Foods for Typhoid – What to Eat and What to Avoid?

Introduction

Typhoid is an infectious disease that is caused by Salmonella bacteria and is an extremely prevalent malady during the monsoon season.

Common Typhoid Symptoms:

• Chills and fever
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Fever
• Enlargement of the spleen and liver

Many patients also experience nausea and an acute loss of appetite which are also quite common typhoid symptoms. However, it is extremely essential to consume small portions of food at regular intervals to give the body some much-needed strength and energy. Therefore, high-calorie foods for typhoid is recommended. It is important to be mindful of what to eat in typhoid for fast recovery.

Quick Guide to Typhoid Fever:

Cause

• Caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria through contaminated food or water.

Who

• People with poor hygiene, especially during food preparation and consumption, are highly susceptible.

Treatment

• Antibiotic tablets for 7-14 days.
• Severe cases may require intravenous antibiotics in a hospital.
• Untreated typhoid can lead to complications like long-term typhoid, relapse, and internal bleeding.

Diagnosis

• Persistent fever and/or recent travel to typhoid-prone areas may prompt a doctor to request blood, stool, or urine tests.
• Bone marrow test may be requested for more accurate results.

So, what kind of diet should a typhoid patient adhere to? Let’s learn more about foods good for typhoid patients below:

Doctor’s Nutritional Tips for Typhoid Recovery:

• Up the intake of carbohydrates. Porridge, soft rice, and baked potatoes are all good food items to add to a typhoid patient’s diet.
• Make it a point to give the patient semi-solid food since it is easy to digest. You have to be careful about what to eat in typhoid. Semi-solid foods you can eat during typhoid include boiled potatoes, khichdi, porridge, boiled rice, and yoghurt.
• It is also vital to provide the body with as much fluid as possible. Deadly typhoid has a tendency to cause severe dehydration, so it’s best to give the patient adequate proportions of fruit juices, lassi, glucose water, lime juice, and coconut water. Alternatively, you can also give him/her good servings of water-rich fruits.
• Generally, a high-calorie diet is also suggested. This includes food items such as bananas, potatoes etc.
• Up the consumption of dairy products such as milk and yogurt in your typhoid diet.
• Soups such as spinach soup, vegetable soup, carrot soup, chicken soup, and mushroom soup can also be given.
• Ensure that the patient drinks adequate water. The drinking water should be boiled and filtered properly.
• Simple boiled yellow daal can also be given. These make for healthy foods for typhoid.
• Ensure that there is adequate consumption of proteins.
• The meals should be light, easy to digest and frequent in nature.
• Cooked vegetables can be consumed during typhoid so that the body receives vital nutrients to get stronger. Well cooked or boiled vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beets, raw papaya and squash can be consumed. They are easy to digest and provide nutrients.
• Herbal tea such as a mix of neem, yarrow, sage, sage steeped in water can also be helpful for improving hydration while also having antimicrobial properties. Note that while this concoction may be one of the best foods for typhoid, it cannot be used as a substitute for medication. However, it can be used as additional help for your treatment.
• Honey is a healthy way to meet your sugar requirement while you are down with typhoid fever. It is both healthy and is famously antibacterial, being used in traditional medicine since ancient times. Additionally, when consumed with warm water, honey is thought to ease the digestive system. This can contribute to a faster recovery making honey one of the sweeter foods for typhoid fever.

I strongly recommend watching what you eat. Typhoid fever may be brought on by overripe pineapple because of the bacteria causing typhoid and Salmonella typhi prefers the over-ripe pineapple as its host for survival.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Food Items to Avoid

• Avoid food items that are high in fibre. Food which is high in fibre content is difficult to digest and puts pressure on the digestive system that gets weakened due to typhoid. Thus avoiding it during the disease can ease any pressure on it.
• Spicy food, fried items are a strict No. Spicy food items can irritate the digestive system and the intestine. The ailment already affects the digestive system and further, inflammation should be avoided.  
• Avoid food items that cause gas and bloating of the stomach. Certain vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and asparagus can cause gas and bloat the stomach. Avoiding digestive pressure on the system is better to be avoided.  
• Control the intake of ghee and butter. Fatty food is harder to digest and can cause complications during typhoid.
• While dry fruits are considered to be healthy in general, they tend to be high in fibre. Fibre is good during normal circumstances, but it is not great during typhoid. Similarly, almonds, walnuts and pistachios should also be avoided or reduced due to their fibre content.
• Legumes like chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans may result in a gassy stomach, under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a problem. But you’ll want to avoid gassy foods for typhoid, it may make you feel worse while you get through the fever.  
  

Conclusion:

It is important to note that typhoid is a serious medical condition. Typhoid fever treatment and food go hand in hand on the road to recovery. Always inform your doctor about your symptoms and seek their professional medical advice regarding medication, and dietary changes. All the above mentioned foods are only an added help for typhoid recovery and should not be considered as a replacement for medication.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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