Nutrition in cancer

The importance of nutrition in the natural treatment of cancer.

Nutrition in cancer:

Diet is a great ally in the treatment and prevention of cancer. In other words, it is the most powerful tool to avoid exceeding the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate of 22 million new cases of cancer per year in the coming decades.

It is important to maintain a healthy weight and have a natural, balanced and complete diet.

With regard to food, it is key to control sugar consumption. In addition, it is important to avoid artificial sweeteners (cyclamate, aspartame or saccharin), smoked foods, salted foods, fried foods, precooked foods, sausages, red meat and industrial bakery products.

Alimentación cáncer

Food to prevent disease

Nutrition is a basic tool to prevent diseases. Foods rich in antioxidants fight free radicals that accelerate aging and the risk of cancer. Among these foods include: blueberries, broccoli, green tea, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, grapes, cocoa, … The consumption of cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, instead of other types of saturated fats, They should form the basis of our food pyramid and our list of “foods against cancer”.

Alimentación cáncer

Conditioning factors and nutrition

To be clear, there are many conditioning factors related to food that can be controlled personally.

There is no specific food that protects against cancer, nor an ideal “anti-cancer diet”, but there is a complete and varied diet.

Scientific studies show how in particular a vitamin, a phytochemical or a mineral have anticarcinogenic effect. But, clinical practice shows that the synergy of different components of the diet are those that have the ability to exercise protection and a positive action to help in the cure of cancer.

Nutrition and Integrative Oncology.

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the treatments chosen for the diagnosis of cancer. The complementary medical therapies contribute to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and to improve the general and immunological status of cancer patients. Some of those therapies are: vitamin C, Phytotherapie, diet therapy, acupuncture and mindfulness.

Alimentación cáncer

Cancer treatments

Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cause side effects: loss of appetite, mucous dryness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, pain, anxiety, depression, decreased immune status, … These effects can lead to digestive problems and / or an insufficient intake of food. Therefore, at its extreme, a deficit in the absorption of basic nutrients may cause a state of nutritional deficiency and malnutrition.

oncologia integrativa

The objetive of personalized nutrition and diet therapy is: to control side effects, reduce the risk of infection, increase energy and improve the quality of life of the patient [4].

The National Cancer Institute (NIH) emphasizes the importance of healthy eating habits during cancer treatment, and how cancer and treatments can affect the patient’s nutritional status [5]. Research on foods that fight cancer is ongoing and active [6].

References

  1. Schuz J, Espina C, Villain P, et al. European code against cancer 4th edition: 12 ways to reduce your cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol. 2015;39:S1-S10.
  2. M Greger (2015) How not to die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease (First edition.). New York: FlatironBook

  3. Campbell, T. Colin. “The China Study”,  The Huffington Post, June 28, 2008.

  4. Bloch A, Cassileth BR, Holmes MD, Thomson CA, eds.: Eating Well, Staying Well During and After Cancer. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2004.

  5. La nutrición en el tratamiento del cáncer. Instituto Nacional de Cáncer. NIH

  6. http://www.aicr.org