Diet for Giardia in children: allowed and prohibited foods

My dear readers, now you know what giardiasis is, what its symptoms are and how it can be treated with medications. We have already covered all these topics in earlier articles.

Today we will touch upon such an important question: what kind of nutrition should you have if Giardia is found in the body. You want to get rid of them, right? There is no doubt that the answer will be positive.

In this case, the correct diet for giardiasis must be drawn up, which will be strictly followed until the end of the course of treatment, which averages up to 3-4 months. Otherwise, there is no hope for the effectiveness of treatment for this disease.

Our readers write

I have felt very bad for the past few years.
Constant fatigue, insomnia, some kind of apathy, laziness, frequent headaches. I also had problems with digestion, and in the morning I had bad breath. All this began to accumulate and I realized that I was moving in some wrong direction. I began to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right, but this did not affect my well-being. The doctors couldn’t really say anything either. Everything seems to be normal, but I feel like my body is not healthy.

Then I went to an expensive clinic and had all the tests done, and in one of the tests I was found to have parasites. These were not ordinary worms, but a specific type, with which, according to doctors, almost everyone is infected, to a greater or lesser extent. It is almost impossible to remove them from the body. I took a course of antiparasitic medications that were prescribed to me at that clinic, but there was almost no result.

A couple of weeks later I came across an article on the Internet. This article literally changed my life. I did everything as it was written there and after just a few days, I felt significant improvements in my body. I began to get enough sleep much faster, and the energy that I had in my youth appeared. My head no longer hurts, my mind became clearer, my brain began to work much better. My digestion has improved, despite the fact that I now eat haphazardly. I took tests and made sure that no one else lives in me!

Anyone who wants to cleanse their body of parasites, no matter what types of these creatures live in you, read this article, I’m 100% sure it will help you!

  1. Corn silk porridge. 10 grams of stigmas are added to 200 ml of boiling water. The dish sits for several hours.
  2. Oatmeal with berries. Simmer regular oatmeal on the stove for a few minutes. Any 40-50 grams of melted berries (raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries or currants) are suitable as a dressing for the dish.

Beverages

Morse. The recipe for this drink is simple: the available berries are crushed and thrown into boiling water. Instead of sugar, it is recommended to put stevia in fruit drinks. The drink is boiled for 10-15 minutes, after which it must infuse. It is recommended to drink fruit drink chilled.

Another drink that will be delicious for your baby is lemonade. It is prepared according to the same principle as regular compote. For 1 liter of boiling water there is 1 lemon, cut into slices. You can also add mint and stevia. The drink is boiled for 10-12 minutes, after which it cools slowly.

Steamed cutlets

Veal is best suited for minced meat. You can also add turkey or chicken. As part of the diet, bread crumb should be replaced with 30-40 grams of oatmeal. Also add 1 chopped onion, 1 egg and salt (to taste) to the minced meat. Mix the resulting mass thoroughly and shape. This dish is prepared both on the stove (in a saucepan) and in a slow cooker.

Baked apples with cottage cheese

The apple is cut in half. Its middle is cut out, and low-fat cottage cheese is placed in its place. You can add cinnamon or stevia. This dish is baked on foil until cooked.

Steamed fish

Steamed fish is also important for the baby. The main thing is that it is not greasy. And for convenience, it is better to use only the sirloin part. If the fish is “white”, you can put it in a double boiler after soaking it in lemon juice. You can also sprinkle the fish with parsley or dill. This dish takes 30-40 minutes to prepare.

What does diet mean when infected with Giardia?

If your baby is still an infant, you should temporarily stop breastfeeding. In this case, it is better to switch to adapted nutritional mixtures. They will help restore intestinal function and strengthen the child’s immunity. In this case, doctors prescribe treatment immediately for both mother and baby.

If your baby develops a small-spotted rash on the skin due to giardiasis, you should think about a hypoallergenic diet. This reaction on the part of the body indicates maximum stress on the immune system. If you give your baby food with high allergenic properties, you can significantly aggravate the course of the disease and even make it chronic. Limit all brightly colored berries and fruits, favoring white or green plants. They have much less allergenic potential and practically do not cause allergic reactions.

Nutrition should be balanced in terms of daily calorie content and distribution of essential nutrients. 40-45% is allocated to proteins, 50% to carbohydrates, the rest to healthy fats. Among carbohydrates, 10% is the share of fast carbohydrates. This includes healthy “snacks” and dried fruits. Slow carbohydrates are found in all cereals and pasta.

Drink enough water and healthy drinks. These include all kinds of fruit drinks and compotes made from berries and dried fruits. You can make decoctions of herbs that have anti-inflammatory properties. Chamomile and lingonberries are perfect.

All cooked food must be well chopped and thermally processed. If your baby is prone to constipation, give preference to cereals and vegetables with a high fiber content. If your child has diarrhea for breakfast, you can prepare well-cooked rice porridge in water with blueberry juice. This will be a great start to the day and will help stop frequent bowel movements.

Avoid all foods that are fried or grilled. Do not allow your child to eat whole pieces of meat or poultry. This is too heavy food for a child's stomach.

Giardiasis: diet, menu

Giardia are parasites. And it is this type of protozoan that is most difficult to identify. The patient can live for years experiencing only mild discomfort, without any significant symptoms. But giardiasis, both in adults and children, is dangerous due to its consequences. Giardia destroys the mucous membrane of the small intestine. Therefore, diet for giardiasis is extremely important; it is the basis for the treatment of this type of helminthiasis.

It is worth considering that during dietary treatment, it is also necessary to avoid red vegetables and fruits, which can cause allergic reactions and intensify one of the above symptoms.

The disease giardiasis is caused by protozoan parasites that cause malfunction of the gallbladder and small intestine. Both adults and children can be susceptible to infection. Of course, it is impossible to destroy microorganisms without medical intervention, but by controlling the supply of various products, it is possible to reduce the environment for their development. Giardia loves carbohydrates.

Signs of the disease:

  • Frequent diarrhea
  • Dysbacteriosis
  • Nausea
  • Stomach ache
  • Diet is the key to recovery

As mentioned above, diet gives you half the result, the other half is drug treatment.

The principle of quick recovery is contained in several specific points that require impeccable implementation, the most important of which is consultation with a doctor.

Do not self-medicate, and especially do not treat children yourself, as they are more vulnerable to this disease and only they can be exposed to the most complex forms of its course.

The diet for giardiasis predetermines the fact that you undertake to give up any foods containing glucose - these are cakes, pastries, sweets and others.

Creating conditions under which Giardia cannot carry out its normal life cycle and reproduction is also important for a quick recovery. The main factor for creating such conditions is the acidic environment. Its organization is possible by consuming dairy and fermented milk products.

Diet for giardiasis in adults

What diet is recommended for adults? The differences from the children's diet for giardiasis are insignificant. The diet for giardiasis in adults involves avoiding alcohol and carbohydrate foods (baked goods, any confectionery, honey and dried fruits).

Glucose is the nutrient substance for the reproduction of Giardia. The diet for giardiasis in adults recommends “slow” carbohydrates - not sweet fruits, porridge - buckwheat or rice. Something that satisfies for a long time.

Adults are not recommended to indulge in raw vegetables to avoid flatulence.

Diet menu for giardiasis:

For breakfast, porridge (barley, buckwheat, corn, oatmeal, rice) cooked in water is recommended. Dried fruits compote.

  • Fresh or baked apples and cherries are perfect for second breakfast.
  • For lunch, a rich broth from turkey, duck, chicken, boiled turkey or steamed duck meat with oatmeal, currant or cranberry juice.
  • For an afternoon snack, low-fat cottage cheese and blueberry juice.
  • It’s best to have steamed cutlets, stewed carrots, fresh cheese and tea for dinner.
  • Sweet foods are completely excluded during the diet.

Baby food

The diet for giardiasis in children should not be difficult, since the list of permitted foods is quite large. In a child, giardiasis is often accompanied by severe allergic reactions in the form of urticaria and atopic dermatitis.

Therefore, the menu must be adjusted taking into account the clinic - hypoallergenic conditions are added to the previously described requirements.

If the child is breastfed or bottle-fed, then the amount of food must be reduced by 1/3 - milk or an adapted formula. Feeding should be dosed and carried out strictly according to schedule. If infection with parasites occurred from the mother, then the baby should be transferred to artificial nutrition. Then both mother and child are treated simultaneously.

The diet for the treatment of giardiasis in children lasts as long as recommended by the doctor. A sample menu for one day is as follows:

  1. For breakfast - porridge based on corn flour with the addition of pineapples or orange slices.
  2. For second breakfast – sugar-free cottage cheese casserole, fruit juice with cranberries.
  3. For lunch - tomato salad with a small amount of vegetable oil, vegetarian soup with buckwheat, lean steamed fish.
  4. As a snack – two baked apples.
  5. For dinner - boiled turkey breast, vegetable stew.
  6. Immediately before bed – 250 ml of low-fat kefir or homemade yogurt.

All permitted products help create a balanced menu for children. The diet helps to quickly cure the parasitic disease and normalizes the functioning of the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract.

In medicine, there have been cases where patients managed to get rid of Giardia only with dietary nutrition, but this is rare. Doctors try to combine antiparasitic drugs and diet to achieve a 100% cure. During therapy, it is recommended not to forget about sanitary and hygienic measures.

Diet for the treatment of giardiasis in children

Most often, it is not adults who suffer from parasitic diseases, but children. This is due to the specifics of their distribution. The main source of infection in most cases is dirty hands. A child forgot to wash them after playing in the sandbox and the chances of getting giardiasis become very high.

A feature of this disease is the difficulty of diagnosis. Because very often the disease occurs without obvious symptoms. And an infected person can live with Giardia without realizing it for several months or even years. However, at this time, parasites destroy the intestinal mucosa, which, without treatment, can lead to microflora disruption and other complications.

Recommended Products

A pediatrician should help create the correct menu for a child with giardiasis. He will offer the mother special recommendations that will help diversify the menu for the baby and speed up recovery.

Healthy foods:

  • All kinds of porridges from different grains, multi-grain porridges. Cereals contain a lot of healthy fiber, vegetable protein, as well as B vitamins and numerous microelements. This promotes healing and restoration of the damaged intestinal wall. During the acute period, it is better to boil porridge well. For babies in the first year of life, additionally grind food through a sieve.
  • Fruits and vegetables. Contain a large amount of fiber and vitamins. Vitamins help restore immune defenses, and fiber pulls harmful bacterial toxins and unnecessary ballast substances from the intestines.
  • Freshly prepared fermented milk products. Give preference to kefir, yogurt or cottage cheese.
  • Meat, poultry or lean fish. They are the basis of nutrition when prescribing a diet. It is better to cook dishes from minced meat (especially after the onset of the disease).

What can you eat

Half an hour before meals, it is recommended to eat or drink something sour. If the patient does not have problems with the kidneys or heart, it is advisable to drink two and a half liters of water daily.

ProductsCooking methodQuantity
Meat (beef, veal, chicken, turkey)Boiled/steamed, baked with vegetables, stewed, cutlets and meatballs. You cannot cook rich meat broths. 2 servings per day, 100-150 g
Sea and river fishBoiled/steamed, from the oven, stuffed, steam cutlets. It is not recommended to prepare fish broths. 2 servings per day
Dairy productsCottage cheese casserole, cottage cheese with sour cream or fruit, kefir, sour cream. Porridge with milk is prohibited. Daily up to 3 times a day. It is advisable to alternate products.
CerealsBuckwheat, rice, millet porridge, pearl barley as a side dish, in vegetable soups.Daily 150-180 g (raw)
VegetablesPotatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, boiled or stewed, in soups; fresh tomatoes, stewed, baked. 600 g per day
Fruits and berriesAny unsweetened or sour. Fresh, in the form of juices, compotes, in salads, cottage cheese desserts and casseroles, baked and ground into puree. Unlimited
Vegetable oils (corn, flaxseed, sesame)Dressings for salads, main courses, and also as part of sauces.50 g per day
ButterPreparing sandwiches and hot dishes.50 g per day


Complex carbohydrates should be present in the daily menu.
Patients often wonder how long they should stick to the diet when treating giardiasis? The duration of the special diet is determined by the attending physician, but on average the diet is followed for 3 to 4 months. Dishes are prepared steamed or boiled, stewed and baked. Meals should be frequent, at least 5 times a day, but divided into small portions.

Broths are prepared without richness (vegetable or chicken), and the use of fish soup and jellied meat must be avoided. It is not recommended to sweeten food with sugar; you can use a sweetener for this. When cooking, you should prefer vegetable oil. So, a diet for Giardia should include the use of the following products:

  1. Sour vegetables, fruits and berries containing pectin - substances that have a beneficial effect on the intestinal mucosa and remove toxins from the body. They can be consumed raw, as well as cooked into compote (without added sugar) or fruit juice. These include:
      apples of the “Renet Simirenko” variety;
  2. citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, tangerines);
  3. lingonberries, blackberries, strawberries and other sour berries;
  4. unsweetened pears;
  5. currant;
  6. viburnum;
  7. cherry;
  8. kiwi;
  9. tomatoes;
  10. cucumbers
  11. Porridges cooked in water: oatmeal, buckwheat, corn and others.
  12. Jacket potatoes or mashed potatoes in small quantities.
  13. Fermented milk products such as fermented baked milk, kefir, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese.
  14. Lean fish and meat, which can be simply boiled or cooked into meatballs and cutlets. Throughout the treatment of giardiasis with diet, you can eat:
  • hake;
  • cod;
  • pike perch;
  • chicken;
  • rabbit meat;
  • turkey;
  • beef;
  • veal

The diet should be accompanied by plenty of fluids, which helps to quickly remove toxins from the body. An adult who does not have cardiovascular or renal pathologies should drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day.

Prohibited

During the diet, the consumption of the following products is strictly prohibited:

  • Sugar in its pure form, as well as in any sweets and baked goods;
  • Sweet berries and fruits: figs, peaches, grapes, melons, sweet varieties of apples;
  • Milk, since it contains milk sugar;
  • Carbonated water, sweet juices and compotes;
  • Fried, fatty, spicy and any pickled foods;
  • Any semi-finished products, including sausages;
  • Products that irritate the mucous membrane - fresh onions and garlic, radishes;
  • You should avoid legumes.

Consumption of prohibited foods during treatment of giardiasis will lead to negative results of the entire therapy - the parasites will continue to multiply and grow. And this will lead to the fact that all treatment will have to start all over again.

Eat for your health

Despite the extensive list of prohibited foods, there are also many foods allowed for consumption. Thanks to this, you can feed your child not only healthy, but also tasty. During the diet the following are allowed:

  • Fresh, boiled, stewed or baked vegetables;
  • Sour fruits and berries: any citrus fruits, kiwi, sour apples, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, currants;
  • Cereals: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn;
  • Lean varieties of meat and fish;
  • Boiled or jacket potatoes (limit consumption);
  • Low-fat, unsweetened fermented milk products;
  • Large amounts of liquid throughout the day (including unsweetened compotes).

This diet is usually followed for 3-4 months. In this case, you should introduce fractional meals up to 5 times a day.

An approximate menu for giardiasis in children may look like this:

  1. Breakfast. Corn porridge with water and strawberries.
  2. Lunch. Unsweetened cottage cheese casserole, currant compote.
  3. Dinner. Vegetable broth soup, baked lean fish and fresh vegetable salad.
  4. Afternoon snack. A couple of baked apples.
  5. Dinner. Vegetable stew and boiled chicken breast.
  6. Before bedtime. A glass of low-fat kefir.

All permitted products allow you to create a balanced diet for a child, which will cure an unpleasant disease and normalize the functioning of the entire digestive system.

The diet also allows the child to feel comfortable throughout the treatment - he will not feel hungry, and thanks to the permitted fruits and berries, the consumption of which is practically unlimited, children will be able to satisfy their desire to eat something tasty.

Despite the fact that the diet for giardiasis is quite strict, the menu can be very varied and tasty.

Menu and recipes for children with giardiasis

If you have Giardia, it is advisable to eat small portions of food. It should be varied.

We offer an approximate diet for giardiasis in children - a menu for the day.

  1. Breakfast: 20 minutes before meals, drink a small glass of kefir. Rice porridge with water, you can chop dried apricots and some apples. 50 g low-fat cottage cheese with sour cream, tea with lemon.
  2. Second breakfast: kiwi and tangerine.
  3. Lunch: cucumber and tomato salad. Light soup made with chicken broth, with the addition of carrots and rice. Steam cutlet with mashed potatoes, dried fruit compote without sugar.
  4. Afternoon snack: baked apple, kefir.
  5. Dinner: baked pink salmon with vegetables, apple.
  6. Before bed: natural yogurt without sugar.

Recipes for dietary dishes are easy to prepare; the main thing is not to use foods that are considered prohibited.


Tender cutlets

To prepare tender cutlets, you will need to mince any lean meat or fish twice. Onions that were previously soaked for several minutes in boiling water to remove the sharpness. Add butter to the minced meat and lightly salt it. Form cutlets and roll in breadcrumbs.

Place baking paper or foil on a baking sheet, lightly coat it with vegetable oil, and pour in a little water. Then the cutlets are carefully laid out and placed for baking in the oven at a temperature of 180-200 °C. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until done.

Baked chicken with potatoes

To prepare this dish you will need lean parts of chicken meat - breast, wings, drumsticks. If possible, skin and fat are removed. Chicken pieces need to be slightly salted and sprinkled with vegetable oil for juiciness.

Peel the potatoes, chop them into cubes, add salt and also pour a little vegetable oil over them. To make it look more appetizing, you can grate carrots on a medium grater and mix everything. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour in half a glass of water. Place the bird around the edges, put the potatoes in the middle and put in the oven. Bake for about 45-60 minutes.


Baked apples

For giardiasis, it is recommended to eat baked apples. For this, sour varieties are taken - for example, Antonovka. The middle is cut out and filled with a filling made from a mixture of low-fat cottage cheese, sweetener, and cinnamon. Baked until done.

If a child is diagnosed with giardiasis, do not immediately panic, because these parasites can be gotten rid of. Therapy includes not only drug treatment, but also a strict dietary regimen. When preparing food, be sure to follow all doctor's recommendations.

List of prohibited and required products

When a child is prescribed a diet, it is necessary to know what foods are excluded from the diet. These include:

  • various sweets. This includes cakes, pastries, sweets and cookies;
  • bakery products made from first grade flour;
  • pasta made from premium flour;
  • spicy, pickled and smoked products;
  • sausages, frankfurters, small sausages;
  • onions, garlic, radish, raw horseradish;
  • fruit and berry products that contain a lot of sugar. These include grapes, bananas and melon;
  • mushrooms in any form;
  • soda;
  • semi-finished products.

In this case, the diet needs to be varied:

  • sour and sweet and sour berries and fruits. These include kiwis, oranges, tangerines and green apples;
  • vegetables, raw or stewed;
  • porridges cooked in water;
  • fermented milk products in the form of kefir and low-fat cottage cheese.

Diet for giardiasis in children The menu can be designed in such a way that the products do not cause an allergic reaction. This rule should be taken into account when choosing citrus fruits or berries.

Also, various sauces, ketchups and mayonnaise should be excluded from the diet. It is better to replace all this with sour cream or vegetable oil.

Children's diets should be free of animal fats. Children should not be given pork or lamb meat, or lard. An excellent option for a side dish would be white meat chicken, boiled beef, turkey or rabbit.

In the summer, it is worth paying attention to fresh vegetables and fruits. There should be tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and apples on the table. You can use sauerkraut or mashed potatoes as a side dish for meat.

Fish days should be organized once or twice a week. You can serve fish cutlets or boiled or stewed fish. Lack of salted fish. Children aged one to ten years should eat pollock and flounder.

Recipes for children with giardiasis

The table contains recipes for simple dishes:

Name of the dishIngredientsCooking method
Vegetable stewPotatoes - 3 pcs., carrots, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper - 1 pc. each, olive oil, herbs, salt.Peel the potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes and chop them into cubes, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, and chop the pepper into long strips. Pour oil into the frying pan, and when it warms up, put in the potatoes, after 10 minutes - the carrots, add a little water and simmer for 5 minutes. Just before it's ready, add the zucchini and pepper. When serving, add tomatoes and chop the greens.
Cream soup with turkeyTurkey fillet - 500 g, yogurt - 1 tbsp, breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp, vegetable oil.Boil the fillet, remove from the broth and pass through a meat grinder. Pour in a couple of tablespoons of broth so that the minced meat becomes liquid. Mix bread crumbs with 4 tbsp. broth, add oil and cook for about 30 minutes. Add meat and boil again. Before serving, add yogurt.
Fish and beansFish fillet - 200 g, beans - 1 tbsp., carrots - 3 pcs., olive oil, lemon juice.Steam the fish. Boil the beans. Grate the boiled carrots. Cut the fish fillets into large pieces, add the remaining ingredients, sprinkle with oil and lemon juice.
Meat saladPoultry fillet - 300 g, cucumbers - 2 pcs., potatoes - 2-3 pcs., sour apple - 1 pc., lemon juice.Boil the chicken and potatoes, cool and cut into cubes. Peel the cucumbers and apples and finely grate them. Mix the ingredients, sprinkle with lemon juice.
Homemade lemonadeLemon - 2 pcs., water - 2 l, sweetener, mint.Pour boiling water over the lemons, remove the zest using a fine grater, and squeeze out the juice. Boil water, add sweetener and zest. Remove from heat, cool, add lemon juice and strain. Pour into bottles and put a mint leaf in each.

If desired, the child’s diet can be varied and very tasty. The dishes are simple, they are not difficult to prepare, the main thing is to make sure that they do not contain prohibited products.

The danger of giardiasis for a child’s body

Giardia affects the intestines regardless of age, but infection is more common in children. The danger of the disease lies in its asymptomatic course. After entering the child’s body, the parasite begins to multiply, which leads to the destruction of the intestinal microflora, the appearance of anemia and disruption of the normal functioning of the entire body.

In addition, there is another danger - the release of toxins that reduce immunity, which, in turn, leads to frequent colds, allergies, asthma, etc. The life of Giardia in the body lasts several periods, the cycle is several years.

Infection with parasites occurs in several ways: failure to comply with hygiene rules (using a shared towel, through dishes), drinking poor-quality water, while swimming in fresh water, and becoming infected with Giardia through food.

Main symptoms of the disease:

  • disruption of the gastrointestinal tract,
  • temperature (37.5),
  • grinding teeth,
  • coughing,
  • enlarged lymph nodes,
  • nausea,
  • vomit,
  • weight loss,
  • rash and itching.

A parasitic disorder has dangerous consequences, and when the first signs of Giardia are detected in a child’s body, complex therapy is necessary. The diagnosis is established after tests: blood sampling, stool examination. If the child is over 10 years old, bile is collected.

Therapy for parasitic disorder is complex. Treatment of giardiasis infection in children begins with diet. In addition, the attending physician prescribes antiparasitic and choleretic medications.

Medical diseases - giardiasis

Giardiasis is a widespread disease that develops as a result of damage to the small intestine and liver.

The causative agents of giardiasis are Giardia - parasites that enter the human body in various ways and actively multiply in the small or large intestine. Giardiasis has both mild and severe forms.

In some cases, Giardia carriers do not get sick themselves, but can infect others, since their body serves as a safe container for pathogens.

How does Giardia enter the human body?

As a rule, giardiasis in children and adults occurs after contact with a sick person, however, scientists have found that rodents, dogs and cats can also act as carriers of parasites. In addition, Giardia is often found in polluted water bodies and even chlorinated tap water. In order for giardiasis to begin to develop, a person only needs to ingest 10 parasite cysts and have a low level of gastric acidity.

Ways of Giardia to enter the body:

  • waterborne – you can become infected by drinking insufficiently purified tap water or water from open reservoirs;
  • contact-household - pathogens accumulate on the surface of household items: toys, dishes, linen, clothes;
  • food – sources of infection are a variety of food products. Giardiasis is especially often detected after eating food that has not undergone heat treatment: vegetables, fruits, berries.

Acute giardiasis in adults and children

Most often, this form of the disease occurs in young children and people with weakened immune systems.

In the acute course of giardiasis, it is accompanied by pronounced diarrhea syndrome, lesions of the small intestine and an increase in body temperature.

Timely, adequate treatment of giardiasis in children leads to complete recovery of the patient 5-7 days after the appearance of the first clinical symptoms.

Chronic giardiasis - symptoms and clinical picture

The advanced form of giardiasis is found mainly in adults and school-age children. It is characterized by a relapsing course. In the acute period, patients suffer from:

  • general fatigue;
  • decreased appetite;
  • headaches;
  • irritability;
  • sleep disorders;
  • dizziness;
  • bloating, flatulence;
  • regular diarrhea or constipation;
  • anemia.

In addition, giardiasis in adults is manifested by liver enlargement, intestinal dysbiosis and abdominal pain upon palpation in the right hypochondrium. There are symptoms of giardiasis on the skin: pale skin, uneven coloring, dryness, atopic dermatitis, lesions of the lip border.

Giardiasis in children - features of the course of the disease in childhood

Experts say that giardiasis is currently diagnosed in one out of three hundred children.

The risk of infection is significantly reduced by maintaining the child’s personal hygiene, however, even regular washing of toys and heat treatment of food will not protect the baby 100%. The reason is the high survival rate of pathogens.

In addition, treatment of giardiasis in children may be required after the child goes to kindergarten and school , where the risk of contracting the infection increases significantly.

We also note that there is a certain problem with early diagnosis of giardiasis. The fact is that giardiasis, the symptoms of which are similar to many other intestinal infections, often cannot be detected during general clinical studies.

As a result, the treatment is carried out incorrectly, and the child continues to experience severe pain and other unpleasant manifestations of giardiasis.

The most accurate information about the presence or absence of giardiasis is provided by stool analysis, since pathogens are excreted from the body through fecal matter.

Several rules that must be followed if you suspect giardiasis: treatment can only be prescribed by an experienced doctor , the patient must be isolated from other children, during the treatment process you must follow a strict diet, herbs and other traditional medicine are used as an additional remedy, and in no case do not replace traditional medications.

Giardiasis - treatment in children and adults

A few words about the technologies and drugs used. At the moment, in the treatment of giardiasis in clinics, so-called anti-parasitic devices are widely used. They are very effective against adult individuals, but practically do not affect the larvae and small Giardia, so treatment of giardiasis should be combined with the use of specialized drugs: trichopolum, tinidazole, furazolidone. Enterosorbents are also of great importance, they remove toxins from the body that arise during the life of pathogens. The following enterosorbents are recommended for children: lactofiltrum, activated carbon, smecta, enterodes.

In recent years, along with traditional methods, doctors have also used some innovative developments in the treatment of giardiasis. The best prospects have been shown by benzimidazole tubulin inhibitors , which are safer than drugs from the metronidazole group and have less pronounced side effects.

In most cases, with a timely diagnosis, giardiasis is completely cured within 7-8 days. Advanced forms of giardiasis require longer treatment with mandatory monitoring of the effectiveness of each stage.

Diet for giardiasis

As mentioned above, treatment of giardiasis in adults and children requires mandatory adherence to a diet. Patients should avoid eating foods rich in simple carbohydrates, as they create excellent conditions for the proliferation of parasites.

The following are subject to a partial or complete ban: milk, sausages, pasta, sweets, bread and other flour products. To prepare porridge, you can use rice and buckwheat, and replace milk with yogurt or kefir. Various fruit drinks will also be very useful.

The ban does not apply to vegetables and fruits.

Note that the diet for giardiasis is not only the correct composition of food products, but also their correct preparation . All products and dishes are subject to mandatory heat treatment; vegetables and fruits are washed with warm water.

Giardiasis - traditional treatment

We bring to your attention several common recipes for traditional treatment of giardiasis that help remove giardia from the body:

  • 100 ml of beet juice are mixed in equal proportions with carrot juice, cognac and honey. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and taken three times a day half an hour before meals;
  • prepare a decoction of burnet (6 grams of herb per glass of water, boil for 10 minutes), which is taken once a day before meals. Dosage – 100 ml;
  • Take green walnuts, cut them into several pieces and pour in 1 liter of vodka. The tincture reaches its condition in a dry, dark place within two weeks. The medicine is taken three times a day, one teaspoon.

What foods to exclude from the menu for successful treatment

  • For a speedy recovery from giardiasis, you should completely avoid canned and pickled foods. Spicy and sour foods contribute to additional trauma to the inflamed intestinal wall.
  • Industrially prepared foods, fast food and fried foods are also prohibited. Such food not only contributes to the progression of the disease, but also has a damaging effect on the liver. The function of the liver to neutralize bacterial toxins is reduced. This leads to an increase in symptoms of intoxication.
  • All hot herbs and spices should be excluded. Onions, garlic, radishes - all this is contraindicated during giardiasis infection. Only a little salt can be added to dishes. For sweet ones - sugar, a little vanilla and cinnamon. You can add 1 bay leaf or fresh herbs to soups. Black pepper in any form is prohibited.

Prescribing a diet in the treatment of giardiasis is a very important factor. If you follow all the rules of therapeutic nutrition and eat only approved foods, the damaged intestines are quickly restored and the symptoms of infection are eliminated.

Principles of nutrition for giardiasis

When giardiasis is detected, antiparasitic diseases are prescribed, but the doctor always takes into account that without specially selected nutrition it is quite difficult to cope with the protozoa. Therefore, the patient should be explained the nuances of diet therapy and the general timing of its compliance.

The diet for the treatment of parasitosis should begin to be followed immediately after the diagnosis is made and until the functioning of the intestines, all digestive organs and other important body systems is restored. The basic nutritional rules that are recommended to be observed for giardiasis include:

  • Minimizing the amount of carbohydrates in the menu. It is easily digestible carbohydrates that are the ideal nutrient medium for Giardia, ensuring their growth and reproduction.
  • Avoiding foods that irritate the walls of the stomach and intestines. Giardia injures the mucous layer of the digestive organs, which leads to inflammatory processes and dysbacteriosis.
  • Eating more acidic foods. An acidic environment inhibits the reproduction of protozoa and has a detrimental effect on them. Acidified dishes should be on the table every day, the child should be given unsweetened compotes, tea with lemon and mint, unsweetened yogurt, kefir.
  • Fractional meals. The menu should be designed in such a way that there should be at least 5 main meals.
  • All dishes should be steamed, stewed with a minimum amount of vegetable oil, or boiled. During the treatment period, fried foods are completely excluded.
  • Food should be varied. Parents should remember that prolonged giardiasis leads to a lack of essential microelements and therefore the food offered to the child must compensate for these losses.


You should try to stick to the diet for at least three months, and strict adherence to nutritional rules is considered a mandatory condition for completely getting rid of Giardia. Therefore, not only the mother, but also all relatives should monitor compliance with diet therapy; teachers and educators should also be aware of this. Properly selected recipes and the strict exclusion of prohibited foods lead not only to the death of protozoa, but also help restore normal microflora and normalize the functioning of the digestive organs. Also, during treatment and naturally after it, parents should monitor how the child maintains personal hygiene. The child must clearly understand that after visiting the toilet, going outside, or playing with animals, he must wash his hands with soap. The child should always eat only washed vegetables, processed berries and fruits. Giardiasis is a disease that can recur many times, and if you do not monitor the cleanliness of your body and the food you eat, the disease will appear again and again.

Diet for giardiasis in children: menu, how long to keep, recipes

Giardiasis belongs to a group of diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. It is caused by the protozoan Giardia. Children under 4 years of age are most susceptible to it. A child at this age most actively explores the world around him and neglects the rules of personal hygiene. All this leads to infection with protozoa.

Diet for giardiasis in children is an important part of treatment

How should a child eat with giardiasis?

The main thing in proper nutrition for giardiasis is the heat treatment of all products and the child’s observance of personal hygiene rules. Otherwise, treatment and especially diet may be ineffective and a relapse of the disease will soon occur.

Diet alone will not be enough. It is important to start taking antiprotozoal medications right away. The medication regimen is selected by the doctor.

You need to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. This eating regimen is recommended not for a week, but until complete recovery.

Giardia affects the small intestine, and a large meal will lead to even greater digestive disturbances and deterioration of well-being. Food should be easily digestible and not irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive canal. 14–21 days – this is approximately how long you should keep your child on a diet. Your doctor will give you precise recommendations.

Products that are best suited for creating a menu during illness:

  • Fermented milk products. Kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk - they are all easily digestible, contain beneficial bacteria and reduce irritation of the intestinal mucosa.
  • Eggs, fish and lean meats contain the required amount of protein. The latter is required by the child’s body to maintain strength.
  • Porridge. Oatmeal, cooked in a jelly-like consistency, is especially useful. It will coat the walls of the digestive tract and reduce irritation. Porridges contain carbohydrates, microelements and vitamins.
  • Baked vegetables and fruits. Thanks to heat treatment, they are easier to digest. They are sources of useful substances. For constipation, they can stimulate bowel movements.

This diet will contribute to more effective treatment of giardiasis.

Disease prevention and prognosis

The main point in preventing the development of giardiasis is teaching the child the rules of personal hygiene. He must wash his hands when coming from the street, before eating and after using the toilet. Parents should wean their children from the habit of biting nails, pens and pencils, and putting toys in their mouths.

The diet menu should remain the same until complete recovery, which is confirmed by laboratory testing.

In the absence of complications and timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable. The disease goes away without a trace. If hygiene rules are not followed, re-infection is possible. Giardia can survive in the environment for up to 3 weeks. After recovery, the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned.

Giardiasis is one of the diseases of “unwashed hands”. Children become infected with it due to violation of hygiene rules. Diet for giardiasis in children is an important part of therapy. Nutrition during the development of giardiasis should be light. Preference should be given to foods rich in protein, vitamins and microelements. You can choose your own recipes.

Junk food

We will present undesirable types of products as a list. Their consumption negatively affects digestion, causing bloating. Giardia with such a diet feels excellent and multiplies at tremendous speed.

Prohibited types of food:

  • Foods containing lactose: milk, ice cream, processed and hard cheese, condensed milk, milk-based cereals (exception: fermented milk foods);
  • Smoked meats, canned meat, fish, sausages, mayonnaise;
  • Sunflower seeds, nuts;
  • Sugar-containing carbonated drinks: cola, lemonade, Fanta;
  • Flour products made from white flour: bread, noodles, vermicelli;
  • Drinks containing alcohol;
  • Sweets: candies, cookies, pastries, cakes;
  • Kissels (contain a lot of sugar and starch).

The list is not complete, it gives a general idea of ​​the recommendations for contraindications in food, so as not to cause an exacerbation of the pathological process. The products listed are based on carbohydrates - the food preference of parasitic microorganisms. When you exclude them from the menu, recovery goes faster.

The consumption of refractory fats is highly discouraged: lard, margarine, fatty meats. Giardia prefers them along with carbohydrate foods. It is necessary to reduce the intake of legumes - peas, beans, peanuts. Eggs are allowed to be eaten one per day.

You should be careful with smoked products and mushrooms. The habit of eating fast food is undesirable

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