Applesauce and cinnamon for diarrhea

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Dr. Erika Krumbeck

Hello! My name is Dr. Erika Krumbeck (or “Dr. K” to my littlest patients). I am a naturopathic doctor and licensed primary care physician in the state of Montana.I specialize in pediatrics, infertility and postpartum women.Most importantly - I am a Mom! I am passionate about providing accurate, helpful medical information for you and your family.I love sharing the latest research in medicine, debunking health myths, and providing an unbiased voice for controversial topics.This blog is also full of natural ways to safely heal yourself and your children.

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Shhhh…..

Do you want to hear an old naturopathic secret for diarrhea?

It’s so simple it is almost hard to believe it works: applesauce and cinnamon for diarrhea.

So first of all, make sure you see your doctor before giving this to you or your child.  Remember that some infectious diarrhea is actually beneficial – it helps flush out the intestine from the virus, bacteria (or toxin) that is causing illness.  Also, don’t be stupid – applesauce and cinnamon is NOT going to stop diarrhea that has a serious medical cause.  (And definitely don’t do it if you have bloody diarrhea.  Ouch!)

But for those lingering cases of diarrhea after the stomach flu – this trick is golden.  It also tends to work in cases of functional chronic diarrhea (diarrhea that has no known cause), and for people who just tend toward loose stools.

Here’s how it works:

Mix 1 teaspoon carob powder or cinnamon powder with 1/2 cup applesauce (use half this amount for children).   Cinnamon has antimicrobial, demulcent (soothing), and astringent (tissue-tightening) properties to help fight infections, tighten tissue, and stop diarrhea.  Eat several times per day or until symptoms resolve.

Carob powder actually works a little bit better than cinnamon, but more people have cinnamon powder on hand in a pinch.

Have you tried this trick? Did it work for you?