World TB Day : Home Remedies For Tuberculosis

World Tuberculosis Day is observed on the 24th of March every year to raise public awareness about the tuberculosis epidemic and work towards eradicating this disease.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Tuberculosis:

- What is tuberculosis?
- Symptoms of tuberculosis
- 7 home remedies for TB patients
- Foods to avoid or limit
- Easy and nutritious meal and snack ideas

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that attacks the lungs and can spread to the brain or spine. Not everyone infected with the bacteria falls sick. There are two TB-related conditions that exist: Latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. The disease can be fatal if not treated properly.

Symptoms of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is caused by an airborne bacterium. This communicable disease can spread through coughs, sneezes, or sharing food with infected patients. Symptoms of tuberculosis include chest pain, cough that lasts for over 3 weeks, coughing blood, loss of appetite, and night sweats among others. Individuals with diabetes, kidney disease, or those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer are more prone to getting infected.

Symptoms of TB- Activ Living

7 Home remedies for TB patients

Although the treatment for tuberculosis continues for 6-9 months, its treatment can be accelerated with these 7 natural home remedies. Here is a TB patient food list that will speed up the recovery process.

1. Foods rich in vitamins A, C, B complex, and E

Foods that are a rich source of vitamins A, C, and E like tomato, orange, carrot, mango, sweet pumpkin, guava, amla, and nuts, if added to the diet of a TB patient, can benefit them immensely. Foods with vitamin B complex like fish and chicken can form an important component of their diet.

2. Protein-rich food

TB patients suffer from weight loss and loss of appetite. Thus, protein-rich food like eggs, cottage cheese, and soya can be added to their diets in large quantities to give them energy.

3. Foods that are a storehouse of Zinc

Nuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds are great sources of zinc. They provide large amounts of nutrients to the body and help in fighting against diseases like TB.

4. Calorie-dense food

Since TB patients undergo weight loss, calorie-dense food is the best way to increase their metabolism. Including foods like bananas, peanut chikki, cereal porridge, and ragi in the diet can prove to be beneficial.

5. Garlic

Garlic is an effective home remedy for TB. It contains a compound – Allicin – which is active against the bacterium that causes TB and helps in fighting tuberculosis. Adding fresh garlic to a regular diet or steeping some garlic in water can work wonders and can help keep the body safe from TB.

Garlic for TB- Activ Living

6. Mint

The easiest home remedy for TB is to use fresh mint leaves to flavor drinks. It helps in clearing the respiratory tract and allows the free passage of air. Rich in antioxidants and with immunity-boosting components, mint leaves protect the body from the risk of infections.

Mint leaves- Activ Living

7. Black pepper

While talking about TB home treatment, black pepper, when crushed and fried in butter can treat tuberculosis. With its anti-inflammatory properties, it clears the lungs and reduces pain and discomfort.

Black pepper for TB - Activ Living Community

Foods to Avoid or Limit

It is crucial that you take extra care of your diet and consult a physician before you consume food items that may harm your health and the chances of recovery.

Avoid alcohol if you really want to recuperate quickly from TB. It slows the process of healing and hinders the impact of the medicines. It is also risky to use alcohol with medicines as that may give a bad reaction which may or may not lead to a risky situation.

Smoking is a big no as that will harm your lungs like nothing else will. You should also avoid passive smoking at all costs as that is as bad as smoking actively.
Cut down on processed foods if you recently got diagnosed with tuberculosis, because they have loads of sodium and spices. Packaged food that has artificial preservatives is not good for someone whose body is weak right now and will require a lot of energy to digest such food items.
Avoid red meat and fish of all kinds as your digestive system is quite weak right now and will lead to indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, and acidity. Have food items that are light on your stomach and are homemade, without spices, and full of nutrition.
Limit your consumption of caffeinated beverages like cold drinks, coffee, and tea. If you are someone who cannot live without them, this is the right time to look for healthier options. Opt for coconut water as that is nutritious and keeps you hydrated as well.
Deep-fried food should be avoided during your recovery period at all costs because it will surely give you heartburn and make your condition worse.

Easy and nutritious meal and snack ideas

A good diet for TB patients will include a lot of whole grain porridges that are low on salt and sugar as they are easy to digest and fill you up easily. You can always add loads of nutritious seeds to your porridges like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc., to make it interesting.
Increase the intake of soups like vegetable soup or lentil soup because they are brimming with minerals and vitamins. They are also easy to digest. A warm cup of tomato soup or a mung dal lentil soup/dal will also fill you up well. Just keep in mind that you avoid using a lot of spices. Just stick to salt and turmeric for the seasoning, and you are good to go.
Some boiled chicken soup is also good for replenishing your energy and will provide you with some warmth.
You can also have protein-rich foods like soya chunk/paneer/tofu bhurji with whole wheat roti that doesn’t have any ghee. Protein keeps you full and gives you the energy for a fast recovery.

It is important to raise awareness and follow these 7 home remedies for TB to treat this disease.

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