Digestive

Rice Water

Diarrhea, dehydration from diarrheal illness

AilmentsDiarrheaDigestive Upset

Rice Water — traditional remedy ingredients

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Region

Asia (widespread, especially South and Southeast Asia)

Tradition

Traditional Asian folk medicine, especially in India and Bangladesh

Era

Long-standing traditional practice; formally validated during 1980s cholera research in Bangladesh

Science

Yes

Today

Widely Practiced Today

Instructions

Ingredients

White rice: 1/2 cup

Water: 4 to 6 cups (more water than you'd use for cooking rice to eat)

Optional: a pinch of salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

Combine the rice and water in a pot — use noticeably more water than you would for regular cooked rice.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the water has become cloudy and starchy.

Strain out the rice, keeping the starchy cooking water.

Let cool to a drinkable temperature; stir in a small pinch of salt if desired.

Sip throughout the day.

Tips

This is meant to help with fluid replacement during mild diarrhea — for diarrhea with signs of significant dehydration (very little urination, extreme thirst, dizziness, lethargy in a child), seek medical care and use a proper oral rehydration solution (ORS) rather than relying on rice water alone.

The cooked, strained rice itself can also be eaten plain, which is traditionally paired with this remedy.

Works well as a simple, easily available option when commercial ORS packets aren't on hand, but isn't a substitute for ORS in cases of severe dehydration.

Traditional logic

The starchy water was believed to be soothing and 'binding' for a troubled stomach

Background & history

Landmark 1980-1985 studies at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh found rice-based oral rehydration solutions reduced stool output by 30-36% compared to standard WHO glucose-based formulas in adult cholera patients — a striking case of a folk remedy directly informing a major global public-health intervention (oral rehydration therapy), now credited with saving millions of children's lives worldwide.

Where it comes from

Asia (widespread, especially South and Southeast Asia)

Highlighted on the map: Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, India, China and 5 more

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This is a historical and cultural reference, not medical advice. Many of these remedies have never been scientifically validated, and folk reasoning (humoral theory, “hot/cold” classifications, spiritual causation) reflects older explanatory traditions rather than modern medicine. Ratings reflect community opinion, not clinical evidence.

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