People who are malnourished or underweight are more likely to get tuberculosis and are also more susceptible to reinfection or relapse of TB after treatment. Malnutrition leads to decreased immunity, and your body needs to be as strong as possible to defend itself against those tough tuberculosis bacteria. It’s a vicious cycle: Poor nutrition can actually encourage the persistence of active tuberculosis disease, and active tuberculosis leads to worsening malnutrition. So to keep your body primed to fight TB, you have to feed it right. To give your body the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to fight active tuberculosis and regain your strength and stamina, you need to eat a diet containing a variety of healthy foods, such as:
Leafy, dark-colored greens like kale and spinach, for their high iron and B-vitamin contentPlenty of whole grains, like whole wheat pastas, breads, and cerealsAntioxidant-rich, brightly-colored vegetables, such as carrots, peppers, and squash, and fruits, like tomatoes, blueberries, and cherries — think of buying produce in a full rainbow of colorsUnsaturated fats like vegetable or olive oil, instead of butter
Talk to your doctor about whether you have any nutrient deficiencies and if taking a daily multivitamin with minerals makes good nutrition sense for you. A recent review of the limited studies done on supplements in patients with TB showed some evidence that high-calorie energy supplements helped underweight patients gain body weight, and that zinc, combined with other micronutrients or with vitamin A, may offer nutritional help. The reviewers concluded that additional studies are needed. What to Avoid When You Have Active Tuberculosis As is always the case for good health, there are certain foods you shouldn’t eat and substances you shouldn’t use.
Skip tobacco in all forms.Don’t drink alcohol — it can add to the risk of liver damage from some of the drugs used to treat your TB.Limit coffee and other caffeinated drinks.Limit refined products, like sugar, white breads, and white rice.Avoid high-fat, high-cholesterol red meat and instead load up on leaner protein sources like poultry, beans, tofu, and fish.
Getting and Staying Healthy With Active TB Many medications used to treat active tuberculosis have side effects that can make it difficult to eat well. With some drugs, you could:
Lose your appetiteFeel nauseatedVomitExperience abdominal cramping
You can’t stop taking your TB drugs, so instead talk to your doctor about what you can do to help eliminate side effects. Make every effort to give your body the nutrition it needs to maintain a healthy weight and build up strength to destroy the tuberculosis bacteria and reduce your risk of a relapse. Eating a varied, healthy diet, and staying away from unhealthy habits, will help you feel better, faster.
