Tuberculosis is a lung disease that is easily spread through the air. Treatment typically takes at least nine months, and consists of taking one or more medications. These medications have side effects that can affect your nutritional status. In some cases, nutritional therapy is used in combination with these medications to improve treatment outcomes.
Features
Nutritional treatment for tuberculosis can involve nutritional supplements to increase calories and prevent too much weight loss and vitamin and mineral supplements to decrease the risk of deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc. Nutritional counseling is often included in tuberculosis treatment, even if supplements are not provided.
Benefits
Nutritional supplements can be helpful early in the treatment of tuberculosis when wasting is more common, according to a study by Nicholas I. Paton published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2004. As treatment progresses and patients begin to feel better, additional supplements are not as useful, as they tend to lead to fat gain rather than muscle gain.
Considerations
If you get tuberculosis and you have a poor nutritional status, your immunity will be weakened, making it more likely your tuberculosis will become active. Tuberculosis and the medications that treat tuberculosis both cause side effects that make it hard to get sufficient nutrients, including lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
Warning
Nutritional treatment for tuberculosis is not sufficient by itself. Medications are necessary to actually get rid of the disease and stop it from spreading to other people. Even after you start to feel better from the treatment, you need to continue the full course of medication or the remaining bacteria in your system may become drug resistant, making it harder to treat your condition.
Expert Insight
The Nutrition Promotion Program in Ottawa, Canada recommends that tuberculosis patients concentrate on consuming a diet high in energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin A and iron. Try to eat a variety of healthy foods containing these nutrients and avoid alcohol to make it easier for your body to heal.
References
- United States Agency for International Development: Nutrition and Tuberculosis
- Nutrition Promotion Program: Nutrition and Tuberculosis(TB)
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Randomized controlled trial of nutritional supplementation in patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis and wasting
- MayoClinic.com: Tuberculosis
