Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This is an infectious disease that can be life-threatening if we don't diagnose and treat it promptly.

In recent days, the number of patients being suffer from dengue fever in Vietnam has increased rapidly. There are many cases of subjective or improper home treatment leading to unexpected deaths.

According to Dr.Nguyen Trong Hung, Dean of Adult Nutrition Counseling Department, National Institute of Nutrition (Vietnam), when infected with dengue fever, people often have flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. It is very important to have a reasonable diet when the patient is in this stage.

Photo: vietnamnet.

Importance of diet for dengue fever patients

The objectives of diet for dengue fever patients include: (i) reduce the severity of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, etc; (ii) improve food intolerance; (iii) prevent serious complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, dehydration, etc.; (iv) improves the number of platelet and detoxifies the body; (v) ensure early recovery for the patient.

Besides, there are 2 main issues to keep in mind while treating dengue patients, which is to closely monitor the platelet count and to compensate the patient with fluid and electrolytes in a timely manner. It's very important to know what to eat or not because a healthy diet is the best way to fight the disease.

The diet for dengue patients depends on the stage of the disease as follows: (i) liquid diet for the early stages of dengue fever when the patient has a high fever; (ii) light diet for dengue patients when the fever subsides and the patient gradually recovers; (iii) normal diet during recovery.

During dengue fever, patients are often tired and have high fever. They do not want to eat anything because of nausea, vomiting and extreme weakness. In this case, a soft, liquid diet should be recommended for the sick as it is easier to digest and absorb than the solid one.

Patients should eat small amounts and several meals a day. A liquid diet that provides plenty of water helps to replace fluid loss during high fever and lower body temperature. Solid foods should be avoided. Supplying plenty of water is essential to replace the fluid lost with a high fever.

Recommended food for dengue fever patients

1. Dengue patients should drink a lot of water, especially coconut water

Patients often have fever and fatigue. When you have a fever, your body loses water, so you need to drink a lot of water to make up for the lost one.

Sipping water or oresol several times a day helps to replenish important electrolytes. You should monitor the color of urine in order to rehydrate in time.

Coconut water is rich in nutrients and provides natural electrolytes, so it is good for those are severely dehydrated. Coconut water also provides the body with some important nutrients that help the body quickly recover from dengue fever.

2. Enrich vitamin C

Foods are rich in vitamin C including oranges, lemons, guava, kiwi, strawberries, mango, etc. These fruits have a good antioxidant effect for the body when recovering from dengue fever. Oranges have a high fiber content, so they are good for treating indigestion. Foods rich in vitamin C are an option not to be missed for those who are suffering from dengue fever.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

3. Yogurt

Yogurt contains probiotics that help aid digestion by improving the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Yogurt is a nutrious food that is essential for the body to promote health, enhance resistance and anti-inflammatory ability.

Yogurt benefits your digestion and adds probiotics to help keep your gut flora healthy, which in turn helps fight viruses and bacterial infections.

4. Herbal tea

A sip of herbal tea can help ease the symptoms of dengue. Herbal teas can help control flu-like symptoms such as sore throat and fever. One of the easiest and most popular teas is ginger tea. This tea is rich in anti-inflammatory properties and contains antioxidants that help reduce fatigue and stress for dengue patients. In addition, you can also drink lemon honey tea, honey mint tea.

Dr. Thanh Herbal Tea. Photo: vietnamtimes.

5. Papaya leaves

Papaya leaves are said to be extremely effective for boosting white blood cells and platelet counts in the treatment of dengue fever. It is considered one of the best home remedies for dengue fever.

It is recommended to take papaya extract in juice form or crush a few papaya leaves and it has been shown to be most effective in activating the platelet count which reduces during dengue fever. However, it has an unpleasant smell and taste.

6. Eat more fruits

In case you cannot eat regular solid foods, eat fresh fruits like bananas, apples, citrus and guava as they help to replenish minerals and vitamins. Fruits also provide energy to fight the fatigue caused by this infection. You should serve yourself fresh fruit juice. One of the easiest fruits to get is pomegranate, which is a great remedy for controlling dengue symptoms. It is not only a great fruit for liver detoxification but also a way to increase blood volume.

7. Vegetable soup

When being suffer from dengue fever, you are often tired and lose your appetite. Try a vegetable soup that includes a few nutritious and high-protein vegetables in your diet. Tofu, mushrooms or soybeans can be added to enrich the protein. This meal will be rich in protein, energy, fiber and minerals, helping the patient recover quickly.

Photo: inspiredtaste.net.

8. Do not avoid eggs, chicken and fish

Dengue patients must follow a high-protein diet. A meal with good quality protein will help your body recover quickly. Therefore, you are recommended not to avoid fish, eggs or chicken. These foods provide the body with the right amount of nutrients to help the body fight off infections.

9. Avoid oily and spicy foods

Dengue patients not only have fever and cold but also feel extremely tired. Another important thing you need to keep in mind when dealing with dengue fever is that the virus can weaken your body's digestive system, so it's important that you avoid spicy and greasy foods during this time.

It is advisable to eat blanched or boiled foods during the recovery period as greasy foods slow down digestion. In addition, spicy foods should be avoided as they can cause gastrointestinal upset. Do not consume junk foods, processed foods such as sausages, smoked meat, grilled foods.

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