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Nutrition and Tuberculosis

Good eating habits are important for controlling tuberculosis (TB). The foods you choose can affect how well your body heals itself. Here are some tips for healthy eating:

Follow Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating:

Be generous with the food you eat. Your body needs extra energy for healing.
Choose a variety of foods to be sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs.

Choose foods high in the following nutrients:

Vitamin B6 pyridoxine
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Iron
Protein
Calcium

Choose foods high in protein such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, and dried beans, peas and lentils.

You need to increase your servings of meat and alternatives to three to four per day.
See food choices below.

When you are taking isoniazid be aware that it may cause itchy skin, headaches, and light-headedness when you eat some cheeses and fish. If this happens, contact your doctor or public health nurse.

Avoid alcohol:

Alcohol has calories, but no other nutrients.
It is also hard on your liver, especially if you are taking isoniazid (INH), pyrazinamide (PZA), or rifampin (RMP).

Food choices:

Foods high in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): liver, chicken, pork, beef, fish dried fruit (raisins, dates, figs) hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peas, broccoli chick peas, soybeans wheat germ, whole grain cereals, oatmeal bananas, cantaloupe, grapes	Foods high in iron: liver, kidney cream of wheat, whole grain cereals meat: beef, pork, veal, ham dried peas, beans and lentils prune juice, prunes, dates, dark green leafy vegetables Tip: Iron is taken up by the body best when eaten with foods high in vitamin C.
Foods high in vitamin A: broccoli, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables liver, dairy products, eggs cantaloupe, apricots	High protein foods: beef, pork, lamb, veal, ham milk, yogourt, cheese poultry and fish dried peas, beans and lentils eggs Tip: Add skim milk powder to soups, milk and casseroles.
Foods high in vitamin C: citrus fruit and juice tomato, baked potatoes broccoli, sweet peppers, kale cantaloupe, strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower Tip: Steam or cook vegetables in a small amount of water just until tender-crisp. This will help you get the most amount of vitamin C from the vegetables.	Foods high in calcium: milk, yogourt, and cheese soya beans, tofu broccoli, kale sardines and salmon with bones baked beans (canned)

Foods high in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine):

liver, chicken, pork, beef, fish

dried fruit (raisins, dates, figs)

hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts

brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peas, broccoli
chick peas, soybeans

wheat germ, whole grain cereals, oatmeal

bananas, cantaloupe, grapes

Foods high in iron:

liver, kidney

cream of wheat, whole grain cereals

meat: beef, pork, veal, ham

dried peas, beans and lentils

prune juice, prunes, dates, dark green leafy vegetables

Tip: Iron is taken up by the body best when eaten with foods high in vitamin C.

Foods high in vitamin A:

broccoli, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes

spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables

liver, dairy products, eggs

cantaloupe, apricots

High protein foods:

beef, pork, lamb, veal, ham

milk, yogourt, cheese

poultry and fish

dried peas, beans and lentils

eggs

Tip: Add skim milk powder to soups, milk and casseroles.

Foods high in vitamin C:

citrus fruit and juice

tomato, baked potatoes

broccoli, sweet peppers, kale

cantaloupe, strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower

Tip: Steam or cook vegetables in a small amount of water just until tender-crisp. This will help you get the most amount of vitamin C from the vegetables.

Foods high in calcium:

milk, yogourt, and cheese

soya beans, tofu

broccoli, kale

sardines and salmon with bones

baked beans (canned)

Revised: 2011-02-28