Diet in Typhoid

Typhoid is a common illness in many developing countries. It has been studied that more than twenty-one million people worldwide get infected with typhoid. The problems are that the infections so easily pass on, there seems to be no stopping it. A carefully planned and monitored Diet in Typhoid has a major role to play in improving your conditions with typhoid.

Typhoid fever can affect all of a sudden or even gradually over a few weeks. You can realise that you have typhoid if you have symptoms like high fever with pain in the body, consistent headaches, feeling tired, getting chills, having constipation, diarrhoea, and there is enlargement in your liver and spleen. You can come across many gastrointestinal issues. This can cause a poor appetite.

All about typhoid:

Typhoid is a scary illness. It is contagious. This illness is due to the bacteria – Salmonella Typhi. It can also be caused by a related bacteria – Salmonella Para typhi, which is much less contagious. These bacteria are deposited through our feces, contaminating the water and food, and can spread to others easily.

On eating bad food or water, the bacteria enters the body. It starts with the small intestine. Then, it enters the bloodstream. The white blood cells carry them to the liver. This way they enter the spleen, and bone marrow. The worst part with typhoid bacteria is that they can survive for weeks in water and dry sewage. Thus, they can cause severe outbreaks if proper measures are not taken.

Typhoid Fever Treatment and Food

It is very essential for individuals suffering from typhoid to have small and frequent meals to sustain their strength and energy. The main purpose and crux of a diet for typhoid patients is to provide them with foods that are high in calories, are softer and bland that is light on the tummies, and loads the body with immune-boosting foods which help in strengthening the immune system.

Food for typhoid is the ones that can be easily digested and help to replenish the nutrients the body needs after losing. 

What does the Typhoid Food Chart have to say ?

While diet alone cannot cure typhoid, but along with proper medication involving antibiotics, dietary modifications can help you get relief from its symptoms. The Diet in Typhoid focuses on alleviating digestive distress that is caused due to the illness and ensures that the body has enough stamina and energy.

High-Calorie Foods:

Food high in calories provides the sufferer with the needed energy the body needs to avert conditions like weight loss, poor appetite, and fever. Food sources abundant in calories are cereals, bread, rice, boiled potatoes, bananas, and starchy veggies.

High-Carb Foods:

It is vital to have foods dense in carbs for people suffering from typhoid. These carb-dense foods should be light, bland, and soft, which is easy to digest by people suffering from typhoid. Some of such high-carb foods that you can have are boiled rice, poached eggs, cereal porridge, and other steamed foods like idly to boost your energy needs.

Foods that are comforting:

Comfort foods are foods that are soothing. Mainly, they are soups and broths. These types of foods help to boost your energy. They can help you with fatigue. The best to have are clear vegetable soup, or clear dal soup, or clear chicken soup

Drink fluids:

You must have fluid balance in your body. It is crucial during typhoid. You can get dehydrated due to fever and diarrhea. So, You can drink:

• tender coconut water
• fresh juices
• buttermilk
• plenty of fruits

Drink only filtered and boiled water.

Food to Avoid in Typhoid

You should avoid some foods during this phase. It means foods that have a lot of fiber. Such foods are bad for the gut. It can cause more health issues like bloating. You should avoid taking vegetables like:

• cauliflower
• cabbage
• bell peppers.

Limit or avoid the consumption of:

1. Whole Grains:

These are some whole grains that you need to stay away from:

• Barley
• Buck Wheat
• Brown Rice
• Quinoa
• Couscous

2. Legumes:

Do not eat legumes like:

• Lentils
• Kidney Beans
• Black Beans
• Chickpeas

3. Nuts and Seeds:

Your diet for typhoid should be free of:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Flax Seeds
• Chia Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds

3. Vegetables:

Avoid veggies like:

• Cabbage
• Onions
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Kale

4. Fruits:

Your diet should not have fruits like:

• Pineapple
• Raw Berries
• Dried Fruits
• Kiwi

5. Fatty Foods:

Fatty foods are the worst for a typhoid patient. So avoid:

• Fried chicken
• Chips
• Doughnuts
• Cheeses

Avoid eating raw foods and vegetables. Especially the ones that cannot be peeled. The best would be avoiding any food handling yourself.

