Proper Nutrition and Cancer

Improve Energy Levels with Proper Nutrition.

Proper diet is essential for healthy people, and it makes a bigger difference to cancer patients.  Nutrition is essentially the process by which the body takes in food.  The food is needed for growth, and the body uses the energy, vitamins and minerals to build new tissue and recover from surgery and other cancer treatments.  It is essential to eat the right types of food because cancer treatment can take a lot of energy from a person.  This means that proper diet is even more important to cancer patients.  

Three Goals of Nutrition Therapy

Cancer patients should consult their physician about the benefits of nutrition therapy because there is a range of different types of cancer and treatment options. Nutrition specifics may differ for someone who has mesothelioma cancer and someone with breast cancer, for example. Some treatments reduce muscle tone and bone density, which is where adding more protein to the diet may be required.

Nutrition therapy has three major goals.
            -Nutrition therapy provides missing nutrients.
            -Therapy helps patients maintain nutritional health.
            -Further problems and complications are prevented with proper diet.

Mesothelioma treatment side effects can often lead to weight loss, anorexia or cachexia.  These are medical problems that often cause patients to lose weight.  The problem can be countered with an effective program of nutritional therapy that provides the body with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.  According to the National Cancer Institute, some tumors release chemicals that alter the way the body breaks down nutrients.  Protein, carbohydrates and fats are especially affected by stomach or intestinal tumors.  Patients may even think that he or she is eating enough, but the body may experience difficulty absorbing nutrients from food.

Protein

Protein is an essential building block of muscle and bone tissue, and it is imperative for cancer patients to add more to the diet.  Because the body will catabolize muscle tissue in the absence of adequate protein stores, cancer patients may lose weight.  Beans, peas, lentils and dairy products are a great source of protein.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential, as this is the body’s primary source of energy.  There are several things to consider in a diet because not all carbohydrates are the same.  The body gets a lot of vitamins, nutrients and phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables.  These are the preferred source of carbohydrates.  In addition, whole grains are an essential component of a healthy diet.  It takes the body longer to digest whole grains.  This reduces fluctuations in blood sugar levels and ensures that adequate energy is maintained throughout the day.

Fat

Fat is an essential component of the diet as well, but there are good types and bad types.  Most experts agree that adults should include more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in the diet.  These are primarily found in vegetable oils and fish.  Trans-fats and saturated fats should be avoided.

Eating right is a great way to stay healthy, and it is even more imperative for cancer patients.  Proper diets are essential because they provide the body with the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are needed for growth.  Cancer patients may undergo treatments, and recovery is facilitated with proper diet.

Article courtesy of Jillian McKee