Nutrition and Diet

Nutrition and Dietetics

Biruni University Hospital Department of Nutrition and Dietetics offers quality and safe nutrition and diet services tailored to your personal characteristics to protect health, support the healing process during illness, and create awareness of healthy nutrition in society. Our department provides a comprehensive approach to help individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and achieve long-term health goals.

Our dietitians closely follow the latest scientific developments in nutrition, educate our patients accordingly, and guide them to make informed decisions about healthy nutrition.

Childhood Nutrition

Healthy, adequate, and balanced nutrition is especially important for children due to their rapid growth and development. Nutritional habits acquired during childhood often last a lifetime.

To support healthy growth and development, children need to consume adequate and balanced amounts of the following four main food groups:

• Milk Group: Milk, yogurt, cheese
• Meat Group: Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes
• Vegetable and Fruit Group: Fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits
• Grain Group: Bread, bulgur, pasta, rice

Adolescence Nutrition

Adolescence is a period of rapid physical, biochemical, spiritual, and social growth, typically between the ages of 12-18. During this phase, the need for energy and nutrients increases due to intense development.

For girls: Growth usually starts at ages 10-12.
For boys: Growth usually starts at ages 11-14.

Proper nutrition during this period ensures healthy growth and development. Diets should be adjusted by evaluating the height and body weight of adolescents according to their age.

Pregnancy Nutrition

The primary goal of nutrition during pregnancy is to meet the physiological needs of the mother and ensure the normal growth of the fetus. Inadequate and unbalanced nutrition during this period can result in:

• Low birth weight babies
• Brain development problems
• Adverse effects on maternal and infant health

Common deficiencies seen in pregnant women include:

• Iron Deficiency Anemia: Necessary for blood cell production
• Folic Acid Deficiency: Crucial for mental and physical development
• Iodine Deficiency: Affects brain and mental development
• Calcium Deficiency: Essential for bone development

A balanced diet during pregnancy is vital for both mother and baby.

Athlete Health and Nutrition

Healthy nutrition plays a critical role in enhancing athletic performance, concentration, and motivation. Proper nutrition minimizes the risk of illness and injury, shortens recovery times, and supports long-term health goals.

Benefits of a Balanced Diet for Athletes:

• Increases training effectiveness
• Enhances performance
• Reduces injury risks
• Provides vitality

Primary Immunodeficiency and Treatment

Patients with primary immune deficiency should be followed by specialized doctors. Treatment varies based on the specific type of immune deficiency.

Treatment Principles:

• Protection from infections
• Adherence to general hygiene rules
• Regulation of live vaccine applications

In severe cases, long-term antibiotic or antifungal therapy may be required.

IVIG Replacement Therapy

IVIG has been used to treat primary antibody deficiencies since 1981. It is administered intravenously every 3-4 weeks and contains a variety of antibodies obtained from donor plasma.

Effects of IVIG Therapy:

• Replaces missing antibodies
• Binds to microorganisms and helps immune cells clear them
• Reduces the frequency and severity of infections
• Prevents recurrent infections from causing organ damage

With IVIG therapy, the quality of life improves significantly, enabling patients to achieve their long-term health goals.