First, the controversy
over the diet of cancer patients
Cancer patients have always been controversial about whether dietary taboos are needed. Some people think that cancer patients need to strictly avoid certain foods, and they worry that certain foods will promote the growth of tumor cells and aggravate the condition. For example, it is believed that spicy stimulating foods such as chili, mustard, pepper, tobacco and alcohol can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea; pickled barbecue foods such as pickled pickled cabbage, smoked meat, smoked fish, roast chicken and roast duck contain high carcinogens, which can increase the burden of cell metabolism; greasy high-fat and fried foods can increase the burden of gastrointestinal tract; Foods with high sugar, salt and acid should also be avoided.
However, there are also many views that cancer patients do not need absolute taboos. From the point of view of medicine and nutrition, there are no taboos in principle, including all kinds of meat, shrimp, crab, fish and so on. Clinically, it is recommended that cancer patients eat more protein-rich foods to maintain physical condition, body protein synthesis and immunity. Many years of clinical practice also shows that there is no evidence to prove that high nutrition diet will promote the growth of tumor cells, but high nutrition diet will improve the nutritional status of patients and enhance the ability to fight cancer. Moreover, at present, there is no strict dietary requirement for cancer patients, as long as they avoid stimulating food and ensure adequate, balanced and comprehensive nutrition. For example, stay away from tobacco, alcohol, fried, smoked and barbecued foods, so as to achieve a reasonable diet structure and balanced nutrition. At the same time, some patients think that the better they eat, the faster the growth rate of tumor cells is wrong. Diet is also a great pleasure in life. As long as they keep a good attitude in daily life, they should not care too much about diet.
Second, advocate the view of
avoiding certain foods.
(1) Avoid spicy and stimulating food
Spicy foods such as
pepper, mustard, pepper, tobacco and alcohol can cause strong stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract. Studies have shown that these foods can dilate blood vessels in the gastrointestinal tract, accelerate blood circulation, and easily cause diarrhea and other discomfort symptoms. For cancer patients, their own body is relatively weak, gastrointestinal function may also be affected, eating spicy food may further increase the burden on the body, affecting the treatment effect and rehabilitation process.
(Two) avoid pickled barbecue food
.
Pickled pickled cabbage, bacon, smoked fish and barbecue foods contain high carcinogens. For example, pickled foods usually contain a lot of nitrite, and barbecue foods produce carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the production process. These substances can increase the metabolic burden of cells and may increase the risk of deterioration of the disease for cancer patients. According to statistics, people who eat pickled barbecue food for a long time have a higher risk of cancer than general population.
(3) Avoid greasy food
High fat and fried foods are too greasy, which will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal digestive function of cancer patients is usually weakened to a certain extent, making it difficult to digest these greasy foods. For example, high-fat foods such as fat, fried food and barbecue can not only cause nausea and vomiting, but also affect the absorption of other nutrients and further weaken the body’s immunity. (4) Avoid food
with heavy taste Foods with
high sugar, high salt and sour taste should also be avoided. High-sugar food can lead to elevated blood sugar, which may affect the metabolic function of cancer patients; high-salt food can increase the burden on the kidney, and may also lead to hypertension and other diseases; over-acidic food may stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause discomfort.
(Five) other food
taboos.
1. Cancer patients should not eat aphrodisiac foods, such as mutton and dog meat, because hormones in animals may trigger tumor growth. It is believed that the hormones in these aphrodisiac foods may stimulate the growth of tumor cells and increase the complexity of the disease.
2. Do not eat high iodine foods, such as crabs, shrimp, etc. Iodine can promote tumor ulceration. Studies have found that high iodine food may have adverse effects on tumor tissue and increase the risk of tumor ulceration.
3. Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is a cancer promoter. Alcohol can cause damage to the liver and other organs, but also may affect the function of the immune system, for cancer patients, drinking will undoubtedly aggravate the condition.
4. Don’t eat hot food, which will cause chronic damage to the mouth and esophagus. Hot food, such as hot dumplings and garlic, may cause damage to oral and esophageal mucosa, and long-term consumption may increase the risk of cancer.
5. Do not eat supplements such as Cordyceps sinensis, which may promote the rapid growth and metastasis of cancer. Although some supplements are considered to have tonic effects, their effects are not clear for cancer patients, and may even have adverse effects.
