How to properly follow a diet when suffering from giardiasis

A proper diet for giardiasis is an integral part of overcoming the disease. Nutrition should be balanced and bring maximum benefit. It has been observed that the consumption of certain foods reduces the viability of parasites. To figure out which products are suitable, you need to find out what creates the conditions for the life of microorganisms, what they represent.

Giardia is a protozoan single-celled parasite that lives in the intestines of mammals. They have a pear-shaped body, widened in front, tapering at the tail. Giardia has flagella that help it move. The microscopic body contains two nuclei. Reproduction occurs by dividing into two parts. After entering the body of a person or animal from an inactive form of existence - a cyst, lamblia turns into an active, vegetative form of life. The transformation occurs in the upper, small intestine. This takes a week.

General principles of treatment and diet

Treatment of the disease should consist of three stages. The first, preparatory stage, involves the body adapting to the upcoming fight against parasites. It is dangerous to begin destruction measures right away. The massive death of microorganisms will provoke an increased formation of decay products: if you poison Giardia, you cause damage to yourself. If harmful substances enter the blood from the intestines, it will lead to intoxication and deterioration of well-being.

Diet plays an important role in preparing for the main treatment. The principles boil down to removing the toxic load on the body and improving digestion. The selection of certain products is necessary to create an unfavorable environment in the part of the digestive tract where Giardia lives. It has been established that microorganisms feed mainly on the products of the breakdown of carbohydrates. The diet rules say: you need to eat less carbohydrate foods, giving preference to plant fiber, proteins, and fermented milk products. They remove toxic substances, easing the course of the disease.

Additionally, sorbents are prescribed - drugs that cleanse the intestines: Smecta, activated carbon, Atoxil, Polysorb. When cleaning the intestines, harmful substances are neutralized, microflora is normalized, and immunity, undermined by the activity of Giardia, is increased.

After preparing the body (1-2 weeks), antiparasitic therapy begins. Prescribed drugs: Tinidazole, Trichopolum, Nifuratel. During treatment, one drug is first taken in a course, then replaced by another to consolidate the effect. In conclusion, therapeutic effects are aimed at restoring weakened body functions. The immune system is strengthened by using immunomodulatory drugs; multivitamins are recommended to normalize the microflora.

It is important to maintain proper nutrition. Protein foods can slow down development. Carbohydrate foods, especially those that are easily digestible, create optimal conditions for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. An acidic environment inhibits the progression of giardiasis.

Recipes for giardiasis

Below are some special recipes for preparing dishes recommended for the formation of an acidic environment for giardiasis.

Drink of lingonberries and cranberries

Grind fresh or frozen (previously defrosted) lingonberries/cranberries in a meat grinder until pureed. Place in a deep saucepan, combine the mixture with sugar and add clean water, boil and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Cool the finished fruit drink and strain.

Compote of oranges and lemon

Wash 1-2 sweet oranges and 1 lemon, remove the zest and peel the skin. Thinly slice the zest into strips, place in a bowl, add hot water and leave for a few minutes, place in a colander and let the water drain. Pour sugar and zest into boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes and let cool. Cut the orange and lemon pulp into slices and place in a saucepan. Let's brew. The drink is served chilled.

Junk food

We will present undesirable types of products as a list. Their consumption negatively affects digestion, causing bloating. Giardia with such a diet feels excellent and multiplies at tremendous speed.

Prohibited types of food:

• Foods containing lactose: milk, ice cream, processed and hard cheese, condensed milk, milk-based cereals (exception: fermented milk foods);
• Smoked meats, canned meat, fish, sausages, mayonnaise;
• Sunflower seeds, nuts;
• Sugar-containing carbonated drinks: cola, lemonade, Fanta;
• Flour products made from white flour: bread, noodles, vermicelli;
• Drinks containing alcohol;
• Sweets: candies, cookies, pastries, cakes;
• Kissels (contain a lot of sugar and starch).

The list is not complete, it gives a general idea of ​​the recommendations for contraindications in food, so as not to cause an exacerbation of the pathological process. The products listed are based on carbohydrates - the food preference of parasitic microorganisms. When you exclude them from the menu, recovery goes faster.

The consumption of refractory fats is highly discouraged: lard, margarine, fatty meats. Giardia prefers them along with carbohydrate foods. It is necessary to reduce the intake of legumes - peas, beans, peanuts. You are allowed to eat one egg per day. You should be careful with smoked products and mushrooms. The habit of eating fast food is undesirable.

Fully or partially limited products

With giardiasis, all concentrated broths (fish, meat, mushroom) are excluded from the diet. The consumption of fatty, smoked meat, pickled, salted, fried foods, canned fish and meat and semi-finished products is not allowed. Products containing easily digestible carbohydrates are limited - honey, sugar, jam, jam, sweets, confectionery, yeast baked goods. Dried fruits and sweet fruits are not allowed. Products with preservatives and artificial colors are not allowed in the diet. Sweet juices, strong coffee, kvass, sweet carbonated and alcohol-containing drinks are excluded from drinks.

