According to Dr. Nguyen Quynh Tu from the Department of Comprehensive Cancer, Military Central Cancer Institute – 108 Military Central Hospital, many cancer patients are afraid of the progression or recurrence of the disease, so they are reluctant to eat, resulting in weight loss, malnutrition, and affecting their health and quality of life. This also makes the patients not strong enough to undergo treatment.
Many cancer patients have the misconception that “red meat and protein-rich foods like milk, eggs… will make the tumor grow faster”. Therefore, many cancer patients avoid or limit their intake of these types of foods.
According to Dr. Tu, this is a misconception. Currently, scientific evidence does not support this viewpoint. Protein is a fundamental factor that helps the body heal wounds, fight infections during and after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In addition, protein-rich foods are also the raw materials for recovering lost muscle mass due to the chemotherapy process. This food group helps increase the appetite when the patient is always experiencing loss of appetite and poor eating habits.
A complete diet with adequate energy and protein helps cancer patients alleviate wasting and improve their quality of life. Dr. Tu stated that the energy needs of cancer patients are very large, with a minimum requirement of 25-30kcal/kg/day. In some cases, it may need to reach 40-50kcal/kg/day. Protein accounts for 15-20% of total energy, lipids account for 18-25%, carbohydrates account for 60-70%, vitamins, minerals, and fiber should be consumed according to the needs of a normal healthy person, and water intake should be 2-3 liters per day.
Cancer patients should:
– Eat a variety of meats, fish, eggs, milk, shrimp, crab, rice, noodles, vegetables, …; vegetable oils (soybean oil, peanut oil, sesame oil…).
– Eat plenty of green vegetables and ripe fruits rich in fiber.
– Increase the intake of Omega-3-rich foods: salmon, olive oil,…
– Use foods rich in vitamin E, C, A, and selenium with antioxidant properties such as carrots, beans, amaranth, tomatoes,…
Regarding animal meat-based foods, doctors recommend that patients eat white meats (fish, poultry, birds), and limit red meats to below 100g/day.
In addition, Dr. Tu advises to limit foods that are processed at high temperatures, burnt, pre-packaged, such as ribs, cold cuts, sausages… Especially, it is necessary to limit stimulants, alcohol, cigarettes, and reduce salt intake.
Moreover, cancer patients should not reuse cooking oil for deep frying, eat spoiled food, especially foods with mold. Moldy foods often contain some cancer-causing substances, especially aflatoxins.
You also need to pay attention to some food colorings and artificial sweeteners that can also cause cancer. Therefore, regulations on food safety and hygiene need to be strictly followed.
Cancer treatment is a long process that requires patients to have good health. Therefore, a proper diet with adequate nutrition and energy is extremely important for cancer patients to achieve the best results in the treatment process.
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