Diet for Muscular Dystrophy

Overview

Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive damage to your breathing, limb, facial and heart muscles. This damage diminishes your muscle tissue and leads to baldness, respiratory problems, difficulty standing and moving, heart abnormalities and intellectual impairment. Treatment aims at delaying its progression and enhancing your emotional and physical well-being. Although nutritional measures are not known to help treat muscular dystrophy, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a healthy diet is vital to overall wellness.

 

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are prime sources of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, which support your body's ability fend off and heal from infections, viruses and injuries. Emphasizing antioxidant-rich foods, such as cherries, blueberries, tomatoes and kale, may make muscular dystrophy symptoms more manageable, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Other antioxidant-rich varieties include citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, carrots, spinach, bell peppers and sweet potatoes.

 

Protein

Protein provides amino acids -- the building blocks of lean tissue. Consuming too little protein can trigger muscle loss and reduce muscle function, according to Dr. Marilyn C. Crim, a physician and nutrition scientist at the Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Choose lean protein sources most often, which are less likely to contribute to inflammation. Valuable options include fish, skinless white-meat poultry, low-fat dairy products, tofu, egg whites and lean red meat.

 

Healthy Fats

Fats play an important role in brain function. They also supply your muscles with energy during low to moderate-intensity activity and help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamins K, A and E. The UMMC recommends that people with muscular dystrophy emphasize healthy fat sources, such as vegetable and olive oils, and limit or avoid unhealthy trans-fats, which are prevalent in margarine and commercially prepared cakes, cookies, french fries, onion rings and doughnuts. Because fat sources are dense in calories, they may also help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Additional nutritious sources include nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados and fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel.

 

Whole Grains

Starches, such as breads, rice and cereal, provide glucose -- your body's main dietary source of energy. Because whole grains contain all nutritious parts of the grain, they provide more protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than refined grains, such as white flour. The UMMC recommends limiting refined foods and wheat products, if you have an allergy, for improved muscular dystrophy symptoms. Nutritious whole-grain foods include oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, air-popped popcorn and 100 percent whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta. If you do not tolerate wheat, choose gluten-free rice, corn and oat-based starches; gluten is a protein in wheat.