Cancer is a wasting disease, cancer itself and anti-cancer treatment will lead to weak constitution and weakened immunity, many patients and their families will ask, how can we eat the spirit back? In fact, there are some natural "cancer busters" in our daily diet, scientific intake of these nutrients, obtain anti-cancer "weapons", improve immunity, and help patients recover better.
1. Protein
Protein is the material building block of the body's immune system, and a daily intake of adequate protein can help enhance and maintain immune function, promote wound healing, and speed up physical recovery. If protein is deficient, patients are prone to malnutrition, and it also increases the risk of complications such as infection and hypoproteinemia, affecting the quality of life and survival time of patients.
Therefore, after a cancer diagnosis, it is necessary to supplement with protein. According to the recommendation of the "Expert Consensus on Dietary Nutrition Prescription for Patients with Malignant Tumors", the amount of protein supplementation for cancer patients per day is 1~2 grams per kilogram of body weight. That is to say, if a cancer patient weighs 60 kg, he needs to supplement 60~120 grams of protein from food every day. Cancer patients need to consume high-quality protein, such as poultry, fish and shrimp, eggs, milk, nuts, beans and soy products, which are common sources of high-quality protein, and vegetables and fruits also contain certain protein.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a common vitamin, a natural antioxidant that can scavenge free radicals in the body, fight various pathogenic viruses, and enhance the body's immunity. If vitamin C is deficient, patients will experience decreased appetite, fatigue, paleness, and weakened immunity, which will also affect the speed of wound healing. Vitamin C is widely found in fresh fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, bitter gourd, peppers, kale, cabbage, tomatoes, citrus, winter dates, strawberries, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, etc.
3. B vitamins
B vitamins include common B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, etc. B vitamins can help alleviate some of the adverse effects of anticancer therapy. For example, vitamin B6 has a certain preventive effect on hand and foot syndrome caused by chemotherapy drugs; for example, in some severe cancer patients, anxiety and depression will occur, and vitamin B1 has the effect of regulating nerve function, which can alleviate anxiety and depression in patients, and can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and help digestion; vitamin B12 can promote the development and maturation of red blood cells in the blood, thereby improving the symptoms of anemia in cancer patients, and can also alleviate peripheral nerve damage. B vitamins are found in cereals, legumes, livers, eggs, and lean meats.
4. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate is the main source of energy in human diet, the main component of the structure of living cells, and the main energy supply, which plays an important role in regulating cell activities. Therefore, after being diagnosed with cancer, patients need to supplement carbohydrates appropriately to maintain their vital functions. According to the recommendations of the "Encyclopedia of Chinese Nutrition Science": "The energy supply ratio of the three major nutrients in the non-tumor-bearing state of cancer patients is basically the same as that of healthy people: carbohydrates 50%~55%, fat 25%~30%, and protein 15%~20%. Tumor-bearing patients (tumor tissue visible on imaging or macroscopically) can appropriately reduce the energy supply ratio of carbohydrates to total energy and appropriately increase the energy supply ratio of protein and fat. "The main source of carbohydrates is rice and flour foods, and it is recommended that patients make a coarse and fine combination, that is, add coarse grains whole grains (oats, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, etc.) and miscellaneous legumes (kidney beans, lentils, red beans, mung beans) to refined staple foods (white rice, white steamed buns, white porridge, etc.) in moderation.
5. Dietary fiber
An overly refined diet may cause digestive and absorption disorders and can also cause constipation problems. Therefore, patients need to increase the proportion of dietary fiber intake in three meals. According to an article published by the National Cancer Institute, a daily intake of at least 20g of dietary fiber can help cancer patients achieve a longer survival, while increasing the daily intake of 5g of dietary fiber can reduce the risk of disease by 30%.
According to the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", adults should consume 25~30g of dietary fiber per day. Converted into food, it is about 500g of vegetables + 250g of fruits + 300g of cereals and potatoes + a little bit of nuts.
6. Calcium
Calcium is the most mineral element required by the human body, for cancer patients, sufficient calcium can protect bone health, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, and inhibit the metastasis of cancer cells in patients to prevent hypocalcemia after chemotherapy. Patients are advised to eat more calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, sesame seeds, spinach, tofu, etc.
7. Iron
Iron is an essential trace element for humans, which is responsible for the synthesis of hemoglobin and the transport of oxygen in the human body. Iron is very important for cancer patients. Cancer patients are prone to iron deficiency anemia during treatment, and iron supplementation can improve the symptoms of anemia and reduce side effects. Therefore, cancer patients need to pay attention to their serum iron levels and supplement iron supplements in time if necessary.
Eating more iron-rich foods, such as animal liver, animal blood, red meat, eggs, etc., can help prevent and improve the symptoms of anemia.
8. Zinc
Zinc affects the synthesis of human DNA and proteins, as well as cell differentiation, and can regulate the body's immune function and enhance the body's ability to resist infection and disease. Zinc can also bind to vitamin C to promote collagen synthesis, which can aid wound healing. Zinc is mainly found in animal foods such as meat, eggs, oysters, and also in plant foods such as fungus, kelp, corn, mushrooms, and radishes.