Mesothelioma Cancer Diet

Whenever I learn that I have a certain health condition, my first question is always 'what kind of food should I eat or avoid?' Don't you wish that just by eating the right food, illnesses will go away for good? A balanced diet is important for proper nutrition and health, but for victims of diseases like cancer, proper eating can make the difference between life and death. But unfortunately, the kind of treatment and drugs used to treat cancer also destroy the appetite and drain the body of vital nutrients so that it can no longer fight the drugs. Nausea, vomiting, constipation, and even loss of smell and taste can interfere with the desire to eat a balanced diet and ensure health.

Here are the diet and foods for people with mesothelioma:

• Fats should also form an essential part of the mesothelioma cancer diet as fats provide and generate the necessary energy the body it needs while undergoing treatment. Mesothelioma cancer patient’s age, stage of cancer and weight should decide the amount of fats that he/she needs to take to strike the right balance that indirectly helps to build a strong immune system. Again as per National Cancer Institute foods like sugar, butter, cheese, milk, honey and dried fruits are high on fats and therefore should be included while making a diet chart.

• Similarly a mesothelioma cancer patient should go high on protein in the diet. Protein should form an important part of his routine diet. Protein helps repair tissues that get damaged due to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Apart from it Protein helps to maintain strong and healthy immune system. A healthy immune system is good news as it reduces the risk of catching infections that cancer patient is likely to fact after the treatments and therapies. Even the National Cancer Institute recommends including and increasing protein in the diet of mesothelioma cancer patient. Foods that is high on protein and act as healers include yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream, eggs, nuts, fish meat and peanut butter.

• Encourage cancer patient to drink water as much as possible or as prescribed by the doctor. Water is an essential part of the cancer diet. Without a substantial intake of water, the body is likely to start drying or experience dehydration. It is of immense importance that anyone undergoing cancer treatment receives enough water to keep his or her bodies hydrated, energized and replenished.

Cancer diet charts for each patient are different. Even different stages of cancer in the same patient call for a changed diet plan. If a person is showing improvement after treatment the diet will change and similarly if the case is adverse, diet chart will undergo a change. One should never get into making a diet plan for him as dietitian’s approval in making a cancer diet plan plays a very important role.

(Source - Healthoma.com)