adhere to the basic rules:

1. Eat small meals, at least 5–7 times a day. The intervals between meals should not exceed three hours. Let the portions be small for the first few days: no more than 200 g. This will reduce the load on the digestive tract, increase the digestibility of food, and activate the functioning of the stomach and intestines.
2. Maintain drinking regime. Drink at least 2 liters per day. Drink 50-100 ml of water every half hour. It is recommended to drink mineral or filtered water without gas.
3. Eat chopped foods. Puréed food is easier to digest. Food should be boiled or steamed. All food and liquids must be warm: between 15 and 50 °C.
4. Avoid foods that increase secretion in the stomach and intestines. These include complex carbohydrates in raw form: sour berries, fruits, starchy vegetables, plant fiber.
5. Avoid alcoholic drinks completely. Alcohol inhibits regeneration processes and strains the kidneys and liver. Reduce the amount of salt. You are allowed to consume no more than 6 g per day, that is, less than one teaspoon.

After food poisoning, the diet should be especially strict. Add new dishes to your diet gradually, carefully monitor your health.

Causes of vomiting

Vomiting almost never happens without a reason: there is always something that provoked it, and there can be many options:

• food poisoning, medicines, drugs, alcohol intoxication;
• allergic reaction to a food product;
• excess food intake;
• infection;
• pregnancy (especially the first trimester);
• disease of the abdominal organs, for example, ulcer, colitis, gastritis, intestinal or stomach tumor, appendicitis, kidney failure, pancreatitis, etc.);
• intestinal obstruction;
• gallbladder pathologies (cholecystitis, hepatitis, dyskinesia, cholelithiasis);
• severe stress;
• disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system (cerebral circulatory insufficiency, brain tumor, meningitis, mechanical head injury, migraine condition);
• problems with the vestibular apparatus;
• diabetes mellitus of any stage;
• AIDS.

With any of the above factors, standard vomiting may be observed, supplemented by other symptoms:

• abdominal pain;
• vomiting blood;
• vomiting and fever;
• vomiting bile;
• green vomit;
• vomiting, weakness;
• headache;
• heartburn;
• frequent urge to go to the toilet;
• disturbance of mental activity.

Choosing the right products

The goal of dietary nutrition after food intoxication is not only to replenish the body with nutrients. The diet reduces the load on the gastrointestinal tract, restores electrolytic balance, and accelerates the healing process of the mucous membrane.

During the recovery period you can use:

• soups and broths from vegetables and lean meats;
• lean fish and meat, baked or boiled;
• boiled and crushed porridges, for example, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice;
• low-fat milk and cottage cheese;
• wheat crackers, crackers, biscuits;
• chamomile infusions, dill water;
• boiled eggs and steamed omelettes.

Natural juices can only be drunk in diluted form. Wait until digestion is completely restored. Introduce familiar foods into your diet in small portions so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract.

During the diet, give up:

• sausages, lard, fried, spicy dishes;
• bread, yeast baked goods, sweets;
• complex soups and rich broths;
• pickles, marinades, smoked meats;
• green apples, currants, radishes, radishes, sorrel;
• ketchup, mayonnaise, canned food;
• semi-finished products, sausages.

Citrus fruits, chocolate, mushrooms, spicy seasonings, vinegar, homemade sour cream, carbonated and alcoholic drinks are also prohibited.

First aid for vomiting

Despite the fact that medical manipulations should be carried out by a doctor, especially if brown vomiting, white foam vomiting or black vomiting is observed, it is not superfluous to know how to provide first aid to a victim with such a symptom.

• The sick person should be placed in a horizontal position, with a basin or other container placed nearby into which he could vomit if necessary.
• If severe vomiting is accompanied by weakness, then his head should be turned to the side in order to eliminate the possibility that the person will choke on the escaping masses.
• If this is vomiting due to poisoning or for any other reason, it is necessary to rinse your mouth with a disinfectant solution after the contents of the stomach are released.

These manipulations should be performed by calling a specialist.

Sample menu after poisoning

The first day after food poisoning is better not to eat anything. If you feel very hungry, you can drink a little rice water. It is better to use brown rice for cooking.

After the unpleasant symptoms disappear, you can eat little by little. To improve the functioning of the digestive system, adults follow a diet for 5-10 days after poisoning.

Let us give examples of therapeutic dietary nutrition used in the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract.

