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Diet for Leprosy



Apart from home remedies, you may make certain dietary modifications to relieve the symptoms of the affliction. The symptoms of diet for leprosy are as under:

• You must consume a diet rich in Vitamin A as the latter is beneficial for the skin and as such, helps improve the state of the skin. Some such foods are carrot, beet root, liver, red pepper, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potato, butternut squash, lettuce, apricot and cantaloupe, among others.
• You must include foods rich in Vitamin B-complex to cure the symptoms of leprosy. Some such foods are fish eggs, lobster, crab, octopus, beef, lamb, cheese, etc.
• You must also include Vitamin C as a part of your daily diet as it helps enhance the general immunity of the body to fend off the disease causing bacteria from the body. Some of the Vitamin C rich foods include guava, orange, lemon, grapefruit, bell pepper garden cress, kiwi fruit, Brussels sprouts, papaya, tangerine and strawberries.
• Some of the essential minerals that are recommended to be included in the diet for leprosy are zinc and calcium. Some such foods are oysters, sesame seeds, toasted wheat germ, watermelon seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, yogurt, sardine, soy milk, cottage cheese, salmon, tofu and almonds, among others.
• Another Vitamin that must be included in the diet of patients of leprosy is Vitamin D. Some of the foods high in content of Vitamin D are button mushrooms, mackerel, sockeye salmon, herring, catfish, tuna fish and cod liver oil. Also, exposure to sunlight helps in conversion of a protein found in liver called 'ergosterol' to Vitamin D. Vitamin D also helps in the absorption of minerals like calcium in the body; calcium being an important component in the diet of leprosy patients.
• Vitamin E is another essential nutritional component for the patients of leprosy. Some such foods include Swiss chard, turnip greens, sunflower seeds, mustard green, collard, papaya, asparagus and bell pepper, among others. Vitamin E helps in cell regeneration, replacing the damaged and disrupted skin, caused by leprosy. It protects the skin in the long run by protecting from harmful ultra-violet rays, and also enhancing skin texture.