Nutrition Therapy for Cancer Patients and Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Nutrition Therapy for Cancer Patients and Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Adequate nutrition is essential to cancer patient care, helping to strengthen the patient's will to fight the disease. Eating a balanced diet before, during, and after treatment can make a tremendous difference in the patient's overall health and wellbeing. Proper nutrition can help cancer patients feel better and stay strong as they battle the disease.

Patients with cancer may experience a reduced appetite due to their medications, but it is still important for them to eat and drink foods that contain the essential nutrients their bodies need. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. If they do not receive enough of these nutrients, they may experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, burning in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, and pain in the mouth when swallowing.

Malnutrition can lead to numerous nutritional problems, making the patient weak, easily tired, with reduced immunity and easily infected, and also an inability to tolerate therapy.

It is widely known that many cancer patients succumb to malnutrition rather than the disease itself.

Why are Cancer Patients Malnourished?

1. The body needs energy to function, and cancer cells produce certain chemicals that allow them to metabolize energy quickly.
2. Eating less can lead to malnutrition in cancer patients due to anorexia, a loss of appetite. To help cancer patients eat more, it is important to provide them with appealing and nutritious food.
3. Cancer patients should also be aware of the foods they should avoid, as some foods can be detrimental to their health. It is important to ensure that cancer patients get the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy often have low white blood cell counts, which can increase their risk of infection. To reduce this risk, it is important to practice good hygiene when it comes to food preparation and consumption. This includes washing hands before eating, washing all utensils and equipment used for cooking, washing all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, and eating freshly cooked food. When eating outside, special care should be taken with food items such as salads, spicy food, ice, and water. It is also important to avoid eating raw foods.

Diet for Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Cancer patients who can meet their nutritional needs

should follow the dietary guidelines for good health of Thai people in order to maintain their health.

1. Eat a variety of foods from all five food groups, taking care to keep your weight within a healthy range.
2. Utilize rice and other starchy foods such as brown rice, berry-free rice, and red rice to get the most value and dietary fibre.
3. Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits of various colours, with dark green vegetables such as gourd, spinach, and broccoli boosting immunity and anti-cancer properties.
4. Consume fish, lean meats, and eggs regularly, but limit red meat consumption and avoid processed meats with added preservatives like sausage, ham, bacon, and fermented pork.
5. Drink 1-2 glasses of fresh or skimmed milk daily to nourish the body.
6. Eat moderately fatty foods such as fried vegetables, but avoid fried foods from palm oil or repeatedly used oils, as well as charred foods, opting for boiled and steamed foods instead.
7. Reduce or abstain from eating overly sweet and salty foods, as they can lead to obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease, respectively.
8. Eat clean, uncontaminated food because consuming food that is contaminated with pathogens and chemicals such as borax, mould repellent, dyes, bleach, formaldehyde and insecticides can lead to complications and could be detrimental to one's health.
9. Abstain from or reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages, as alcohol can contribute to many serious diseases.

Nutritional therapy for cancer patients and patients receiving chemotherapy

Nutritional therapy is an important aspect of caring for cancer patients and those undergoing chemotherapy. Adequate and appropriate nutrition intake before, during, and after treatment can help patients feel stronger and better able to fight the disease. Providing suitable nutrition is crucial for patients to receive proper nourishment.

Patients must consume food and beverages that provide the necessary nutrients their bodies require, such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. For cancer patients, treatment side effects can cause a decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, difficulty swallowing, and pain when eating. Cancer treatments can also reduce appetite.

These symptoms can lead to nutritional problems, such as malnutrition, which can make patients weak, fatigued, and vulnerable to infections, and unable to tolerate treatment.

Did you know that many cancer patients die from malnutrition more often than the disease itself?

Why do cancer patients lack nutrients?

1. The body requires more energy. Cancer cells produce certain chemicals that quickly burn through nutrients.

2. Patients with cancer often have a decreased appetite while their body needs more nutrients to generate energy. When cancer cells spread, loss of appetite becomes a common side effect, which makes it easier to miss out on essential nutrients.
3. Patients may avoid beneficial foods, thinking they will exacerbate their cancer. This is another cause of nutrient deficiency among cancer patients.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy may also experience low white blood cell count at times, which makes them more susceptible to infections. To avoid infections, it's important to maintain cleanliness in the food preparation process, such as washing hands before eating, handling fresh produce such as raw meat of fish, and cleaning utensils. Additionally, consuming fresh and cooked food at the appropriate temperature, and paying close attention to the cleanliness of food when dining out is crucial; this includes salads, raw foods, ice, and drinks that may not be clean, as well as raw or undercooked food.