Recommended dishes also include vegetable soups, boiled porridges, except pearl barley and millet, baked meat puddings, and cottage cheese casseroles. It is advisable to grind porridges and soups with a blender. This way they will be better absorbed.

To prepare meat dishes, it is advisable to use veal, beef, turkey or chicken. Steamed meatballs, meat pate or casserole will be completely dietary dishes. You are allowed to eat fish balls and chicken breast. You can make puddings from berries and fruits; bananas and baked apples are also allowed.

As additional support for the body, you can use sorbents, for example, Fitomucil Sorbent Forte. Enterosorbent will remove harmful substances, cope with pathogenic microorganisms, and restore normal intestinal microflora. The drug contains five types of live probiotic bacteria, as well as psyllium and inulin.

When does vomiting require immediate medical attention?

Very often, even vomiting without fever is a reason to call an ambulance as soon as possible. If the patient experiences symptoms such as vomiting blood or a previous injury to the head, spine or abdomen, or if the urge does not stop, call a doctor immediately.

JSC “Medicine” (academician Roitberg’s clinic) has its own emergency department, whose specialists are ready to come to your aid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call a car by phone.

Treating vomiting at home

While at home, you can also try to stop gagging using traditional medicine methods.

• Thus, tea based on mint leaves has an excellent calming effect. This is especially true for vomiting caused by a serious stressful situation. For the same purpose, you can drink 15 drops of mint tincture with water.
• A decoction of dill seeds, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, also has a beneficial effect on the treatment process.
• Lemon juice added to plain water is a great way to get rid of vomiting.
• If this is vomiting during pregnancy, then you should stick to fractional meals. Also an effective remedy during pregnancy is chewing a slice of lemon or simple crackers in the morning without getting out of bed, so it is better to prepare them in the evening.

Answers to the most common questions

• I am vomiting and have a fever, what should I do? You should not self-medicate; in this case, it is recommended to see a doctor as soon as possible.
• What does vomiting in the morning mean? It might be worth checking to see if you are pregnant. In all other cases, you should seek medical advice from a doctor.
• White vomit with mucus - what to do? Most likely, the person has recently consumed too much white bread, milk or rice. If there are no other signs of illness, then there is no need to panic.

Advantages and disadvantages

What to cook to restore stomach function

For the normal functioning of the immune system and the body's ability to resist attacks from pathogens, it is necessary to ensure an optimal supply of macro- and micronutrients daily. The need for them during illness increases significantly. Therefore, a diet based on a properly designed menu will not only not harm you during illness, but will also help you recover faster.

It is a big misconception to think that in case of intestinal disorders with diarrhea and vomiting, the diet is strictly limited, and the list of allowed products is almost ascetic: bread and water. In fact, according to Associate Professor of the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition of BelMAPO, Ph.D. Elena Adamenko , the diet can remain familiar even during illness (provided that before that it was based on the principles of a healthy diet). You can only make some adjustments until the gastrointestinal tract returns to normal.

For example, prefer applesauce to apples (the peel of the fruit is rich in fiber and is difficult to digest during intestinal disorders). It is better to replace fresh bread with “yesterday’s” bread or unsweetened crackers. If possible, avoid herbs and spices, food additives, so as not to further irritate the intestinal and stomach mucosa, etc. You can read even more about nutritional rules for gastrointestinal disorders in this material.

Treatment of vomiting in the clinic of JSC "Medicine" (clinic of academician Roitberg)

Often the symptom goes away on its own. However, if its appearance was dictated by the presence of a serious illness, a visit to a specialist is required. Depending on the cause of vomiting, the diagnosis may be carried out by a general practitioner, pediatrician, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist or gynecologist.

An experienced doctor will carry out the required diagnostics, make a diagnosis and draw up the most appropriate treatment plan, first of all prescribing anti-vomiting medication.

JSC “Medicine” (clinic of academician Roitberg) employs the best specialists of the capital and region, conducting diagnostics using the most modern equipment of proven world brands. All this together makes the treatment process quick and as convenient as possible for the patient.

You can make an appointment with a doctor by calling +7 24 hours a day or using the feedback form on the official website of the medical center. The clinic is located in the central district of Moscow at 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya lane, building 10, next to the metro stations “Belorusskaya”, “Mayakovskaya”, “Tverskaya”, “Novoslobodskaya”, “Chekhovskaya”.