PT Health Life – Nutrition plays an important role before, during and after cancer treatment. Nourishing the body with the right foods will provide the strength needed and help people with cancer feel better. Some notes on the diet of cancer patients.
1. Benefits of good nutrition
Cancer and its treatment will affect how the body tolerates and absorbs certain foods and nutrients.
PhD.BS. Pham Thi Viet Huong, oncology specialist, Vinmec International Hospital said: Adequate nutrition when treating cancer will bring benefits such as maintaining health to pursue treatment, limiting toxicity and side effects of chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy, quickly heal surgical wounds, quickly restore health after surgery, and improve the patient’s mood.
Cancer patients need to provide enough nutrients.
Specifically, a healthy diet brings important benefits to cancer patients such as:
- The patient feels better.
- Provides necessary resistance and energy.
- Helps maintain body weight to store nutrients.
- Allows the body to better tolerate the side effects of treatment.
- Reduces the risk of infection (helps maintain immunity).
- Heal and recover faster.
Eating healthy means adding adequate nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins , vitamins, minerals and mainly water to the diet. The important thing for patients to remember is that they eat for their health, not to fill their stomach.
2. Some important nutritional factors in the diet for people with cancer
Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (Hanoi Medical University) said: Each patient has a different physical condition, the body’s process of absorbing nutrients or consuming energy is also different, especially is with cancer, so cancer patients should see their treating doctor or nutritionist to establish a suitable and effective diet for themselves.
The diet of cancer patients or any other case needs to ensure balance and completeness of nutrient groups.
| Nutrients | Meaning of nutrients | Food sources |
| 1. Proteins | Protein is essential for the development, repair and maintenance of the body’s immune system. After cancer treatment, whether surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, extra protein is needed to help the body heal and fight infection. | Fish, poultry, meat, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts, lentils and soy foods… |
| 2. Healthy fats | Although healthy fats are only a small part of the food pyramid, they play an important role in nutrition. Fat is a very rich source of energy. The body will break down fat to store energy, retain body heat and transport some vitamins… | Vegetable oil, peanut oil, corn, flaxseed, milk, cheese, butter… |
| 3.Carbohydrates | Carbohydrates are fuel for the body. They are the most essential source of energy. It not only helps with physical activity but also helps organs function normally. | Fruits, vegetables and grains, bread, potatoes, cereals, corn, beans like peas… |
| 4. Water | Water is important for cell function. The body may lose a lot of fluid during cancer treatment from vomiting or diarrhea and become dehydrated (not enough fluid in the body). If water is out of balance in the body, other minerals and vitamins are also dangerously out of balance. In addition to water in food, at least another 2-3 liters must be consumed per day. | |
| 5. Vitamin and mineral supplements | Although needed in small amounts, vitamins and minerals are essential for the body’s normal functioning. Most vitamins and minerals are found naturally in foods, however, they are also available as supplements and syrups. During treatment, your doctor may prescribe additional vitamins if your diet does not help strengthen your immune system. |
3. Tips for switching to a healthy diet
Cancer and cancer treatments can affect the patient’s eating habits such as loss of appetite, changes in taste or smell, nausea, and vomiting. Stress, anxiety, other medications and treatments such as radiotherapy can cause temporary loss of taste, while chemotherapy can make foods taste different…
So if you experience nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, notify your doctor at the first symptom of nausea as antiemetics may be suitable.
Colorful fruits are beneficial for health.
Note about diet
Prof.Dr. Le Thi Huong said that nutrition plays an important role in caring for people with cancer. Patients undergoing treatment do not need to strictly abstain but should note a few things below:
- Eat less but have enough nutrition, energy and protein.
- Add more nutritious products (nutritional milk).
- Control the amount of food the patient eats.
- You should drink water 30 minutes before or after meals. Avoid drinking water while eating as this can reduce appetite.
- Do not eat sugary foods, soft drinks, or fatty foods.
- Frequently change the way of processing and color of food to increase appeal. Avoid smelling food while preparing it.
- Keep your teeth and mouth clean.
- If you cannot eat regular food, switch to a small, soft, pureed diet (porridge, soup…)
- When the patient cannot eat or the usual diet does not ensure adequate nutrition, there must be alternative feeding or nutritional support methods.
Refer to a healthy diet
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, prioritizing a rainbow diet (combining fruits and vegetables of many different colors) daily or weekly.
- Snack on healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds. Changing up your snacks is a simple way to work towards healthy eating.
- Reduce your intake of red and processed meat by choosing fish, seafood or poultry; Limit your intake of red meat more often. There are many great plant-based protein options like eating beans, lentils, peas and tofu a few times per week.
- Choose whole grains or other pure carbohydrates instead of processed carbohydrates in meals. Try spaghetti squash or vegetarian noodles instead of pasta. Switch to brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice.
- Eat salads, adding nuts, seeds or beans as protein sources; Eat fruit for dessert.
