Diet & Exercise

The main recommendation for all children and adults with Barth Syndrome is having a healthy and balanced diet, as is advised for most people. A balanced diet means to include in your daily diet all the different macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat), in appropriate amounts for supporting your energy levels and growth. At the same time, you should also include in your diet a wide variety of foods that will help you to get all the essential micronutrients, meaning the vitamins and minerals that you need.

Try to eat (every day):

Carbohydrates (found in bread, potatoes, rice and pasta). Choose wholegrain when possible. This type of food will give you energy, therefore it is important to include a source in each one of your main meals.
Protein (Found both in animal and plant-based sources: meat, poultry, fish and eggs or pulses (e.g. lentils) and nuts/nut butters). Include one of these foods at each meal. These foods help build your muscles and support your growth.
Dairy (milk, yoghurt and cheese). These foods make great snacks as they contain energy, protein and calcium to help in building strong bones and teeth. Choose the appropriate fat content in dairy products, depending on your energy needs. If you are trying to gain weight, go for the full fat products, but if you are trying to limit your calorie intake, the semi-skimmed or low-fat products are more suitable. For general population and children over the age of 5 years old, semi-skimmed products are the ones commonly used.
Fruit and vegetables. You should try and eat five portions of them every day. Try to vary the fruit and vegetables that you eat as much as possible - different types, colours, raw or cooked are all good. These are healthy snacks, too.

Try to avoid foods and drinks high in sugar that are not particularly nutritious (like fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate and gummy sweets) for you, as they might make you full and not actually provide you with lots of nutrients.

On some occasions, you might also require supplementation with specific nutrients or vitamins, or you might need an oral nutritional supplement for extra energy, but this is discussed individually, depending on your needs.

Exercise

Exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important with Barth Syndrome, as it helps support your heart function and maintain your strength. In particular, gentle aerobic exercise and light resistance training is recommended. The Barth team can give information around what exercise is safe to do and how to manage this within your day.