Nutritional Needs during Cancer Treatment

9:30 AM Posted by Deepak

Nutrition is an extremely important aspect for a patient suffering from cancer as not only does the disease but also its treatment severely affects the appetite. The treatment of cancer has many taxing effects on the body; thus during such times it is necessary to be fit and have a proper nutritious diet. There are specific nutrition needs during the onset of cancer and its treatment, therefore the patient as well as caregiver and healthcare personnel should pay attention to the nutrition of the patient.

Nutrition during treatment

When a person suffers from cancer, many nutrients are lost during the treatment phase and the body also develops resistance to certain foods due to treatment side effects. During such troubling period, taking care of the nutritional needs becomes imperative. It is important to note that nutritional needs of every person varies, therefore your doctor, nurse and registered dietician will help you to identify your nutritional needs and help you plan accordingly. A well planned diet plan is beneficial because:

It helps the patient feel better
Maintains the nutritional requirements of the body
Maintains weight
Keeps energy and strength intact
Lowers the risk of infection
Helps in early recovery and healing

Eating well does not only mean having high intake of food, but instead eating a well balanced diet that caters to all your nutritional needs.

Nutritionists insist on having a diet that compliments all the important nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats and antioxidants. Patients should consume vegetables, whole grain products, fruits etc., but should limit the intake of red meat, especially which is processed and high in fat content. Other products to cut back include, sugar, salt, alcohol and fats. Treatment of cancer causes rapid weight loss and to combat that you may be required to consume high fat content products.

The treatment process also causes many side effects which do not allow you to eat properly. Some of these side effects include:

Loss of appetite
Dry mouth
Dental and gum problems
Nausea
Diarrhea
Vomiting
No perception of taste and smell

These side effects may or may not be present and might appear in varying degrees as it is dependent on the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, treatment procedure and duration of treatment.

Nutritional Tips

As mentioned earlier, your body requires a healthy diet in order to cope with the stress of cancer treatment and to combat its side effects. It also prepares your body to accept high doses of drugs to combat cancer, in fact studies show that many treatments show better results on patients who are well- nourished and have good quantity of proteins and calories.

Choose a plant based diet
Substitute meat with plant based products such as tofu, beans and potatoes
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetable in the entire day
Eat citrus fruits, dark green and yellow vegetables as all these foods are high on phytochemicals
Maintain a healthy weight and indulge in light exercising
Limit the intake of salt and sugar, smoked and pickled food
Maintain a healthy snacking habit. Keep protein rich snacks handy
Eat the most whenever you feel hungry. If you are hungriest in the mornings, then make breakfast your biggest meal
Drink high protein liquids such as milk shakes
Drink fluids between meals rather than with meals
Have home- made nutritional bars for snacking

Patients suffer from many nutritional problems when they undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation etc. After a surgery, the body requires extra calories and proteins in order to promote quick wound healing. But most patients are tired and feel a lot of pain, and thus nutrition takes a backseat. In such a case it becomes the caretaker’s duty to ensure that the patient receives optimum nutrition. Just like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy too cause immense discomfort to the patient, thus further increasing the need for optimum nutrition.

Empowered Doctor offers an Latest breaking health news, Medical news with video stories. Empowered Doctor also has a local doctor directory so you can find a doctor in your area.

Tags: cancer awareness, cancer support, cancer treatment, Easy nutrition tips, health nutrition plan, Nutrition

Share your views...

0 Respones to "Nutritional Needs during Cancer Treatment"