The BRAT Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

If you or your child have ever had an upset stomach, complete with vomiting and diarrhea, chances are someone has suggested you try the BRAT diet. This simple diet, consisting of just bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, used to be widely recommended by pediatricians for children. Because the foods that make up the diet are gentle on the stomach, reduce nausea, and produce firmer stools, the thought was that it would naturally be an effective remedy for stomach issues. Even though the diet was originally invented with children in mind, adults have also used it to ease symptoms. But the diet has become so unpopular in recent years that the American Academy of Pediatrics — and most doctors — no longer recommend it. Why is that?

Dr. David Cutler, M.D., a family medicine physician at Providence St. John's Health Center, tells Insider, "It's been discovered over the years that it nutritionally is very deficient in a lot of things that kids need. So generally, it's fallen greatly out of favor to use." Specifically, the BRAT diet does not contain enough calories, protein, fat, fiber, minerals, and vitamins, to sustain a sick person for an extended length of time, according to Verywell Health.

So, trying the diet for a day or two to ease the strain on your gut is probably fine. But long-term use of the BRAT diet is just too nutritionally restrictive, and it may not even work in the short term. There is a surprising lack of research supporting its effectiveness. "The BRAT diet is a terrible idea," says Toronto pediatrician Rahul Saxena (via Today's Parent). "It's a carb loaded diet and it's been shown to increase the duration of diarrhea."

Rather than follow the BRAT diet when a stomach issue arises that involves vomiting and diarrhea, doctors now recommend focusing on hydration. Dr. Saxena suggests giving a little fluid — about an ounce at a time — every 20 minutes or so. Spacing out fluid intake like this gives the lining of the stomach time to absorb the fluids. Along with plenty of liquids, offering your child small amounts of nutritious food is fine. If the child feels sick, though, that's not an excuse to load them up with junk food.

And of course, if symptoms persist or you're concerned your child isn't acting like themselves, it's a good idea to check in with your doctor.