Carbohydrates Should Be Limited In Cancer

Author: Ivan Red Jr. Time for reading: ~7 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Carbohydrates Should Be Limited In Cancer. Recommends reducing carbohydrates in cancer, avoiding sugar and ....

- Are there any general recommendations for nutrition in cancer, regardless of where the cancer is located?

To have. Although each person should have their own diet according to their condition, diseases and lifestyle. In cancer patients, it is mandatory to limit the total caloric intake. Carbohydrates should be especially limited. This has been shown to have a positive effect on cancer patients, and in healthy people reduces the risk of cancer. It is good to eat foods with a lower glycemic index, because cancer cells absorb mainly glucose. Ketogenic diets are suitable for cancer patients. However, they are more difficult to comply with, and in some cases unpleasant. I recommend an individual examination to assess what is appropriate for the individual. Because we cannot subject a patient to a ketogenic diet with a body mass index of 20.

- Why is the ketogenic diet suitable for cancer patients?

The ketogenic diet means deprivation of carbohydrates or very low intake of carbohydrates - less than 50 g per day, due to which the body synthesizes ketone bodies. It is suitable because tumor cells feed only on glucose and cannot feed on ketone bodies. While all the glucose-dependent organs of our body can absorb ketone bodies. This is exactly the mechanism that preserves the body. If the body is forced to deprive itself of food for some time in order to survive, ketone bodies are released from fat cells, which feed the glucose-dependent organs.

The ketone diet is not necessary in the general case, because in patients with cancer chemotherapy is performed and recovery processes are underway. Then another type of diet is appropriate, which includes all possible antioxidants, a specific amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

When there is a damaged organ, protein is especially important. High-protein foods processed at high temperatures should not be eaten alone. For example, grilled meat. Preferably baked and boiled. There could be a problem if a person eats protein - three times a day to eat meat, and every day. If you eat meat, fish and eggs, it is not a problem, it is important that the proteins are not just one species. Proteins should be added to proteins that neutralize their harmful effects. Fresh vegetables are especially useful, as long as their intake is allowed by the state of the body. If the patient has gastritis or colitis, take heat-treated vegetables - roasted, boiled, steamed.

- There is an opinion that meat is harmful for cancer patients ...

I do not agree that meat should not be eaten at all in cancer. Of course, meat with antibiotics and other carcinogens is not recommended. If we have the opportunity to buy home-made meat, this will solve the problem. People with cancer have an increased need for protein because the affected organ has to repair itself. Protein is also very important for the immune system, which has to fight more infections because viruses can also cause cancer. People with cancer are often malnourished because they have heard that meat is not good for them. This does not mean eating only protein. You just need to calculate exactly how much protein a particular patient needs to eat.

I will give one piece of advice that is useful for everyone, and even more for cancer patients. Do not overdo it with one type of food. For each food we can list 10 benefits and 10 harms. The bottom line is not to eat the same thing. It is no coincidence that the main principles in nutrition are balance and variety of foods.

- What meat should be eaten?

I do not recommend chicken unless it is homemade. Beef and pork can be taken two or three times a week. If the gastrointestinal tract has not been operated on, if there are no allergies to proteins, both fish and eggs can be used. Nuts should be eaten raw because they contain protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. But be careful about the quality of the nuts. If there is a violation of the integrity of the nut, if it is very dehydrated, if there are stains, it should not be consumed. The strongest carcinogens are found in poorly stored nuts.

- What foods should definitely be avoided?

Grapefruit juice is extremely unsuitable for cancer patients. It reacts with many medications and in the long run cancer patients may be deprived of grapefruit.

You should not eat a lot of toast, because burnt black marks on the bread are carcinogenic.

Sausages should be excluded from the menu because they contain large amounts of nitrates and nitrites, which are very good preservatives, but in the body are converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines. Stomach cancer patients have told me that they ate a lot of sausages before they got sick. Of course, cancers are multifactorial, there is only one reason for their occurrence. Genetic predisposition can also be caused by environmental factors - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the way we prepare it, and many others.

In the recommendations of cancer patients, I must note the washing and soaking of vegetables and fruits. This reduces the amount of nitrates, which are water-soluble. But nitrates are the smallest problem in food. There are much more serious carcinogens and most of them are fat-soluble. This means that they accumulate in fat. When eating high-fat foods, they are more likely to contain fat-soluble carcinogens that pass into the human body. The same goes for vegetable fats. Fat itself can cause pancreatic cancer. This does not mean avoiding fats at all, but having a balanced diet.

However, all foods and beverages with sugar should definitely be excluded from the menu. From the patient's point of view, it is very difficult to follow this recommendation, especially those who love sweets. Therefore, if a person is very fond of sweets, eat a little so as not to cause stress from abstinence. Honey should not be used as a substitute for sugar. It is good for the immune system, but it nourishes cancer cells. Sweeteners can be used as a substitute - stevia, which is a natural sweetener, as well as some artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, which have been shown to be completely harmless.

I would not recommend white flour foods, even rice and potatoes. The problem is that these are carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. In their place, wholemeal bread and black rice can be consumed.

- What is useful to eat a cancer patient?

It is good to have as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible - 800 grams per day (for prevention in healthy people is 400 grams minimum), divided into five doses. Thus, patients can be supplied with antioxidants and fiber, as well as other nutrients. If the cancer is of the gastrointestinal tract, the amount of fruits and vegetables should be less, so as not to irritate the mucous membrane of too much fiber, and fruits and vegetables should be cooked (in the first three months after surgery) or a combination of raw and processed. It is good for fruits and vegetables to be ground and mashed in patients who have had surgery on part of the gastrointestinal tract. Of course, long chewing of food is most useful, but in this case a compromise must be made.

Cancer patients do not drink water, but water is absolutely necessary for the recovery of the body. If you do not drink water, the breakdown products of metabolism and aggressive chemotherapeutics can not be eliminated from the body. You can drink, in addition to water, fresh fruit and smoothies. Any liquid that can be detoxifying is recommended.

- Do I need to take extra vitamins?

My opinion is that you need to drink extra vitamins and minerals. Modern research proves that vitamins are contained in minimal amounts in today's food. In order to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals from food, we need to eat 12 kg of fruits and vegetables a day. And this is absolutely impossible. It should also be noted that cancer patients have increased needs for vitamins and minerals compared to healthy people. It is not a matter of taking "horse" doses of vitamins and minerals, but antioxidants that have proven properties for the prevention and treatment of cancer and infections.

There are many conflicting opinions about whether to include vitamin B12. It must be approached individually, to see the patient's research. In some of them, the red blood cells are so low that if you don't give them vitamin B12, they can die. However, everything should be assessed jointly by the oncologist and nutritionist.

Carbohydrates Should Be Limited In Cancer

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