Discover How Diet Can Help You Fight Pneumonia This World Pneumonia Day

Pneumonia is a lung infection which causes the inflammation of air sacs in the lungs and impacts the respiratory health of the affected individual adversely. This respiratory infection results due to bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Cold, cough, chills, breathing difficulties, and pain in the chest are some common symptoms of this respiratory condition. In serious cases of this lung infection, the lungs of the affected individual might get filled with pus and fluid and pose a threat to life. Every year, about 55 million children below the age of 5 suffer from pneumonia worldwide. This lung ailment is the single largest infectious cause of fatalities in children throughout the world. So, it’s crucial to spread awareness about this lung infection and prevent its spread. For that purpose, every year, 12th November is observed as World Pneumonia Day to spread awareness about this infection and educate the masses to fight pneumonia.

The theme of World Pneumonia Day 2022 is “Championing the Fight against Pneumonia.”, and the slogan of this crucial day is “Pneumonia Affects Everyone”. The awareness day focuses on educating the masses that pneumonia is a preventable and treatable infectious ailment. It motivates various private and public organizations to contribute and host campaigns at their levels to provide the people with preventive measures and facilities. It also
works on spreading the significance of vaccination and looks forward to no one being deprived of the vaccine. The awareness campaign of World Pneumonia Day 2022 will be titled “Pneumolight 2022” and conducted to encourage people to participate in it and support one another to eradicate pneumonia. With the support of 42 nations, the illumination of 228 monuments will take place this year – 2022 to mark the significance of World Pneumonia Day to spread awareness for preventing and treating this infectious condition worldwide.

How Does Diet Help You Combat Pneumonia?

Modifying your diet can work a long way in maintaining good health and recovering from pneumonia safely. Mild to moderate pneumonia cases heal in 10 to 15 days with the right treatment and nutritious diet. More severe cases may need extra care and more time to recover from the infection. A nutritious diet aids in alleviating the symptoms of pneumonia and promoting speedy recovery. A healthy diet for pneumonia not only helps in maintaining good lung health but also boosts your immunity and re-charges your body with energy to combat the infection. Here’s a list of foods that can help you fight the infection and heal speedily when you include them in your diet.

1. Oranges:

Loaded with vitamin C, oranges supply your body with essential vitamins and a healthy dose of antioxidants. An increased intake of vitamin C boosts your immunity, which helps your body fight pneumonia effectively. Ensure that you don’t devour very sour oranges when you have a sore or painful throat, as consuming sour foods might worsen your condition. Besides oranges, you may also consume other citrus fruits, such as grapefruit and lemon, and vitamin C food sources, such as kiwi, blueberries, and raspberries, among others.

2. Green Vegetables:

Enrich your diet with green leafy vegetables. These veggies are a great source of antioxidants and aid your body to flush out toxins. Eating leafy greens not only helps you maintain good health but also enables you to heal from pneumonia. Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, coriander, and cauliflower are some of the green leafy vegetables that you can incorporate into your pneumonia diet.

3. Yoghurt:

Yoghurt is a rich source of probiotics, which are effective in hampering the growth of microbes causing pneumonia. Good bacteria in yoghurt are beneficial for a healthy gut. Adding fresh yoghurt daily to your diet can help strengthen your immunity and fight pneumonia naturally. You may also add other healthy drinks containing probiotics to your diet.

4. Whole Grains:

Pneumonia patients experience weakness and drained energy due to the infection and its symptoms, such as cold, fever, chest pain, and breathing difficulties. Adding healthy food sources of carbohydrates to your diet can help you regain energy. Whole grains are not just good sources of carbohydrates but also nutritious. Millet, brown rice, and barley supply you with good amounts of vitamin B, which improves your respiratory health and keeps your body temperature in check while you recover from pneumonia. Also, selenium content in oats, quinoa, and brown rice strengthens the immune system which helps you fight pneumonia greatly.

5. Protein-Abundant Diet:

Although a nutritious, balanced diet is prioritized for pneumonia sufferers, greater importance is also given to the inclusion of protein food sources. Consuming foods abundant in proteins helps pneumonia patients experience a speedy recovery. The anti-inflammatory properties of proteins promote healing naturally. Also, the intake of proteins promotes the growth of new tissues and aids in disposing of damaged ones. So, add legumes, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, eggs, and cheese to your diet when down with pneumonia

6. Turmeric-Ginger Milk:

The common kitchen ingredient – ginger is effective in treating a range of respiratory conditions. It’s also beneficial for combating pneumonia. Including freshly crushed ginger in your cooking preparations when down with pneumonia helps alleviate chest pain and fights microbes causing pneumonia. Turmeric is another spice which provides powerful anti-inflammatory effects and helps in mitigating pain. Also, the mucolytic properties of turmeric help in eliminating mucous from your bronchial ducts and improve breathing in pneumonia patients. Adding freshly crushed ginger and some turmeric to a glass of warm milk and drinking it daily when suffering from pneumonia can help immensely in your recovery.

7. Honey:

An ancient ingredient – honey is well-known for its medicinal and healing effects. By including it in your regular diet, you can soothe the harsh effects of pneumonia, such as cough, sore throat, and cold. You may consume raw honey by warming it up a little. Or, you may add honey to your lemonade and have it. Using the paste of honey and freshly crushed ginger can help pneumonia patients fight infectious microbes effectively.

8. Fenugreek Seeds:

A persistent cough may bother you a lot when down with pneumonia. Including fenugreek seeds in your diet can help relieve the discomforting cough naturally.

9. Coconut Water & Vegetable Juices:

It is important to keep your body hydrated when suffering from pneumonia. Although drinking warm water often can help you stay hydrated and relieve the sore throat, adding healthy fluids to your diet can also promote a speedy recovery. Coconut water and various vegetable juices are rich in plenty of nutrients. Drinking these nutritious fluids will nourish your body with all essential nutrients, boost your immunity, and help you recover quickly from this respiratory infection. So, enrich your diet with fresh coconut water and nutrient-dense vegetable juices.

Besides including all these nutritious foods in your diet for pneumonia, you should also stay away from alcohol and quit smoking. Smoking and alcohol intake can prove harmful to your health when down with pneumonia and in general. Prefer avoiding them for speedy healing and good health.

So, let’s pledge to care for our health, fight pneumonia, and prevent its hazardous health effects this World Pneumonia Day by including these nutritious foods in our diet. Consulting health experts, such as dieticians and nutritionists at Health Total, can help you receive a customised diet to prevent or treat this infectious respiratory condition naturally and safely with no side effects. Our diet plan for pneumonia not only helps you combat the infection and recover from it, but also nourishes you with all essential nutrients, boosts your immunity, and manages your weight healthily. So, think no further, get in touch with us at Health Total, and improve your respiratory health and overall well-being with our customised diet plan for pneumonia.

Sign up for a FREE consultation with Health Total experts to get more tips on preventing or managing pneumonia with diet. Call toll-free at 1-800-843-0206 and book an appointment!