Dietary Recommendations When Beginning Chemotherapy or Radiation Treatment
One of the most frequently asked question after a patient has been diagnosed with cancer and is beginning chemotherapy or radiation is treatment is, are there any special dietary recommendations. Here are GYNLA healthcare team’s recommendations.
#1 Stay away from ACE
While you or a loved one is undergoing treatment please avoid ACE. This is vitamin A, C, E. These are powerful antioxidants and are considered counterproductive during treatment. While antioxidants make a person’s immune system stronger, these could also make cancer cells slightly more resistant to chemotherapy intervention.
#2 No more Cake
Cancer depends on glycolysis. This is the breakdown of glucose to produce energy. Cancer cells uptake glucose 10-12 times more than normal cells. In fact a PET scan, imaging most commonly used to identify active cancer cells, administers radioactive glucose to the person undergoing the study. This causes cancer to reveal themselves to the radiologists. Cancer has a sweet tooth, therefore avoid.
- An occasional sweet is ok. Indulge minimally*
#3 Clean, separate, cook, and chill
Patients undergoing cancer treatments are at increased risk for food borne illness due to decreased immunity. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause neutropenia. This is a decrease in white blood cells. White bloods cells are responsible for fighting off infection. This decrease in white blood cells compromises the immune system, making patients more susceptible to infection. To decrease illness, be sure to CLEAN surfaces often and wash hands, SEPARATE raw meat, poultry, and fish from ready to eat foods, COOK food to the recommended internal temperature, and CHILL or refrigerate all foods within two hours after cooking.
#4 Beware!!
Please avoid raw or undercooked meats, poultry, and seafood. Do not drink raw or unpasteurized milk. Please assure eggs are cooked firm and avoid runny yoke. Wash all produce. Cook hot dogs as well as any deli meat, and avoid raw sprouts.