Table of prohibited products

What is recommended

Rationally selected food speeds up recovery. If you follow the principles of the diet, negative conditions will be created for parasites and digestive functions will be normalized. Helps restore disturbed microflora, the proper functioning of the biliary system, which affects the absorption of nutrients by the intestine.

Giardia is not adapted to survive in an acidic environment - it interferes with reproduction. It is recommended to acidify food. Lemon juice will do. Add as a dressing to salads, meat or fish dishes. Juice diluted with water and drunk on an empty stomach works well.

It is advisable to use:

• Vegetables, a lot of greens;
• Porridges cooked in water;
• Lean meat, fish (preferably sea), shrimp;
• Light soups with the addition of vegetable oil;
• Sweets: fruit pastille, agar-agar marmalade, honey;
• Pumpkin seeds – have antiparasitic properties;
• Fermented milk products (cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream).

Some people are wary of drinking coffee during treatment. The drink causes a lot of criticism, being considered the culprit of most diseases. Natural coffee stimulates the production of bile - beneficial in this situation. Butter has similar properties. Nutritionists do not recommend completely ignoring these foods. A good start to the day would be a breakfast consisting of a boiled egg, whole grain bread with butter, and a cup of unsweetened coffee.

It is useful to add sour vegetables and fruits to your diet. The effect is exerted by sauerkraut, cranberries, cherries, currants, green apples, and citrus fruits. Giardia does not like this diet, which has a positive effect on the success of treatment. Freshly squeezed juices have a beneficial effect. For variety, it’s a good idea to cook unsweetened compotes from berries and fruits, and prepare borscht with sauerkraut.

Symptoms

The disease has 2 forms, their symptoms are slightly different from each other.

1. Acute form. It affects people (both adults and children) with weakened immune systems. Its main symptoms are fever, allergic rash, loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
2. Chronic form. This is a complication of the acute form with insufficient or incorrect treatment. Its signs are more pronounced. The chronic form is accompanied by intoxication, headaches, general deterioration of health, weakness, alternation of diarrhea with constipation, irritability, mental disorders, and hypovitaminosis.

Important! If you have such symptoms, you should immediately consult a specialist!

About the Mediterranean diet

For a healthy diet with Giardia, it is advisable to adhere to the rules of the Mediterranean diet. It is traditional for peoples living in southern Europe and parts of Asia. It is characterized by a reduced consumption of fats and carbohydrates; the main food consists of proteins and plant fiber.

A similar ratio in adults living in the designated areas affects the good figure of people. The diet has a good effect on the heart and blood vessels. Giardia does not like eating foods from the list, which is the main goal.

What are the principles?

Mediterranean countries have a warm and humid climate. Plants bear fruit all year round. This benefit was directly reflected in the diet. The main food is fruits, vegetables, greens, protein foods. Sunflower oil can be replaced with olive oil, lemon juice is used as a seasoning for various dishes.

To replenish protein reserves, lean meat and seafood are consumed. Meat and fish are cooked in the oven. Suitable side dishes include fresh, lightly baked vegetables and rice. For children, they make puree soups: boiled vegetables in any combination are passed through a blender with a small amount of broth after cooking, sour cream and salt are added to taste.

Examples of dishes

When following a diet, it is important that the prepared food is healthy and tasty. The Mediterranean diet meets the requirements. It is recommended to bake river or sea fish in the oven. The recipe will not be inferior to traditional frying with a lot of oil. The fish, cleaned of entrails and divided in half, is placed with scales on a baking sheet. Then sprinkle with salt, onion rings, tomatoes, lemon slices, and chopped herbs are placed on top. Baking time is 40-50 minutes.

A salad of baked vegetables is suitable for a child. It will also be useful for adults. You will need eggplants, sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions (about two each). Cut the onion into large rings, divide the remaining vegetables in half, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Then cool, remove the hard film from the vegetables, and cut into large slices. Onion rings are not chopped. Mix, add salt, a spoonful of low-fat sour cream. If children dislike onion rings, do not add them to the salad.

For children

Giardiasis in children especially often occurs against the background of allergization of the body and immunosuppression , which clinically manifests itself most often in the form of urticaria and atopic dermatitis . Therefore, dietary nutrition in such cases is adjusted, and along with the treatment of giardiasis, a hypoallergenic diet . In the intestinal form, the diet for children is similar to the diet for adults, taking into account the child’s age. The diet for giardiasis in children must be supplemented with probiotics .

When treating Giardia in children of the first year of life who are breastfed, it is recommended to reduce (by about 1/3) the amount of food taken (milk, adapted formula). Feeding should be dosed in accordance with the meal schedule. If a child is infected with giardiasis from the mother, the child is gradually transferred to artificial feeding, and simultaneous treatment is carried out for mother and child.

About the Pevzner diet, nutrition examples

M.I. Pevzner - Soviet professor, nutritionist. Developed 15 special diets to help with diseases. In parallel with the treatment of Giardia lesions, it is suitable to adhere to the Pevzner diet No. 5. The diet was created taking into account diseases of the liver and biliary tract.

