April 25 marks World Malaria Day globally. The World Health Organisation introduced World Malaria Day in May 2007 as a part of their initiative to raise awareness of malaria, worldwide. Malaria has been a serious concern for over 10000 years and if statistics are to be believed, around 20,00,000 people become its victims every year.
To tackle this killer disease which is a preventable one too, ‘education and understanding of malaria’ are equally important. ‘Zero malaria starts with me’ was the theme for WMD in 2019. Today, we are going to outline a crucial aspect for tackling malaria –the diet. Know about adequate nutrition, what to avoid eating, and strengthen immunity:
A. Foods to eat:
1. Papaya leaf extract and Raw papaya: Both these ingredients of papaya have antimalarial properties and aid in increasing the platelet count.
2. Fruits: The fructose is important during malaria. Consume fruits for instant energy. Ripe papaya, sweet lime, grapes, berries, lemon, orange, kiwi, melon, pineapple are rich in vitamin C; they detoxify the body, and help the body fight the disease.
3. Fluids: Green coconut water, sugarcane juice, pear-pomegranate juice, musk melon-papaya juice, sugar-salt-lemon water, electoral water, ‘sherbat’, glucose water are a must to treat malaria.
4. Soups and vegetables: Have carrot and bell pepper soup, broccoli broth, basil soup; besides adequate antioxidant-rich vegetable intake including cabbage, okra, bottle gourd, beetroot, beans.
5. Pulses: Masoor dal porridge, moong dal, palak porridge, urad dal, chickpeas are great sources of an adequate protein diet.
6. Omega-3: Intake of flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, almonds are must to ensure supply of omega-3 fatty acids, as these reduce inflammation in the body.
B. Avoid the following diet:
1. High fibre foods: Stay away from whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, thick-skinned fruits.
2. Spicy and Processed foods: Packaged, oily or junk, spicy foods (chips, pastries, cornflakes, pasta, instant noodles, canned foods, pickle) must be avoided at all costs. They meddle with your digestion, weaken immunity, and make the body prone to diseases.
3. Caffeine: Do not consume cola, soft drinks, coffee, cocoa while suffering from malaria.
Be mindful of the above-mentioned foods to eat and avoid during malaria and stay healthy.
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