What should be a cancer patient's DIET?

 

A cancer patient is usually found to be lacking in nutrients without realising that good nutrition is crucial to keep the body going. In designing an appropriate diet for both the illness and its treatments, place consideration on food tolerance and usage of nutrients. Studies showed that with right mix of foods, many cancer patients can achieve desirable results to suffer lesser or even recover gradually.

At different stage and type of cancer, the requirement of nutrients varies for individuals. However, it is found that in all cases, eating well during treatment is important to -

+ Feel better
+ Keep up the strength and energy level
+ Maintain the weight and body’s reserve of essential nutrients
+ Better tolerate treatment-related side effects to lower the risk of infection
+ Heal and recover faster

Diet to consider

(1)  If a cancer patient is at the terminal stage with days numbered, eating wisely is no longer relevant.

(2)  As for patients in the early stages, it is advisable to reduce the intake of unhealthy foods such as junk foods, processed refined foods, saturated fats, salt, sugar or white flour. Also leave out acidic foods such as animal meat, dairy products, alcohol and caffeine till much improvement is seen.

The top cancer-causing foods to avoid-

*  Hot dogs. As they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you cannot live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate. 

*  Equally high in the same sodium nitrates found in bacon and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.
 
*  Both doughnuts and french fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures produces cancer-causing acrylamides.   

*  Chips, crackers and cookies are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

A healthy diet incorporates a variety of foods to avail the body a wide array of nutrients much needed to combat cancer. It should comprise protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins and minerals.

Proteins

Body cells are made of amino acids, derived from protein. Thus, protein is essential for growth, to repair tissue and keep our immune system healthy. Without sufficient protein, the muscles are broken down to provide the fuel energy. This delays the recovery process and increases the vulnerability to infection. As such, cancer patients need more protein than normal, especially after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Good protein can be derived from fish, poultry, lean red meat, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts, dried beans, peas lentils and soy foods. Incidentally, many types of nuts, beans and meat contain an important anti-cancer mineral -selenium.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are energy giver needed for physical activity and proper bodily functioning.

Good sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables and whole grains which incidentally supply plenty of vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytonutrients required at the cellular level.

Fats

Do not ignore fats as it plays an important role in nutrition too. Fats and oils are made of fatty acids that provide energy to the body. In fact, the body breaks down fats and uses it to store energy, insulate body tissues and transport some types of vitamins through the blood.

Not all fats are equal. Good ones such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have positive effects on the heart and cholesterol level whilst saturated fats and trans-fats are considered bad. Monounsaturated fats are found mainly in vegetable oils including olive, canola and peanut oils. Polyunsaturated fats are found mainly in seafood and vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn and flaxseed.

(However, note that high consumption of polyunsaturated fats causes low cholesterol levels, leading to an increased risk of dying from cancer)

Water

Water is necessary for normal body functioning, particularly the heart and digestive system. It also provides moisture to our lung tissue to facilitate oxygen intake and carbon dioxide excretion. Thus it plays a crucial role in helping the body to purge the excess metabolic waste so that our cells can be reactivated.

Pure fruit juices are preferred over bottled fruit juices that are loaded with fructose or sucrose to improve the taste, even though they may contain many nutrients. A sudden rush of sugar triggers the insulin response, making one tired as the extra calories are converted into fats if not expended.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals enable our bodies to work properly. The critical biochemical functions performed by them are found to take place on a molecular versus a cellular level. Vitamins are organic substances made by plants or animals whereas minerals are inorganic elements extract from the soil and water, and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals.

Look for those brightly colored fruits and vegetables loaded with phytochemicals. They may act as antioxidants (nutrient protectors) or prevent carcinogens (cancer causing agents) from forming.

The powerful antioxidants include Vitamin A, C, E, beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein. Minerals such as selenium and germanium are clinically tested to handle cancer well. Onions, pearl barley, ginger and garlic are known to contain such anti-cancer properties.

 

Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach. Also add on yellow and deep-orange vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, squash and yam. As for fruits, apples, berries, Brazil nuts, cherries, grapes, oranges and plum are good choices.

 

Methods of preparation

 

+ Cooking should be done simply by steaming or little oil used.
+ Microwave ovens should be avoided due to the potential low-level radiation leakage.
+ The best method of eating is raw. For example cancer patients who used fresh raw cabbage and carrot juice reported excellent results.

Other comments

If we can keep our bodies healthy at all times and avoid cancer-causing agents, the chance of getting cancer is slim. For cancer patients, dietary wellness is imperative to maintain optimum health for the best fighting chance to successfully conquer cancer.