MEDICAL BLOGS:DIET FOR CANCER PATIENTS (Part - 2)

Cancer treatment cause side-effects like nausea and taste changes leading to a loss of appetite. It is essential that patients don’t have too many dietary restrictions imposed on them. A good diet for a cancer patient contains a mix of vegetables and meat, and avoids extremely sweet and oily foods.

·      Preferred cooking methods are steaming, boiling, and stir-frying rather than deep frying, grilling, barbecuing and baking.

·      A balanced diet should provide the body with proteins (to build tissues, prevent infection, heal wounds and maintain a healthy immune system), carbohydrates and fats (energy sources), vitamins and minerals (for proper growth, body functioning) and, most importantly, plenty of water and fluids to prevent dehydration.

FOODS TO BE INCLUDED:

Vegetables:
                                         

·      Tomatoes, carrots, peas, pumpkin and turnips for vitamins and fiber.

·      Tomatoes, tomato puree and parsley (especially good for prostate cancer patients)

·      Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage contain plant chemicals that can convert bad oestrogen into good oestrogen, and hence reduce cancer risk as well as the risk of a relapse

·      Asparagus and Brussels sprouts for their rich antioxidants

·      Bitter gourd for lowering blood sugar levels

·      Green leafy vegetables for calcium and iron

   Fruits
                                   

·      Oranges provide vitamin C

·      Bananas, kiwi, peaches, mangoes, pears and strawberries for vitamins and fibre

·      Avocados, guava, apricots, figs, prunes and raisins for energy

Proteins
                                           

·      Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tauhu and taukwa 

·      Dairy products, nuts, dried beans, dals and chickpeas

·      Fish and soy foods (especially good for prostate cancer patients)

Carbohydrates
                                               

·      Rice, Iddli, noodles, chapatti, whole grain bread and pasta. 

·      Raggi.

·      Wholegrain crackers, oats, corn, potatoes, beans and dairy products

·      Honey, consumed in moderation for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which may help in preventing infections.

SOME GOOD ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN DIET FOR CANCER PATIENTS:

·      Fish oil will provide long chain omega-3, a powerful anti-inflammatory in the body that minimizes COX-2 and its abilities to drive localized negative hormones called eicosanoids which cause inflammation - driving cancer and metastases. Fish oils have been linked to reduced levels of prostate, breast and colon cancer. Research shows they help prevent cachexia when having chemotherapy. Please note that the omega 3 from flax seed is short-chain, equally important but has different benefits (for example, it helps oxygenate the tissues and provides essential fibre).

·      Carotenoids - Carrots, peppers and greens, apricots, red and yellow peppers, greens like spinach and sweet potatoes, carrots provide anti-cancer carotenoids like beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, as and when required by the body. Raw carrots are also high in pectins - your helpful gut bacteria will love you for eating pectins and give you more in return.

·      Ginger Fresh, raw ginger has a number of very important benefits in cancer. It is a terrific anti-inflammatory agent in the body and reduces the effects of COX-2. This produces benefits throughout the body and especially in the gut, reducing rates of cancer spread.

·      Seed are full of good oils, whole vitamins in a natural form (like vitamin E) and fiber to strengthen your gut flora. People who consume the highest levels of natural fiber have higher immune systems.Sunflower Seeds high in zinc and natural vitamin E. Zinc helps vitamin C do its work and accelerates healing time.Pumpkin Seeds provides Vit E.Sesame Seed: Both sesame and flax lignans are converted to compounds that can arrest estrogen cancers.

·      Nuts ( Walnuts, Almonds)

·      Mushrooms boost the immune system and fight cancer. Even the button mushroom has cancer fighting ingredients.

·      Tomatoes contain Lycopene is the prime active ingredient. It is also found in strawberries, peppers, carrots & peaches. Lycopene is a strong antioxidant.

·      Broccoli Like other green cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts), broccoli contains fiber which helps eliminate toxins. Broccoli also contains indoles, and especially indole3carbinol which aids in fighting estrogen-driven cancers like some breast, prostate, brain and colorectal cancers.

·      Garlic : Active ingredients like allicin seem to act to stop the spread of cancer in a number of ways, for example by stopping blood supply formation for tumors. Garlic also kills microbes and yeasts - after taking drugs and antibiotics the body is often susceptible to these. Garlic is also anti-inflammatory in the body. It has a number of active ingredients. It contains selenium, tryptophan and sulfur-based active agents that attack cancer cell.

·      Beetroot and cherries, aubergines, plums, red grapes - indeed any purple colored fruits and vegetables, contain anthocyanins (and sometimes also resveratrol). Anthocyanins have been shown to kill cancer cells; Resveratrrol has research supporting its role in fighting certain cancers like blood and brain cancers too.

·      Pulses Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, kidney beans and even soy beans are a great source of plant protein. Most importantly they release their carbohydrate slowly because of their high fiber content.

FOODS TO BE AVOIDED:

·      Deep fried, grilled, barbecued, baked meats since subjecting animal protein to high heat creates carcinogenic byproducts called hetero-cyclic amine

·      Excessive intake of salt, sugar, and oily foods.

·      Red meat and processed meats such as bacon, ham, sausages.

·      Preserved foods like pickles, jams, kiam chye (salted mustard green), and century eggs as they contain nitrites which are carcinogenic.

·      Minimize alcohol

·      Additionally, cancer patients should avoid excessive intake of vitamin supplements, as they act as antioxidants and can interfere with chemotherapy when taken in large doses.

Certain foods that can help ease the common discomforts from cancer treatment:

·      Conquer constipation by drinking water and eating high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, vegetables, and fresh or dried fruit.

·      Drive away diarrhea with bland foods such as rice, bananas, and apples. Drink water to stay hydrated.

·      Protect mouth sores and avoid dry mouth by grinding or pureeing foods to make them easier to swallow. Or eat foods that are already soft and mostly liquid, like soups and milk or yogurt shakes.

·      Avoid nausea by choosing bland foods and foods without strong odors. Steer clear of greasy foods. Go easy on your stomach by eating small meals throughout the day.

·      Drink plenty of water even if you are vomiting

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