Diet for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy

Cancer patients who are able to eat should consume a healthy diet according to Thai dietary guidelines as follows:

1. Eat foods from all five food groups and vary them to provide adequate nutrition for the body's needs. Monitor and maintain a healthy weight, avoiding being underweight.
2. Rice is the main staple, but it should be alternated with other types of starch such as glutinous rice, brown rice, and red rice, which provide more nutrients and fiber.
3. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits with a variety of colors. Dark green vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli can help boost the immune system and help prevent cancer.
4. Eat fish and lean meat regularly, and eggs if there are no issues with high blood lipid levels. Fish is a good source of high-quality protein, easy to digest, and low in fat. Eating one egg per day is okay for those with normal blood lipid levels, but those with high blood lipid levels should only eat egg whites. Avoid eating red meat, processed meat, and other meat products that contain additives that have been linked to cancer.
5. Drinking milk is beneficial for the body. Patients should drink fresh milk or low-fat milk one to two glasses per day.
6. Eat foods with moderate amounts of fat, such as fried foods and vegetables. Avoid foods that are fried in palm oil or repeatedly fried, grilled, or charred. Choose boiled or steamed foods, and curries that do not contain coconut milk, such as sour curry, tom yum soup, and clear soup.
7. Avoid eating foods that are too sweet or too salty, as consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes, and consuming too much salt can lead to kidney disease and high blood pressure.
8. Eat clean and uncontaminated foods, as foods that are not cooked properly or contaminated with bacteria and various chemicals such as borax, fungicides, fabric dyes, bleach, formalin, and insecticides can lead to complications and contribute to the development of cancer.
9. Abstain from or reduce alcohol consumption, as it has many harmful effects that can lead to various diseases.

**In cancer patients who have problems with specific aspects of food intake, they should adjust their food intake according to the symptoms that appear.

1. Loss of appetite: Choose foods that the patient can tolerate, with mild flavors and smells such as crispy bread, eating in small amounts but frequently.
2. Nausea: Eat before taking chemotherapy drugs, avoid spicy and pungent foods, consume dry foods like crackers, crispy bread, and unsalted foods with natural sweetness. Do not add spices.
3. Vomiting: Eat clear liquid foods every 10-15 minutes after vomiting, such as clear soup, sweetened water, fruit juice, elevate the head for support, or use anti-nausea medication.
4. Early satiety: Drink concentrated beverages during meals, such as medically fortified milk, avoid fatty and fried foods as they are difficult to digest, eat small meals multiple times a day.
5. Changes in taste: Gargle or cleanse the throat and tongue before consuming a meal; use lime water to help when the tongue is bitter.
6. Dry mouth: Eat soft foods with high water content, such as boiled rice, porridge, noodle soup, chewing gum, ice cream, and drink water frequently.
7. Mouth sores: Avoid acidic or sour foods, spices, hot foods, hard and rough foods, be cautious about bleeding in the mouth, and eat easy-to-swallow foods such as boiled rice, vegetable porridge, ripe bananas, watermelon, jelly, boiled eggs, oatmeal. Serve food at room temperature.
8. Diarrhea: Drink enough water and supplement with mineral salt drinks. Avoid drinking milk and milk products for about a week, or until the bowel movement stops. Avoid foods that cause gas, such as dry beans and carbonated drinks.
9. Constipation: Consume 25-35 grams of dietary fiber per day, such as vegetables, fruits, and seeds. Foods high in fiber include red beans, non-starchy vegetables, cereal, corn, fresh fruits, bamboo shoots, taro, green beans, and eggplant.Drink 8-10 glasses of water, or warm fruit juice or lukewarm water. Exercise and physical activity or consult a doctor.
10. Clean and well-cooked food: Cancer patients have low white blood cell counts caused by various reasons such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and the disease itself. This makes them vulnerable to infection. It is recommended to eat freshly cooked food and store it at a suitable temperature, cook meat well, and avoid moldy fruits. Wash your hands frequently to prevent infection.
11. Sticky saliva: Eat food with normal water content, acidic drinks, blended fruit juices, and avoid eating bread, gelatin, alcohol. Take care of your oral health regularly to prevent tooth decay.
12. Weight loss: Increase calories and protein in your diet. Consume good fats for your health and add medical foods to your diet.
13. Fatigue: Eat soft, chewable food, rest enough or give food through a feeding tube.