Cancer patients starve

The Supreme Audit Office checked what they feed in hospital canteens and catering companies that deliver food to clinics. The health care system does not guarantee the proper nutrition of patients in hospitals, it is alarming. The regulations do not define the nutritional standards of patients, product quality, rules for controlling hospital nutrition services, or rules for employing dietitians in wards. The delivered products do not improve the functioning of the body and can sometimes be harmful, according to the latest report by the Supreme Audit Office.

It is not true that cancer feeds on protein. It is just the opposite. The body’s maximum demand for protein during therapy may increase to 2-3 g / kg depending on the patient’s nutritional status, disease stage, tumor location and the treatment method used. The optimal amount of this nutrient in the diet should be decided by an oncologist, a doctor specializing in clinical nutrition, or a specialized dietitian. Because if the patient eliminates protein from the diet, which is necessary for the functioning of the body, it will start to be obtained from the muscles and then from other organs. Animal protein sources such as chicken, skinless turkey, rabbit, and fish should account for at least half of the protein calories. Protein derived from legumes is a valuable component of the diet, but unfortunately it is poorly tolerated during oncological therapy. Legumes can cause gas, gas, stomach pain and diarrhea. In addition, they contain non-heme trivalent iron, much less digestible by the body than the divalent heme iron contained in meat. What you should definitely limit is red meat due to its high content of saturated fatty acids and processed meat products.

During oncological diseases, even the most nutritious meals prepared at home may not be enough. The demand for energy, protein and other nutrients is so great that the inclusion of specialized nutrients is often necessary. Remember that medical nutrition is not only tube feeding and drip feeding. New specialist preparations, available in pharmacies, have many advantages. First, they provide a concentrated source of calories and nutrients in a small volume. Secondly, thanks to the liquid form, they can be drunk directly or can be added to prepared meals. If you are able to eat normally, you can use them between meals as a supplement to your diet. In the case of patients who have problems with chewing or swallowing, specialist preparations will completely replace whole meals.

Many of us still believe that there are miracle diets that can replace conventional treatments and help overcome cancer. Unfortunately, the popular anti-cancer diet is a broad term for a healthier lifestyle, not a diet that cures cancer. And although broccoli’s anti-cancer properties are known, a menu based solely on freshly squeezed green juices or kilograms of broccoli may increase the risk of malnutrition. A sudden and unconsulted change in the proportion of dietary elements may lead to various ailments in the patient, including digestive problems, abdominal pain or disrupt the absorption of certain micronutrients. Until today, the effectiveness of none of the miracle diets has been scientifically proven.

Contrary to what you have read on the Internet – fasting does not inhibit the development of cancer, but only worsens the patient’s health. Without the energy necessary for life, the patient will not be able to successfully fight the neoplastic disease. Malnutrition is an independent risk factor for death, a weaker response to oncological therapy with the risk of its discontinuation and the occurrence of severe complications such as infections, poor wound healing or weakening of the immune system and other organs.

Carbohydrates are the basic group of nutrients, the content of which in the diet of a healthy person should be between 45-55%. What we should limit is the amount of simple sugars such as glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, lactose, sucrose (<10%), not complex ones. Their excess is a huge caloric load, usually devoid of nutritional value, which our body turns into fat. In addition, brown sugar is as bad as white. Obesity is the first step to the development of other diseases: diabetes, heart and joint diseases, and in oncology obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing, among others, breast and endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. Simple sugars that you should avoid are found in dairy products, fruits, juices, honey, white refined flour products (bread, pasta), processed breakfast cereals, and even in some cold cuts and canned fish.

Not every chemotherapy or radiotherapy requires milk to be excluded from the diet. Some patients should do this temporarily due to developing secondary lactose intolerance. Lactose is milk sugar that is broken down in the digestive tract into simple sugars: glucose and galactose by an enzyme called lactase, which is present on the surface of the cells of the small intestine. As a result of chemo- or radiotherapy, the cells of the small intestine are damaged, which leads to a deficiency of the enzyme and hindered digestion of dairy products. The most common effects of intolerance are: flatulence, abdominal pain and nausea. Dairy products containing less lactose such as yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk and cottage cheese are better tolerated and you do not have to give them up. Sometimes it may be enough to add probiotics for the period of therapy, which significantly improve the digestibility of dairy products. On a daily basis, as a milk substitute, we can use lactose-free or vegetable (rice, oat, almond). Remember that dairy products are an extremely valuable group of nutritional products due to the content of protein and calcium, so it should not be eliminated from the diet without first consulting an oncologist, a doctor specializing in clinical nutrition or a dietitian.

An oncological patient should eliminate from the menu only those spices that he does not tolerate. His diet can still be tasty and flavorful. Spirit vinegar and products prepared with it, such as mustard, horseradish, mayonnaise and ketchup, as well as very spicy spices such as chili, are not recommended most often. Salt in moderate amounts is not contraindicated. Spices with known anti-cancer potential such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, rosemary, coriander, parsley and garlic can and should be found in the kitchen of an oncology patient.