Banafsheh Behzadpour
a nutrition specialist
Banafsheh Behzadpour, a nutrition specialist, explains about nutrition and its effect on cancer treatment and prevention.
The text of Banafsheh Behzadpour’s speech
In the name of God. Hello, dear friends. I am Banafsheh Behzadpour, a nutrition specialist. Today we will discuss nutrition and its effect on cancer treatment and prevention.
Nutrition plays a very important role in cancer treatment as it can accelerate the recovery process of the disease. Friends who have cancer should have main meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And eat suitable snacks according to their type of illness.
Breakfast for cancer patients should generally be rich in protein, grains, fiber, and fruits. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Depending on the patients’ preferences and what fruits and vegetables they can consume during chemotherapy.
The role of vitamins can also be very effective in cancer treatment. Because vitamins reduce inflammation in your body and again accelerate the recovery process. One of the most important vitamins that you should maintain a high level of in your body during cancer treatment is vitamin D. That means you should consume foods that are rich in vitamin D. Such as dairy products, milk, and yogurt. Of course, some patients might not be able to tolerate milk and lactose very well in their stomach. In such cases, we prefer yogurt more. Use grains. Legumes. Among the juices, orange juice has more vitamin D which accelerates the recovery process.
About fibers. Fibers play a very important role in cancer treatment. You must use foods that are high in fiber. Like brown bread that is rich in bran. Bran helps your digestive system work better and delivers various vitamins and minerals to your body.
Patients undergoing chemotherapy, especially injectable chemotherapy, often experience a reduction in beneficial gut bacteria which causes them to suffer from diarrhea or constipation. Patients with constipation should generally use a lot of fiber. This fiber can include fruits and vegetables, it can include legumes such as beans and lentils, which are rich in fiber. And do not use bread made from white flour at all. Breads made from bran flour, brown flour, can improve the performance of the digestive system.
Patients who suffer from diarrhea should try to use probiotic dairy products, such as yogurts to which probiotic substances are added like kefir yogurt, which is one of the best natural probiotics. Use that.
Substances that are rich in sodium. We have mineral waters to which certain minerals are added, which athletes usually use. If you suffer from severe diarrhea, definitely use those.
And simple broth. Broth that has not been spiced. It can be useful in treating diarrhea. Since patients with diarrhea might have low blood sugar, they can use more bananas and whole wheat toasts which helps their condition improve faster and makes the chemotherapy process easier.
Another issue that patients face during chemotherapy is the loss of taste. They usually lose their sense of taste or some patients tell us that their mouth tastes like iron. You should have a variety of foods. Foods that you used to eat might not be pleasant for you now. Be sure to add a little lemon juice or vinegar to your food to change the taste. Or try new flavors. This can be very useful and help you a lot.
We have patients who, after radiotherapy or chemotherapy, their throat becomes inflamed. These people can use soup. Soups that are specifically for chemotherapy. We call them chemotherapy soups, which definitely include chicken or meat broth and vegetables rich in antioxidants. Like celery, which you can add yourself. Peas can be added to your soup. Potatoes. Carrots. And make them more into a puree form so that it is both nutritious and easier to swallow and soothe the throat inflammation.
Another complaint from patients undergoing chemotherapy is fatigue after chemotherapy. Usually, after chemotherapy, the body experiences general weakness. Therefore, I recommend using slow-digesting starches the night before. Like whole wheat pasta, not white pasta. Consume brown pasta along with vegetables before chemotherapy and avoid consuming very fatty meats, fast food, and soda.
Eat healthy foods and drink water during chemotherapy. And after chemotherapy, use natural fruit juices and vegetable juices. To replenish your body fluids and minerals. Since these drugs might make you feel nauseous when they enter your body. Especially after the chemotherapy process.
I always recommend that patients use ginger. If you can, brew fresh ginger as much as possible, and add a little honey to it and drink it sip by sip. It can help a lot in reducing nausea. Also consume simple proteins after chemotherapy. Not fatty meats. Meats that have the least amount of fat. Like turkey meat. Chicken meat. Preferably add a little lemon juice and some spices to make it taste better. Especially turmeric. Because turmeric has very high antioxidant properties and can enhance the taste of meat and chicken for you. Also eggs. Eggs are the best protein that can make post-chemotherapy fatigue a bit easier for you. Make you feel less tired and provide your body with nutrients.
I wish health for all dear patients, and hopefully, we will continue the discussion in the same way in future sessions.
