Best Food Diet To Win Against Tuberculosis

Best Food Diet To Win Against Tuberculosis

Best Food for TB Patients

It is crucial for everyone to control their diets and keep the food and calories they take per day in check.This stands even more true for athletic people and those who are ailing. People who are already suffering from sickness need a proper diet to ensure that the medication that he/she is taking can have a proper effect. Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that is common among people suffering from sinus or a severe cold for a long time. This infection occurs in the lungs of a person causing him/her to have difficulty in breathing.


Tuberculosis is also common amongst individuals suffering from malnutrition who do not take the necessary nutrients in their daily dietary plans. It is essential for a person suffering from Tuberculosis to have a complete diet with all the necessary vitamins and protein supplements. Any lack of the essential nutrients can result in severe complications showing advanced growth of symptoms. Following the mentioned diet will help in the speedy recovery of the person with a decrease in symptoms exponentially.


Best Food List For Tuberculosis

People suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis can adopt the mentioned diet to reduce the symptoms as well as eradicate the infection over the course of time.

Eating Foods with a High Calorie Content

To ensure that the person does not lose weight excessively with the progression of Tuberculosis over time, it is important to have energy rich foods. With high calorie content foods, it can be ensured that the person does not lose a lot of weight over time. Also, these foods list will help the person maintain an active lifestyle even though he/she might be suffering from tuberculosis. Eating energy packed foods like,

will ensure that the person has the necessary energy to go through the day without losing the aconsiderable amount of weight.


Eating Foods with High Protein Content

Another important dietary habit the person needs to inculcate in his/her daily life includes eating protein rich content. With a protein rich diet, a person can maintain his/her weight and can stay away from a malnutrition condition. Some of the best food items that contain a lot of protein include,

  • Eggs
  • Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
  • Soy and Tofu
  • Dry fruits like Almonds and groundnuts

In case the person wants to take a shortcut route to get all the necessary amounts of protein without eating so many items, he/she can opt for readily available protein mix powders. These powders can be taken as a supplement after working out with water as well as milk.


Taking Vitamin Supplements

Taking the right amount of vitamins is very important for a person to win his/her fight against Tuberculosis. Some of the Vitamin rich foods that you can easily get in the market include,

  1. Fresh fruits like Apple, Banana and Pomegranate,
  2. Green leafy vegetables.

To ensure that the person has enough intake of Vitamins throughout the day, it is very important for him/her to maintain a steady diet of fruits in snacks as well as meals.


Avoiding The Following Food Items

Just like the food items mentioned above are important to be included in the daily dietary habits of the person, there are some food items that should be avoided. The following food items are known to speed up the progress of the infection and reduce the effective working of the medication.

  • Don’t chew or smoke tobacco,
  • Drink less of the caffeinated drinks like coffee, cold drinks as well as energy drinks,
  • Avoid alcohol completely,
  • Avoid food items with high fat and high cholesterol levels.

These items should be avoided or minimised to the best level possible to ensure effective working of the medication to treat Tuberculosis.

Apart from this, breathing in fresh air is good for the person’s lungs. This means that the person should add activities like taking a morning walk in a park/garden to ensure oxygen-rich air is supplied to his/her lungs. Also, smoking cigarettes can severely damage the person’s lungs especially in the condition where he/she suffer from Tuberculosis. There can be some complications such as nausea and loss of appetite with Tuberculosis medication. It is essential for the person to continue the medication, regardless of the side-effects to ensure that a complete recovery is made. Patients with TB need proper rest and care. If the right diet is followed, they will be soon on the path of recovery. 

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad