Nutrition

A healthy balanced diet helps promote overall good health. Good nutrition is crucial in people with cystic fibrosis because there is a link between a healthy weight and adequate lung function. Their diet is generally high in calories, with adequate sodium and fat intake and vitamin supplements.

Vitamins

The intestines of people with cystic fibrosis often have difficulty absorbing fat. Consequently, many are likely to be deficient in vitamin A, D, E, and K since they need oil or fat to be absorbed by the body. To prevent these deficiencies, people with cystic fibrosis will need vitamin supplements.

Calories

People with cystic fibrosis deploy more effort due to difficult breathing and persistent cough. They also use more energy to fight lung infections. Moreover, many of them experience poor absorption of certain nutrients. For these reasons, patients should follow a high-calorie diet, which means eating foods high in calories, proteins, and fat.

Salt and water

When they sweat, people with cystic fibrosis lose more sodium than those who do not have this condition and have a higher risk of dehydration. These problems increase on hot and humid days or during intense exercise. It is recommended to drink lots of water and to carefully monitor sodium intake.

Calcium

For a development of healthy bones, adequate intake of protein, calories, phosphorus, vitamin D and calcium is necessary. Milk and dairy products are the best sources of calcium and vitamin D. A decrease in the calcium absorption may be linked to cystic fibrosis. Therefore, it is probably recommended to include these nutrients in the diet.