Lung cancer is a devastating disease, causing approximately 160,000 deaths yearly in the United States, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you have lung cancer, timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial to survival. During your treatment and survivorship, nutrition can play a role in helping keep you healthy and build up your strength. Juicing is a great way to get some of the vitamins your body needs. Before juicing during treatment, talk with your treatment team and make sure it is safe for you to consume the fruits you plan to juice.
Step 1
Make your own pomegranate juice. Pomegranate fruit extract helped inhibit lung tumor formation in mice, according to a 2007 study by N Khan, et al., published in "Cancer Research." More research is needed with human subjects but the results are promising.
Step 2
Juice carrots for a drink rich in vitamin B-6 and the amino acid methionine, typically found in animal sources. Both were found to be inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer, states a 2010 "JAMA" article by M Johansson, et al. Mild deficiency of this vitamin is common, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 3
Add fruits high in antioxidants if your doctor says it is safe and will not interact with chemotherapy. Fruits high in antioxidants include blueberries and cherries. Combine several kinds of fruits for a tropical fruit juice.
Step 4
Juice fruits containing vitamin C once chemotherapy is over, if your doctor says it is okay. Vitamin C can help boost your immune system, which chemotherapy typically weakens. Use such fruits as strawberries, mangoes, grapefruit, oranges, raspberries and kiwi.
Tips and Warnings
- Some chemotherapy treatments can cause mouth sores or difficulty swallowing. If you have mouth sores, it may be best to avoid citrus juices to minimize irritation.
- Before juicing, talk with your oncologist and treatment team about any foods rich in vitamins you should avoid during treatment. Some antioxidant vitamins can actually interfere with chemotherapy drugs, so your team should be aware of any juicing or vitamin supplementation you do. Do not try to treat lung cancer with juicing alone. Nutrition is meant to be a supplement to your treatment, not a substitute.
References
- PubMed; "Cancer Research"; Oral Consumption of Pomegranate Fruit Extract Inhibits Growth and Progression of Primary Lung Tumors in Mice; N Khan et al.; 2007
- PubMed: "JAMA"; Serum B Vitamin Levels and Risk of Lung Cancer; M Johansson, et al.; June 2010
- MayoClinic: Vitamin B6
- "University of Maryland Medical Center"; Lung Cancer; Dr. Steven Ehrlich; 2010
- "University of Maryland Medical Center"; Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid); Dr. Steven Ehrlich; 2009
