Winning the Battles:
Nutritional Therapy for
Cancer Patients
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Everyone can benefit
from a healthy diet.
For cancer patients,
good nutrition is even
more important as the
illness and its
treatment may affect
your appetite.
They may also alter your
body’s ability to
tolerate certain foods
and to use certain
nutrients.
Ms Nehal Kamdar, a
dietician at
Raffles Internal
Medicine Centre,
answers some of the
common questions on diet
for cancer patients.
What are some nutrients
that are integral in a
cancer patient’s diet?
1.
Iron
Low iron can lead to
anaemia as well as low
resistance to
infections. Meat,
chicken and liver are
good sources of iron.
Vegetarian sources of
protein like soybean
products, legumes and
nuts provide adequate
iron. Ending your
meals with a fruit can
enhance iron absorption.
2.
Calcium
Milk and dairy products
like cheese and yoghurt
provide calcium which is
essential for healthy
bones and teeth.
Yoghurt drinks may be
included in your diet as
they contain beneficial
bacteria helpful for
maintaining healthy
intestines.
3.
Fluids/water
Water and fluids are
vital to our health.
If you do not take
enough fluids or if you
are vomiting or have
diarrhoea, you may
become dehydrated. In
general, a person should
drink about eight
glasses of water per
day.
4.
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals
allow the body to use
the energy supplied in
food. It can be hard to
eat a balanced diet when
you are being treated
for cancer and have
treatment side effects
that last for long
periods of time.
When that is the case,
your doctor or dietician
may suggest a daily
multivitamin and mineral
supplement.
If you are thinking of
taking a vitamin or
supplement, be sure to
discuss this with your
doctor first.
Large doses of some
vitamins and minerals
may reduce the
effectiveness of
chemotherapy and
radiation therapy.
5.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are
substances that protect
the body’s cells from
damage caused by free
radicals. Health
experts recommend eating
a variety of fruits and
vegetables, which are
good sources of
antioxidants.
Taking large doses of
antioxidant supplements
is not recommended while
undergoing treatment.
Therefore, talk to your
doctor to determine the
best time to take
antioxidant supplements.
Return
to Top
Are special foods
necessary?
Currently, there is no
substantial evidence
that certain foods can
improve your health
during cancer treatment.
Therefore there is no
need to eat special
foods or to avoid
particular foods.
However, you may modify
your existing diet to
make sure that you get
proper and adequate
nutrition to help you
overcome some of the
nutrition related
problems that may occur
during the treatment,
e.g. constipation,
nausea, vomiting, loss
of appetite, taste
changes, bloatedness/wind
and mouth/throat
problems.
Return
to Top
Should I take bird’s
nest or ginseng to
improve my body’s
constitution?
There is no harm in
taking traditional foods
like bird’s nest, red
dates, fish essence or
ginseng in moderation,
in addition to a
balanced diet.
However it is important
to check with your
doctor before taking
medicinal herbs or
traditional medicines as
these may interfere with
your treatment.
Return
to Top
I
have heard of some
unconventional nutrition
therapies that are
supposedly beneficial
for my condition.
Should I try it out?
You may have read or
heard about “special”
nutrition therapies that
can cure cancer or
improve your nutritional
status during cancer
treatment.
Examples of these
therapies include:
|
►
|
Detoxification and
metabolic therapy |
|
► |
Macrobiotic diet |
|
► |
Raw food diet |
Although these therapies
promise spectacular
results, there are many
drawbacks. There is no
conclusive medical
evidence that they are
successful. They may
result in nutritional
deficiencies due to food
restrictions.
Should you wish to try
any of these therapies
or other special diets,
it is important to keep
your doctor informed,
continue with the
conventional treatment
prescribed by your
doctor and discuss your
nutritional needs with
your dietician.
It is important to eat
well during your cancer
treatment so as to
enhance your health and
body resistance to
infections. Try to
make food your ally so
that you don’t lose
weight. You can
then cope better with
the side effects of your
treatment.
Return
to Top
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Dated: June 2011
|
Raffles
Medical
Group is
a leading
medical
group and
the largest
private
group
practice in
Singapore.
As a fully
integrated
healthcare
organisation,
the Group
owns and
operates a
network of
family
medicine
clinics, a
tertiary
care private
hospital,
insurance
services and
a consumer
healthcare
division.
Patients of
the Group
enjoy a
continuum of
care, from
having their
most basic
healthcare
needs met
through the
Group’s
islandwide
network of
Raffles
Medical
clinics, to
specialist
and tertiary
care at
Raffles
Hospital. |
Back to
Table of Contents