Post Vaccination Diet

Published May 10, 2024 | 10:27 AM
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Post Vaccination Diet

Don’t worry you don’t need to have a special diet for vaccination. but need to take healthy diet before and after vaccination. As we are all getting eligible to get covid vacccine, its time to focus on Post vaccination diet and healthy lifestyle, as covid cases are increasing day by day.. taking plenty of fluids is important staying adequately hydrated before and after getting the COVID vaccine is extremely important. "Not only does everything in the body work better in a well hydrated state, but some with needle phobia and fainting history will do a lot better if they show up hydrated," also encourages consumption of foods like fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups to boost the immune system. In general one should eat healthy food before and after vaccine to keep up our immunity strong. eating mostly whole foods like fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods will help your immune system work better in general because of less inflammation in the body. "A healthy diet that is maintained long-term can improve immune responsiveness and help us fight infections better. 

"There is no enough research to support that certain foods can make vaccine works more efficiently but after the vaccine we may have possible side effects like low grade fever body pains, chills, sore arm etc These mean your immune system is working, experts say so having soft food and hydration will help to recover faster and keeps you energetic."

How ever patients who are known diabetic and hypertension and with any co morbidites may have to check their blood sugar levels and blood pressure before going for vaccination and can follow the diet restrictions as per their disease conditions. Reach for whole foods and reduce consumption of processed foods all year round, not just when getting the vaccine. All processed foods like chips bakery food items and fast foods are uniquely inflammatory and should be avoided. Instead focus on whole foods like nuts, whole grains , whole legumes , fruit and vegetables, which are noninflammatory foods can also include turmeric ginger garlic etc .These foods are good to incorporate into your diet all the time. "There is currently no evidence that drinking alcohol will make COVID-19 vaccination less effective. There is also no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe for individuals who consume alcohol."According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) "Alcohol use can increase the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, which are sometimes associated with COVID-19. In general, drinking alcohol weakens your body's ability to fight infections, increasing the risk of complications and making it harder to get better if you are sick." Rest is of utmost importance, especially if you aren't feeling great after getting vaccinated. But if you're up for it, Get some form of exercise. During the pandemic many of us have decreased our activity and time for exercise. I want to remind everyone how important diet and exercise are during this time as well. With vaccination, please wear a mask but get outside when possible and move around and get some exercise. "Exercise is especially important now because it can reduce stress, prevent weight gain, boost the immune system, and improve sleep. Get a good night of sleep the night before your shot." Your body uses sleep to rebuild its defenses, and chronic sleep deprivation actually depresses your immune system." Eating a variety of anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts and seeds is always a good idea but isn't likely to boost the efficacy of the COVID vaccine or minimize your symptoms afterwards. The most important things to do are get a good night of sleep the night before your vaccine, avoid alcohol the day before and day of the vaccine, and stay hydrated.

Dr. Sujatha Stephen
Chief Dietitian
Yashoda Hospitals