People with cancer need extra nutrition. DR VINEET TALWAR tells you how nutrition has a major role to play in recovery from cancer and even post treatment
Nutrition has a major role to play in recovery from cancer and even post treatment. An estimated 80 per cent of advanced cancer patients suffer from malnutrition causing adverse effects on body functions and treatment outcomes.
Frequent malnutrition in cancer patients could be because of any of the four reasons including decreased dietary intake, increase in the body's diet requirements but not consuming enough, loss of nutrients or impaired digestion (due to radiation/ chemotherapy induced enteritis etc.)
People with cancer need extra nutrition. For instance, calories required per day for a healthy individual is 1800 while a patient with cancer needs approx. 2200 calories per day. However, nutrition in cancer patients is so compromised that an estimated 20 percent of people with cancer may die from the effects of malnutrition rather than cancer itself.
There is a need for proper planning and counselling of nutrition since cancer treatments could lead to loss of desire to eat, constipation, changes in smell, nausea, vomiting etc. He advised to take small frequent meals of home cooked food and drink plenty of fluids to negate side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
There are several myths regarding nutrition for cancer patients and those who have conquered cancer. Drinking red juices like pomegranate and beetroot alone doesn’t lead to an increase in haemoglobin count.
There is another myth that starvation would deprive a growing tumour of nutrition and therefore help in treatment of cancer. Research has shown that starvation does not increase survival but could be detrimental due to high nutritional needs during and after therapy.
Cancer patients and conquerors should steer clear of all the claims about super foods/ dietary supplements and food related advice populated on the social media. Indian diet, besides being healthy, is also a wealthy diet with a wealth of all kinds of nutrition required including turmeric, salt, micro nutrients, garam masala, a mixture of different spices each with unique properties and antioxidants.
A general thumb rule is to eat food with 40 per cent carbohydrates, 40 per cent fats and 20 per cent proteins.
Hi-fibre diet which can lead to lower incidence of colorectal, lung, oral, esophageal and stomach cancers. Few studies have also pointed to the role of fruits and vegetables in improvement in cancer survival. Five servings of fruits and vegetables each day is ideal, he said.
Besides good nutrition, there is a need for exercise. Moderate to intense physical activity for half an hour for five days in a week or vigorous activity for 20 minutes for three days a week can do a lot of good.
The writer is Director, Medical Oncology, RGCIRC, Delhi