Food for cholera patients: what to eat and drink

Cholera can cause sudden, watery diarrhoea and vomiting, which remove water and electrolytes from the body. Food helps provide energy, but it cannot correct dangerous fluid loss on its own. Oral rehydration solution is designed to replace water and salts in the right balance; plain water alone may not be enough. Severe dehydration may require IV Fluid Therapy in a medical setting.

Once fluids stay down, soft foods such as rice, porridge, bananas, potatoes, soup, yoghurt, or toast may be easier to manage. Appetite can return gradually. Breastfeeding should continue for infants unless a clinician gives different advice.

Take frequent small sips of Oral Rehydration Therapy solution, following the product instructions. If vomiting occurs, pause briefly and restart with slower, smaller sips. Continue replacing fluid after each loose stool. Eat small portions when able, choosing plain starchy foods, cooked vegetables, bananas, and other foods that feel tolerable.

Avoid alcohol and very sugary drinks, which can worsen diarrhoea. Greasy, heavily spiced foods and large meals may be difficult while the gut is irritated. Do not delay medical treatment while trying a food remedy, and use safe drinking water and freshly prepared food to reduce further infection risk.

Cholera needs prompt medical assessment because dehydration can progress quickly. Seek urgent care for repeated vomiting, inability to drink, very little or no urine, marked thirst, dry mouth, unusual sleepiness, confusion, fainting, sunken eyes, cold hands or feet, or ongoing profuse watery diarrhoea. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with another serious illness may become unwell sooner.

If diarrhoea is severe or the person cannot keep rehydration solution down, do not wait for appetite to return. Contact emergency services or attend an emergency department, and take the rehydration product or treatment details with you.

Ask which rehydration product and amount are appropriate, whether antibiotics or other treatment are needed, and when normal meals can resume. Confirm how to prepare food and water safely and what signs mean the person needs reassessment.