How the food you eat impact your health?

Eat well to live well

It doesn’t matter where you are on your journey, making healthy lifestyle choices and eating well with cancer can help:

Boost your energy levels and increase general health and wellbeing ^1,2
Maintain a healthy weight and subsequently reduce your risk of other health conditions like diabetes³, stroke⁴, high blood pressure⁴, sleep apnoea⁵, and other cancers⁶
Slow disease progression and reduce the likelihood of aggressive cancer ^7,8
Improve your cardiovascular health, protecting you from conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease⁹
Improve your quality of life^2,7 and even your life-expectancy¹⁰

Sources:

Rios, T. C. et al. A poorer nutritional status impacts quality of life in a sample population of elderly cancer patients. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 19, 90 (2021).
Marín Caro, M. M., Laviano, A. & Pichard, C. Nutritional intervention and quality of life in adult oncology patients. Clinical Nutrition 26, 289–301 (2007).
Wilding, J. P. H. The importance of weight management in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int. J. Clin. Pract. 68, 682–691 (2014).
Akil, L. & Ahmad, H. A. Relationships between Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases in Four Southern States and Colorado. J. Health Care Poor Underserved 22, 61–72 (2011).
Young, T., Peppard, P. E. & Taheri, S. Excess weight and sleep-disordered breathing. J. Appl. Physiol. 99, 1592–1599 (2005).
Islami, F., Goding Sauer, A., Gapstur, S. M. & Jemal, A. Proportion of Cancer Cases Attributable to Excess Body Weight by US State, 2011-2015. JAMA Oncol. 5, 384 (2019).
Torbahn, G., Strauss, T., Sieber, C. C., Kiesswetter, E. & Volkert, D. Nutritional status according to the mini nutritional assessment (MNA)® as potential prognostic factor for health and treatment outcomes in patients with cancer – a systematic review. BMC Cancer 20, 594 (2020).
Ramos Chaves, M., Boléo-Tomé, C., Monteiro-Grillo, I., Camilo, M. & Ravasco, P. The Diversity of Nutritional Status in Cancer: New Insights. The Oncologist 15, 523–530 (2010).
Martínez-González, M. A., Gea, A. & Ruiz-Canela, M. The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health: A Critical Review. Circ. Res. 124, 779–798 (2019).
Haskins, C. P., Champ, C. E., Miller, R. & Vyfhuis, M. A. L. Nutrition in Cancer: Evidence and Equality. Advances in Radiation Oncology 5, 817–823 (2020).

Oncolifestyle > Nutrition

Dietary Tips

What to do when you have no appetite

Here are some tips that can help if you have no appetite:

Arrange food in an appetising way.
Eat several small meals instead of a few big meals.
Eat slowly and chew well.
Try cold or lukewarm meals.
Avoid foods that are difficult to digest and cause flatulence.
Prepare food gently: little cooking liquid, low heat.
Choose unprocessed foods.
Avoid intense spices if you find their smell unpleasant.
Stock up on food so that you are always prepared if your appetite comes back.
Eat lots of protein: meat, fish, tofu, eggs, dairy products, and wholemeal products.
Try bitter foods, they can stimulate your appetite.

Avoid enhancing metallic tastes by using plastic cutlery

Author: Dr. Christiane Hübbe | Reviewer: Dr. Christian Keinki

Sources:

Taste changes and loss of appetite | Coping with cancer | Cancer Research UK. (2020). Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/diet-problems/types/taste-changes-and-loss-of-appetite
Loss of Appetite | Managing Cancer-related Side Effects. (2020). American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/eating-problems/poor-appetite.html
No appetite? How to get nutrition during cancer treatment. (2020, October 15). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer/art-20045046
Fletcher, J. (2021b, November 10). Which foods cause gas and bloating? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323466#foods-that-can-cause-gas
Rezaie, P., Bitarafan, V., Horowitz, M., & Feinle-Bisset, C. (2021). Effects of Bitter Substances on GI Function, Energy Intake and Glycaemia-Do Preclinical Findings Translate to Outcomes in Humans? Nutrients, 13(4), 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041317
Taste and Smell Changes | Managing Cancer-related Side Effects. (2020). American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/eating-problems/taste-smell-changes.html

Oncolifestyle > Nutrition

Dietary Tips

Why getting enough protein is important

You need protein!

Having cancer leads to a significant increase in your need for protein. That’s why it’s important to make sure you get enough. Experts recommend about 1.2 to 1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. If you have severe inflammation, you’ll have to up this to 2 g per kg of body weight per day.

This means that if you weigh 60 kg you will need to consume about 72 to 120 g of protein per day.

The following foods are rich in protein:

meat and fish
Eggs
milk and dairy products
pulses such as lentils, peas, beans, soya, and tofu
nuts and peanuts
cereals and cereal products

Author: Dr. Volker Henn | Reviewer: Dr. Christian Keinki

Sources:

Watling, C. Z., Schmidt, J. A., Dunneram, Y., Tong, T. Y. N., Kelly, R. K., Knuppel, A., Travis, R. C., Key, T. J., & Perez-Cornago, A. (2022). Risk of cancer in regular and low meat-eaters, fish-eaters, and vegetarians: a prospective analysis of UK Biobank participants. BMC Medicine, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02256-w
Diet and cancer information. (n.d.). Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/dietandcancer
Hiscock, K. (2022, June 7). 10 best sources of protein. BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
Arends, J., Bachmann, P., Baracos, V., Barthelemy, N., Bertz, H., Bozzetti, F., Fearon, K., Hütterer, E., Isenring, E., Kaasa, S., Krznaric, Z., Laird, B., Larsson, M., Laviano, A., Mühlebach, S., Muscaritoli, M., Oldervoll, L., Ravasco, P., Solheim, T., . . . Preiser, J. C. (2017). ESPEN guidelines on nutrition in cancer patients. Clinical Nutrition, 36(1), 11–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2016.07.015
Is a vegan diet safe during cancer treatment? (2022, August 1). World Cancer Research Fund. https://www.wcrf-uk.org/health-advice-and-support/living-with-cancer/is-a-vegan-diet-safe-during-cancer-treatment/
Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diet. (2021, April). British Dietetic Association. https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/vegetarian-vegan-plant-based-diet.html
Healthy eating and cancer. (2020, August 1). Macmillan Cancer Support. https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/healthy-eating-and-cancer

Nutrition

How the food you eat impact your health?

Dietary Tips

What to do when you have no appetite

Dietary Tips

Why getting enough protein is important

Disclaimer

The information presented on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent cancer or any other condition or disease.