A healthy diet helps cancer patients improve their health

Patients should have a nutritious diet such as protein, fat, carbohydrates to enhance health, tolerate treatments.
A healthy diet helps cancer patients maintain health, energy, weight and nutrition in the body, reduce the risk of infections, limit side effects, accelerate the healing and recovery process. . According to the American Cancer Society, meals should include the following:

The protein

Protein helps with growth, tissue repair and boosts the immune system. When the body does not have the necessary amount of protein, it destroys muscle tissue for energy. This causes the body to take longer to recover and to increase the risk of infection. Cancer patients often need more protein than normal people because after surgery or chemotherapy, radiation therapy, protein help speed up the healing process and avoid infection. Good sources of protein from fish, poultry, lean red meat, low-fat dairy products and nuts such as nut butter, peas or soy.

Fat

Fat plays an important role in nutrition, is a rich source of energy for the body. The body breaks down fats and uses them to store energy, separate tissues and transport certain vitamins through the blood.

Saturated fat can increase cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Therefore, patients should choose monounsaturated fats in olive, canola and peanut oil ... and polyunsaturated fats are often found in saffron, sunflower, corn and flaxseed oil and seafood.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy, providing the fuel needed for proper physical activity and organ function. The best sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables and whole grains - providing vitamins, minerals, fiber and nutrients necessary for the cells.

Country

All body cells need water to function. Water can be tolerated from food, but one should drink about eight 200ml glasses of water a day so that all body cells are provided with enough fluid. In addition, cancer patients need to drink more water if they vomit, have diarrhea or cannot eat much. Note, all the fluids in soups, milk, even ice cream and gelatin are included in the amount of water your body drinks.

Vitamins and minerals

The body needs vitamins and minerals to function effectively and utilize the energy (calories) in food. They are found naturally in foods but are also sold as pills and liquid supplements.

People who eat a balanced diet with enough calories and protein will receive more vitamins and minerals than those who eat unhealthy. But cancer patients are unlikely to follow a balanced diet because of the side effects of treatments. Therefore, when faced with this condition, doctors will recommend patients to take multivitamins and minerals daily. If a patient's food intake is restricted for a few weeks or months because of the effects of treatment, talk to a doctor about checking for vitamin or mineral deficiencies in the body.

However, certain substances like iron can be harmful, making chemotherapy and radiation less effective, especially when taken in large doses. Therefore, if a doctor allows vitamins to be taken during treatment, the patient should choose supplements that do not exceed 100% of the daily value (DV) of vitamins and minerals.