Third, do not advocate the view
of absolute taboos.
(1) The importance
of balanced nutrition
A large number of clinical studies and practices have shown that there is no evidence to prove that high dietary nutrition will promote the growth of tumor cells. On the contrary, high nutritional diet can provide sufficient energy and rich nutrients for cancer patients, and help to improve their nutritional status. When the patient’s nutritional status is good, the body’s immunity will be enhanced accordingly, so that it will be more capable of fighting tumors. For example, nutritional support therapy plays a vital role in ensuring the physical fitness of cancer patients. Only when the patient’s physique is guaranteed, can anti-tumor treatment be effectively carried out, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and so on. Relevant studies have pointed out that for some patients with significant weight loss and cachexia, the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy will be reduced. Therefore, maintaining a balanced nutrition is essential for the treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients.
(2) Types
of foods that do not need to be avoided In principle,
cancer patients do not have absolute taboos, including all kinds of meat, shrimp, crab, fish and so on. These foods are rich in protein, which is very important for maintaining the physical condition, protein synthesis and immunity of cancer patients. From the point of view of medicine and nutrition, cancer patients should eat more protein-rich foods. For example, eggs, milk, chicken, beef, pork and so on are good sources of high-quality protein, which can be cooked in soup and other ways to make it light and digestible. In addition, cancer patients can also eat donkey meat and other foods in moderation. From the point of view of Western medicine, as long as patients with malignant tumors at the bottom of the mouth have a balanced diet and pay attention to nutrition, there is no need to avoid donkey meat. The nutritional value of donkey meat is higher than that of pork and beef, which can not only reduce blood fat and blood pressure, but also benefit qi and blood.
(3) Pay attention to the restriction
of sugar intake The only thing that
cancer patients need to pay attention to is the restriction of sugar intake, such as white sugar, brown sugar or sweet cakes and drinks. Because glucose is a very important functional substrate for tumor cells, that is, the energy source of tumor cells. Metabolic disorders occur in cancer patients, which are characterized by increased glucose uptake by tumor cells. When blood glucose rises, the glucose uptake rate of normal cells is lower than that of tumor cells, which is conducive to the growth of tumor cells, and the metabolic disorders caused by tumors include insulin resistance, resulting in relative barriers to glucose utilization. Therefore, patients are advised to limit sugar intake, especially refined sugar, which mainly comes from industrial sugar production, including white sugar, brown sugar or sugar added to pastries and beverages.
4. Comprehensive suggestions
on diet for cancer patients The diet of
cancer patients should be adjusted according to their own specific conditions, and can not be generalized. Different diseases, pathology, tumor location and tumor markers may affect the formulation of dietary programs.
For patients with lung cancer, we should avoid cold, avoid cold and spicy food, and keep optimistic and avoid tension. Patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma should abstain from spicy food, smoking and alcohol; patients with small cell lung cancer have weak gastrointestinal function and should avoid eating sweets. Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma should avoid eating hot food; patients with abdominal and pelvic tumors, especially gynecological tumors, should avoid eating cold drinks. In addition, patients can also choose diet through tumor markers, which is relatively more reasonable. In terms of balanced diet, cancer patients should avoid too salty, too cold and too sweet food. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. The recommended daily intake of vegetables is 300g-500g. It is recommended to choose vegetables of various colors and leafy vegetables. The daily intake of fruits is 200g-300g. Moderate intake of protein, such as eggs, milk, fish, soybeans and other protein-rich foods. Protein can help patients improve their immunity, promote wound healing and repair damaged tissues and cells. At the same time, we should avoid inferior fat, such as fried food, high-fat meat and so on. You can choose foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, nuts, deep-sea fish, etc. Unsaturated fatty acids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and help to improve immunity.
Increasing fiber intake is also important. Cancer patients should eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, reduce the occurrence of constipation, and help maintain intestinal health.
Drinking
more water is also crucial for cancer patients. Water is the source of life. Drink enough water every day to promote metabolism and help expel toxins from the body. However, the intake of water and sodium should be controlled in patients with cardiac and renal insufficiency.
In addition, cancer patients should also maintain a good attitude to face the disease. Good mentality is of great significance for the treatment and rehabilitation of diseases. Cancer patients should maintain an optimistic and positive attitude, which is helpful to improve immunity and promote disease rehabilitation.