The essence of the diet

Involves eating warm food; cold and hot food is contraindicated. Percentage ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates: 100 – 80 – 400. The table was developed in Soviet times and has undergone changes. The difference is the reduction in consumption of animal fats instead of vegetable fats. Goose and pork liver, pates, and peanut butter are not recommended. Chocolate, smoked meats, and offal are excluded. Such food overloads the digestive tract.

From food, the following are welcome: low-fat varieties of fish, meat (mainly chicken), water porridge, fat additives in the form of butter and vegetable oils. Dishes should be steamed and baked. Avoid fried foods that irritate the intestines. Meals should be taken 5-6 times a day. This frequency of nutrition ensures normal outflow of bile, Pevzner believed.

Weekly diet

During treatment, this type of diet should be followed for a month. The body is given the opportunity to unload the digestive organs and remove accumulated toxins. The functioning of the immune system improves, therapy proceeds much faster. The advantage of the diet is its versatility; the dishes can be fed to children. You should drink enough water between meals. The volume of clean water, not counting other liquids, should be 1.5-2 liters per day.

Sample daily diet for a week:

• Breakfast: buckwheat or oatmeal porridge with butter, cottage cheese or cottage cheese casserole, vegetable omelet or soft-boiled egg, dried fruit compote, kefir, weak black tea, coffee.
• Second breakfast: baked apple mousse; whole apples baked in the oven, fruit salad (orange, kiwi, banana), vinaigrette without beans, rice porridge with vegetables; fresh juice.
• Lunch: steamed fish or fish cutlets, beet soup; vegetable soup with lean broth, vegetable salad. It is recommended to eat soups as a snack with dried bread, preferably without yeast; A suitable drink would be green tea with honey.
• The afternoon snack should include a carrot salad seasoned with lemon juice, a baked apple, pureed vegetable soup, an egg or a cottage cheese casserole (if not eaten in the morning).
• For dinner: stuffed peppers; cabbage rolls with lean meat; fish from the oven, liquid mashed potatoes; vegetable casserole; vegetables cooked in the oven. Drinks: green tea, juices and berry fruit drinks.

These are approximate product combinations. Recipes may vary depending on personal preference. There are many dishes listed on the list. The choice should be given to preference with daily alternation. Dieting is a must. Giardia is not as dangerous a parasite as intestinal worms. The fight is successful. Life activity depends on the food entering the body. A balanced diet reduces the chance of giardiasis. Neglecting the factor exhausts protective reserves, which will affect resistance.

Weekly menu for adults

Breakfast: buckwheat, barley, oatmeal, corn porridge, brown rice. Compote of sour fruits or dried fruits.

Second breakfast (snack): sour fruits and berries (for example, fresh sour cherries or baked apple).

Lunch: low-fat turkey, duck or chicken broth; oatmeal; currant or cranberry juice.

Afternoon snack: blueberry juice; low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese.

Dinner: steamed cutlets with stewed vegetables; tea and a piece of low-fat cheese.

This is a sample list of dishes for the week, and recipes for preparing them are available on the Internet.

Description of the disease

Giardia becomes the causative agent of giardiasis. They live in the small intestine and lead to the development of infection. Giardia are the simplest single-celled organisms that have active and inactive life forms.

The active (trophozoite) form is characterized by the fact that the parasites move, feed and reproduce in the human intestine. Under unfavorable conditions, they turn into cysts and become covered with a protective membrane. In this state, the cysts enter the intermediate host and then into the human oral cavity. The protective shell dissolves, and they again enter the active stage.

Giardia are pear-shaped, attached to the walls of internal organs using suction cups and villi. Most often they inhabit the small intestine, duodenum and bladder. After just a few hours of being in the human body, they multiply in large numbers, covering the entire mucous membrane.

Most often, parasites enter the body through contact with an infected person, through consumption of unwashed foods and raw water. The risk increases if you have pets in the home.

The disease leads to the development of anemia, vitamin deficiency, disruption of the functioning of the digestive organs and the cardiac system. Diseases such as pancreatitis, gastritis, colitis, and allergies are also associated.

Rehabilitation after illness

The most important stage in the treatment of giardiasis is the rehabilitation of the gastrointestinal tract after a parasitic disease. By continuing the therapeutic diet, the condition of the intestinal walls can be significantly improved and conditions can be created to prevent re-infection with Lamblia intestinalis. The duration of the rehabilitation phase is usually 1-2 months.

Great importance is attached to diet. During the day there should be about 4-5 meals at regular intervals. Every day you need to consume several servings of vegetables, fruits or juices without sugar. Fatty, spicy and high-calorie foods should be completely excluded from the diet.

At this stage, the diet should be supplemented with vitamin therapy (preferably in drops - Aevit). It is useful to consume baker's yeast, which activates the repair processes of the gastric mucosa.

It has been proven that after suffering from giardiasis, the intestinal biocenosis is disturbed to one degree or another. Every second patient experiences an increase in opportunistic flora. It is necessary to enrich your diet with low-fat fermented milk products without foreign additives or take preparations of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.