Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted by infected female Anopheline mosquitoes. Early diagnosis and balanced nutrition are essential for malaria treatment.
Malaria symptoms
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Intermittent episodes of fever with chills
- If not treated, the symptoms can progress to kidney failure, anemia, and coma.
There is no specific diet for malaria, but adequate nutrition is the key to improvement. A good diet should focus on strengthening your immune system during infection.
A balanced diet consisting of cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products, fish (stew), chicken (soup/stew), sugar, and honey provide adequate nutrition during the disease stage.
- Hydration: Loss of water and electrolytes is very common in malaria. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. You can include sugarcane juice, coconut water, and electoral water. These will hydrate you and provides instant energy to the body.
- Increase Protein Intake: Fever causes your body to be weak and reduces your appetite. Protein in your diet helps to strengthen the immune system and tissue repair.
- Eat comfort foods: Every tradition has comfort foods like khichdi, curd rice, etc. It is liquid or semi-liquid, with no or less spice, and easily digestible. Include carbohydrates in your meal. Rice is easily digestible and releases energy faster than other millet.
- Vitamins: They play a key role in defence mechanisms against infection. especially vitamin A and C, which promotes resistance to infection. You can eat papaya, beetroots, sweet lime, grapes, berries, lemon, orange, carrot, and spinach. Your doctor will give you multivitamins along with antipyretic.
Foods to avoid during Malaria Infection
- Excess intake of caffeinated beverages( tea, coffee)
- Avoid carbonated water/ soda
- Stay away from food high in fat: Fried and processed foods