You can keep the infection under control. For this, you need to avoid:

1. deep-fried foods
2. processed meals
3. spicy foods
4. Butter
5. ghee
6. creamy desserts
7. sweets

• Cook all foods properly before consuming.
• Avoid outside foods from street vendors, and fast foods.
• Drink filtered water. If not, go for boiled water.
• Wash your hands properly before eating food. Use a good soap.
• Seek immediate medical advice if fever continues and conditions worsen.

The Best Typhoid Foods to Enjoy on the Typhoid Fever Food Chart

1. Grains:

The best grains to get over typhoid are:

• Pasta
• White Bread
• Crackers
• White Rice

2. Dairy:

You can go with healthy dairy foods like:

• Fat-free milk
• Low-Fat Milk
• Yoghurt
• Cheese
• Ice Cream

3. Protein Sources:

The best protein sources for typhoid patients are:

• Eggs
• Chicken
• Fish
• Tofu

4. Drinks:

The best fluids or drinks that you can take during typhoid are:

• Bottled Water
• Herbal Teas
• Coconut Water
• Soups
• Broths

5. Vegetables:

Add these veggies to your typhoid diet:

• Only cooked Potatoes
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Squash
• Beets

6. Fruits:

Fruits naturally have high water content. The best fruits for typhoid are:

• Ripe Bananas
• Melons
• Boiled Apples.

The Diet Chart for Typhoid Patients: The Potential Benefits

If you are suffering from typhoid, making the correct food choices can help you recuperate faster and better from the illness. A typical diet chart in typhoid patients will ask you to follow these basic guidelines:

• Typhoid causes diarrhea and fever. Keep well hydrated with plenty of fluid and water intake to avoid severe water loss caused by dehydration, which could also prove fatal at times. A diet rich in fluidic foods is very important, and also including various kinds of foods with higher water content.
• Eat foods high in calories to overcome all ill effects of typhoid on you and preventing you from weight loss, which is common with typhoid. As mentioned earlier, potatoes, bananas, papaya, and pasta are a must including in a typhoid diet.
• Take more dairy and dairy products to overcome the ill effects of typhoid and feel energized.
• Eat foods that are easy to digest. You can eat semi-solid foods. They must be rich in carbs. You can go for poached eggs. Roasted or baked potatoes sound good.
• Eat foods that have Omega-3 fatty acids.
• It is mainly in fish. Vegetarian people can get it from cottage cheese. Legumes are also a must. These foods provide the much-needed protein the body needs during this phase. For non-vegetarians, eggs, chicken, and lean meat are great options.

Though there is very limited evidence and findings on typhoid diets, it still can be advocated that diets low in fibre are great for typhoid as they are good for gastrointestinal conditions. A low-fibre diet is the best choice for the treatment of certain critical digestive illnesses like IBS – irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that is characterised by symptoms such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

Studies also confirm that a bland diet like typhoid fever food, low in fibre, which has foods like bananas, white rice, toasts, applesauce, and more, and can be easily digested could help improve conditions of diarrhea in typhoid. Studies also indicate that consumption of hot and spicy foods could worsen several conditions associated with typhoid, like stomach pain and other gastrointestinal disorders.

The Best Foods to Eat in Typhoid

Boiled Yellow Moong Dal

One of the best foods to have during typhoid is simple boiled yellow moong dal. It is considered the best food during typhoid and its benefits are no hidden to us.

Bananas

The next best food on the list is our lifesaving bananas – one of the best foods to have when you are suffering from typhoid. Bananas provide the body with lots of energy, and energy is the most required element to fight the illness.

Honey

You must avoid sweets during typhoid. But you can use honey. It is good for your sweet tooth. Honey has many anti-bacterial perks. They are good against the typhoid-causing bacterium. You can have it with hot water. It is soothing. Thus, it helps in the healing process.

Omega-3

It is very crucial for typhoid. You must eat foods that have this compound. It can help with the burning feeling in the body. You can eat foods like:

• nuts
• seeds
• soybean
• Fish
• egg.

As mentioned earlier here, diet alone cannot help you. It won’t cure typhoid on its own. Thus, you will need proper treatment as well. But a good diet can go a long way with you. It can get you relief from the symptoms of the disease. So, you need to do so for faster healing.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)