Neutropenic Diet
April 5, 2011 by admin2
Filed under Healthy Diet Naturally
I. What is it?
Neutropenic diet also known as low bacteria diet is a kind of diet that generally avoids foods that may contain bacteria and other harmful microorganism. These germs are usually found at home and may get contact to the food during preparation. With this, diet, one should choose foods with low levels of bacteria. In addition, foods must be cooked and prepared well to keep bacteria level low.
This diet aims to free people with infections caused by bacteria in the food. In other cases, this neutropenic diet is recommended while patients are having treatments like cancer and organ transplants where the body’s immune system is at its weakest in protecting the body from infections.
II. Why this diet?
Having a weak immune system will increase one’s risk of developing infections and becoming ill due to food causes. Basically, this neutropenic diet is recommended to people before and after cancer treatments. This diet will help one avoid possible infections caused by food and other environmental factors.
III. The basics
Raw foods or even fresh foods have their own share of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. In some food preparation, bacteria may be able to get contact with the food. But, cooking the food well may help ruin bacteria that were once in the food. For instance some vegetables need to be cooked until it becomes tender so as with meats and other foods that needs cooking.
Other food types are prepared in other ways. For example, some milk is processed through pasteurization. This method exposes food to a certain heat then kills bacteria without cooking. With this, one should be wary of pasteurized products for consumption.
IV. Other considerations
Below is some guidelines to follow in a neutropenic diet:
When preparing foods, one should remember to keep hands clean before getting contact to the food. In cooking, thoroughly cook foods and maintain hotness until eaten. In addition, bread with yeast ingredient should be avoided. When storing and handling foods, keep foods refrigerated below 40 degrees temperature. When left over are there, refrigerate it promptly. Also, keep some foods to be refrigerated, most especially when it is opened already, to keep freshness.
V. What Now?
To keep one healthy, keep foods clean as well during preparation and cooking. Always store food in the right place and be mindful of its expiration date. This will help one determine how fresh a food is.
