What to keep in mind if you are vegetarian or vegan

Avoiding meat may make it harder for you to get enough protein on a daily basis. Try choosing vegetarian meals that contain a lot of protein. In addition, certain food combinations can help your body to absorb protein. The following are good examples:

• Milk and wheat flour.
• Sweet corn and beans.
• Potatoes and eggs.

It is usually perfectly possible to maintain your weight on a vegetarian diet. There are many high-fat foods that supply a lot of energy such as cream, butter, nuts, and oils.

But you may lack vitamin B12, zinc and iron. To be on the safe side, ask your medical team to run a blood test.

What about going vegan?

You can eat a vegan diet without jeopardising the success of your cancer treatment. But you will have to plan your meals very well. As a vegan, you may find it much more difficult to meet your protein requirements.

In addition, a vegan diet can result in the following deficiencies:

• iron
• zinc
• vitamin B12
• vitamin D
• omega-3 fatty acids
• calcium
• iodine

You may need to take supplements to cover these needs. Please discuss this with your medical team.

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

Picture credits: © YanaIskayeva – stock.adobe.com, Info-Icon: © Comauthor – stock.adobe.com