Mouth cancer affects your lips, tongue, gums or the tissues lining your mouth, such as the area under your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Both the cancer and its treatment can make consuming whole foods difficult. Nutritional beverages, a type of dietary supplement, can provide the nutrients you need during this time in a form that is easier to take in than solid foods. However, consult your oncologist or oncology dietitian before adding nutritional beverages to your recovery diet.
Background
Mouth cancer can cause tumors or lesions in or on any part of your mouth. In addition, cancer treatment –- including surgery, radiation or chemotherapy -– can result in tissue swelling, mouth sores, painful teeth or a change in the way foods taste or smell. All these side effects might make it difficult for you to eat at a time when your body has an elevated need for essential nutrients. Supplements such as nutritional beverages can provide these nutrients until the time you are able to tolerate whole foods once again.
Benefits
Nutritional beverages can supply high-quality protein, energy-rich carbohydrates and fats, vitamins, minerals or a combination of these nutrients. They require no preparation on your part and therefore are available for consumption whenever you have the desire. They travel well and are easy for you to pack along for medical appointments or other errands. Because they are fluid, they help keep you hydrated, and they avoid the need for potentially painful chewing. Additionally, if you keep them well chilled, they can soothe inflamed mouth tissues as you consume them.
Drawbacks
In contrast to whole foods, nutritional beverages may lack one or more nutrients you need to maximize your health during recovery. However, if you cannot chew and swallow whole foods, some nutrition is better than no nutrition. A more serious concern with nutritional beverages may be their potential to expose you to harmful ingredients as you recover from mouth cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not conduct safety testing on nutritional supplements before they come to market. Rather, the FDA investigates only if a safety issue is discovered after they are commercially available. These beverages can therefore contain impurities or contaminants that might harm your health.
Considerations
To control both the nutritional content and purity level of supplemental beverages, you can create your own by blending smoothies with ingredients such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, fruits or peanut butter. While this method requires more preparation than nutritional beverages you purchase in a can, smoothies you make yourself may better match your needs and tastes than commercially available ones.
