Last Updated on April 5, 2024 by Partha Protim Choudhury
It’s critical to monitor your food closely throughout cancer treatment because it may cause changes in appetite and weight. It is true that a person with cancer needs excellent nutrition in order to better maintain a healthy weight; eating a balanced diet during chemotherapy or radiation therapy is equally important. Be sceptical of claims that specific diets, vitamins, or micronutrients can eradicate cancer cells. This article describes some cancer-fighting foods that may lower the risk of cancer.
Is there any food that is perfectly safe against cancer?
As part of a balanced diet, several foods may help lower the risk of cancer, but no single food may completely guard against the disease. Foods can play a preventive role, but not always. Nuts, walnuts, fatty fish, and berries are among the foods that some individuals claim can prevent cancer. Resveratrol, an antioxidant in red grape skins, has potentially cancer-fighting properties, acts as a tool for fighting cancer, and could become part of cancer therapy.
Consuming foods higher in fibre and lower in calories and sugar will help you control your weight. You consume fewer calories as a result of all those things. Keeping a healthy weight is one of the most crucial things you can do to lower your chances of developing cancer. Consuming a varied diet helps keep a person healthy and reduces their risk of cancer and its treatment side effects, as such foods increase energy, increase muscle tone, preserve immune function, and reduce inflammation.
What foods can increase your cancer risk?
Since people with cancer often have compromised immune systems, consider skipping foods that carry the risk of foodborne illnesses, like lightly cooked or raw fish, such as sushi, soft-cooked eggs, or foods that contain raw eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise, unpasteurized cheeses and dairy products, and unwashed fruits or vegetables.
Stay away from highly refined, processed food. Additionally, since hydrogenated oils may increase inflammation, you should stay away from fried foods that are high in them. Avoid processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, etc., which have compounds that cause cancer. Even processed meats that say they are ‘nitrate-free’ or ‘uncured’ should be avoided. Limit red meat instead; choose lean chicken, fish, or plant-based protein; and avoid alcohol. Women should have no more than one serving of alcohol per day. Men should limit their daily alcohol consumption to two servings. It’s preferable to have less.
Which food items have cancer-preventive properties?
Food cannot be used as a stand-alone treatment for cancer because it is a complicated condition, although some foods may help prevent it. Studies indicate that lingonberries and bilberries, with their high antioxidant content, may be preventive in digestive tract tumours. Sulforaphane, which is present in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, might play a preventive role in colon cancer. Olive oil may lower the risk of gastrointestinal, breast, urinary tract, and upper digestive tract cancers. Legumes, walnuts, and fish may all help prevent breast and colon cancers, respectively.
One final tip, plan to fill two-thirds of every plate with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in every meal to make a balanced meal.
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