Nutritional Management of Treatment Side Effects
There is more to nutrition during cancer and cancer therapy than getting enough calories and protein. The foods you choose also help you cope with side effects, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chewing and swallowing difficulties, and taste changes.
As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer care team any/all possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins.
Having a balanced and healthy diet, which provides the essential nutrients and calories is usually not a problem in healthy individuals. However, it becomes challenging for cancer patients as the illness and treatment side effects can reduce one's tolerance to foods. This makes getting the adequate nutritional needs a difficult task. Without adequate nutrition, cancer patients may feel too weak and deemed unfit to continue the treatment.
Eating well during treatment can help cancer patients:
- Feel better
- Maintain good energy levels
- Better tolerate cancer treatment side effects
- Lower risk of infection
- Heal and recover faster
- Maintain a stable weight
During cancer treatment, patients are encouraged to include a variety of foods in their diets, mainly from carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Fruits and vegetables should be included in at least two meals a day as they provide fibre to promote regular bowel movement and essential vitamins and minerals.
Fruits and vegetables should be included in at least two meals a day as they provide fibre to promote regular bowel movement and essential vitamins and minerals.
Broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are all cruciferous vegetables. This vegetable family contains powerful phytochemicals, including carotenoids, indoles and glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which have been studied and shown to slow the growth of many cancers.
