Chemotherapy, often referred to as chemo, involves using drugs to treat cancer and has been used to do so since the 1950s. Chemo kills the cancer cells that have invaded the body but can also kill healthy cells in the process. Chemo can therefore cause many side effects as a result of the damage done to the healthy cells. Some of these side effects include fatigue, fever or chills, vomiting, pain and loss of appetite. Specific nutritional needs must be met when undergoing chemo so patients can maintain their strength to fight the cancer. This may be difficult however since loss of appetite is one of the common side effects of chemotherapy. The American Cancer Society provides guidelines for proper nutrition during all phases of cancer treatment.
High Calorie
Cancer treatment can lead to weight loss; therefore a high calorie diet can help chemo patients maintain a healthy body weight. You can add butter and margarine as a spread on foods such as meats, fish or eggs to increase calories. Spices and herbs can be mixed in with butter to make a flavorful spread. Butter or margarine can also be added into soups or hot cereals and stirred into sauces and gravies. Adding cream based ingredients to beverages, such as hot chocolate and spreading cream cheese on grains will also increase calories.
High Protein
A diet with ample protein consumption is important during chemo treatment. Protein rich foods should be low in saturated fat, such as fish, lean meat and poultry. Chemo patients should get 10 to 35 percent of their energy needs from protein. Other high protein foods include milk, eggs, yogurt and cheese. High protein supplements are available in commercial products like Boost.
Whole Grain
Whole grains contain fiber and antioxidants which are thought to minimize the risk of cancer during treatment and recovery. Refined grains may not contain the same level of vitamins and minerals since they are milled, which removes the germ and bran.
Vegetarian
A vegetarian diet is not always a healthy diet. Vegetarian diets that contain fish and dairy usually contain enough protein and nutrients for chemo patients. A diet excluding all animal products should include legumes, nuts, seeds and cereal-grain products to meet the protein requirement. Supplemental vitamins may also be required in the case of a vegetarian diet, such as B12 and vitamin D supplements.
