Contents:
- Medical Video: How to run longer | How to increase stamina and endurance | How to run properly | Soccer Football
- What is a neutropenic diet?
- How do you apply a neutropenic diet?
- Some things must be prepared before starting a neutropenic diet
- The neutropenic diet not only regulates food, but also its processing
- When preparing food
- When heating food
- Can this diet really prevent infection?
Medical Video: How to run longer | How to increase stamina and endurance | How to run properly | Soccer Football
Have you tried this new one? Yes, this neutropenic diet appears with distinctive characteristics and principles, different from other diets. Curious about what is a neutropenic diet? Consider the following review.
What is a neutropenic diet?
A neutropenic diet is a principle of eating that aims to reduce bacterial contamination that enters food. So, a neutropenic diet is a diet that is believed to help the body avoid infection.
In fact, this diet is often recommended for people who have cancer, because their bodies are very susceptible to infection. This diet is also good for people who have poor immune conditions, especially for people who experience neutropenia.
Neutropenia is a condition when the body cannot produce enough white blood cells (neutrophils) (the number of neutrophils is below normal). Neutrophils are white blood cells that function to protect the body from infection. If the number of neutrophils is small, the immune system will decrease, eventually the body is susceptible to disease.
In order to get away from infectious diseases, the main principle of a neutropenic diet is to avoid raw foods and those that are not cooked properly. In addition, in applying this diet you also have to pay attention to the cleanliness of ingredients and cutlery.
How do you apply a neutropenic diet?
In essence, foods that must be avoided are all foods that are not perfectly cooked or still raw such as salads, half-cooked eggs, and other foods that are served raw.
While that can be eaten is:
- Milk. All milk paste and other dairy products include cheese, yogurt and ice cream
- Starch. All mature sources of starch are allowed. For example, pasta, bread, cereal, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes. As long as all ripe is safe for consumption
- Vegetables. All vegetables are cooked safely.
- Fruit. All fresh fruit, canned fruit and fruit juice are allowed. Previously all fruits must be washed and peeled cleanly
- Protein. Cooked meat until completely cooked and canned meat. Boiled eggs are also safe for consumption
- Drinks. All cooked water, canned drinks or bottles can also be consumed. However, make sure there is no contamination with raw water. For example, using ice cubes from raw water when drinking.
Also choose foods that are stored in a tightly closed state compared to open food.
Some things must be prepared before starting a neutropenic diet
Before starting a neutropenic diet there are a number of things that you must pay attention to safely process food and keep it clean. Remember, the main purpose of carrying out this diet is to reduce contamination from bacteria or viruses through food or drink. So what needs to be done is:
- Get used to washing your hands before eating, after getting out of the toilet, and after doing outdoor activities.
- Ensure that all eating and cooking utensils are always clean.
- Avoid raw foods, especially meat and half-cooked eggs. Cook all ingredients until done.
- Wash fresh fruit and vegetables before eating or peeling, avoid well water if it has not been filtered or boiled. Bottled water is safer especially those that already have labels as distilled water, or well filtered water.
The neutropenic diet not only regulates food, but also its processing
When preparing food
When preparing a neutropenic diet, make sure the cutting board, knife, and other tools are different for both cooked and raw food. This is done to prevent cross contamination.
- Ideally, you must have 3 types of cutting boards, for example differentiated in 3 colors. One color for raw meat, one cutting board for cooked meat, and one for other foods such as vegetables.
- Wash fruits and vegetables all sides before eating.
- Wash food cans before you open them.
- Place the meat and poultry in the refrigerator (chiller), not at room temperature. Bacterial growth will occur very quickly at room temperature.
- Make sure all food that will be eaten is thoroughly heated
When heating food
- Food that has been heated must be eaten within 24 hours after being heated.
- Do not heat food that has been made more than once.
- Eat rice immediately after cooking. And avoid reheating cooked rice, as reported in The Association of UK Dietitians, there are spores from the bacteria Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis on rice that can cause disease.
Can this diet really prevent infection?
Based on current findings, indeed there is not enough research as evidence of a neutropenic diet effectively preventing infection from bacteria or viruses. However, some institutions such as the Cancer Oncology Nursing Society and Comprehensive Cancer Network adopt this diet as a recommendation.
Although there is not enough evidence that this diet can ward off infection, this diet can invite people to pay attention to the cleanliness of their food to avoid bacteria or viruses that easily infect the human body.
