Adequate nutrition is essential for the proper functioning of a healthy person, and even more so for a sick person. A proper diet is a very important element supporting cancer therapy.
Cancer is a group of diseases in which it is extremely difficult to determine the optimal diet, because there are a number of factors that disrupt the functioning of the body and, consequently, can lead to malnutrition and destruction of the body. In extreme cases, cachexia may develop, which is associated with a change in the course of the organism’s metabolic processes caused by the disease. Added to this are the side effects of treatment: surgery, radio- and / or chemotherapy.
It is estimated that the problem of malnutrition affects from 30 to 80 percent. all oncological patients. For this reason, great attention is paid to proper nutrition. Good physical condition helps to feel better, the sick person has more strength and energy. In addition, proper nutrition helps patients recover faster. In addition, side effects of the therapies used are observed to a lesser extent.
Therefore, in cancer, the diet should be focused on the achievement of several important goals. First, it is maintaining the patient’s weight and supplementing or preventing nutrient deficiencies. Another goal is to help the body regenerate by providing the right amount of protein and energy. A properly selected diet can also stimulate the immune system, reducing the risk of infection and further reducing the side effects of therapy. In conclusion: proper nutrition can have a positive effect on a better prognosis of the patient.
The basic feature of the diet in cancer is easy digestibility while providing adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats (rather vegetable, seeds and nuts), vitamins and minerals. It is worth emphasizing that patients often have a much greater energy demand than healthy people, who can increase by up to 20%. This means that meals should contain adequate nutrients.
Unfortunately, proper nutrition of patients treated with radiation and chemotherapy is not easy because of the side effects associated with the treatment. One of the most common is a lack of appetite and a change in taste sensation.
Where does this reaction of the body come from?
This is because both treatments take advantage of one of the basic characteristics of cancer cells: their very fast rate of division. Unfortunately, these are not the only rapidly dividing cells in our body. This group includes, among others the cells that line the intestines, mouth, and the taste buds on the tongue. It is the damage to these cells that causes numerous digestive ailments that discourage eating.
Changes in smell and taste occur because the taste buds are damaged. As a result, the food appears tasteless or the sick person experiences only one flavor too intensely, too sweet or too salty. Quite often, patients also complain of a metallic taste in the mouth after eating, for example, meat, fish, eggs and other protein-rich products. So the food doesn’t taste good, and the smells are irritating.
It is important that patients, despite the perceived side effects, do not give up meat, fish and dairy products, because they are extremely valuable components of the diet. They contain a lot of protein (which is the building block of our muscles) and many important micro- and macroelements, as well as vitamins that are not found in other products (or are found in only trace amounts or in non-digestible form). In order to solve this problem, it is worth seasoning the dishes served strongly, adding more than normal amount of herbs or drinking intense juices (e.g. lemon or pineapple juice). Their addition to the dishes will help to eliminate the problem of the metallic aftertaste. Metal cutlery can be replaced with plastic or porcelain ones. Many people also say that chewing peppermint chewing gum helps to get rid of the metallic taste in their mouths between meals.
Intestinal ailments and weakness that accompany the patient discourage eating and weaken the appetite. How to deal with this problem? First of all, it is worth eating a few small meals (even 6-8 meals a day, also at night if the patient feels like it). Smaller portions do not cause such troublesome effects on the gastrointestinal tract, the patient does not feel full so quickly and, importantly, he can try many different dishes to find the ones he likes and feels like. It is also recommended to eat meals in a pleasant atmosphere, with family or friends, so that the eating process itself does not consist only in providing nutrients. You should also remember to drink fluids (water, juices) between meals, not during. Drinking while eating causes the stomach to fill up faster, which means that the patient eats less. In addition, in the case of major problems with eating meals, when meals do not provide the right amount of calories and nutrients, it is worth becoming interested in special nutritional preparations. Preparations of the Nutridrink * type are most often in a liquid form, which makes them easy to digest, or a powder that is added to prepared meals.
Neoplastic disease and oncological treatment bring about unpleasant ailments that disturb the functioning of the body, reduce the patient’s appetite and taste sensations. In order to better withstand the inconveniences caused by disease and oncological treatment, it is worth planning the diet in accordance with our requirements and specific ailments. Therefore, we encourage you to explore the issues related to the appropriate diet, because it can support the patient’s body and improve his well-being.