Research Correlating Nutrition and Cancer
Research Correlating Nutrition and Cancer
Oct. 24, 2001-- Medical experts have been saying for years that a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables is a good way to prevent certain cancers. But now a study from Denmark suggests that too many patients who actually have cancer are confused by the advice. And they may be endangering their recoveries by following it.
Most cancer patients participating in a nationwide survey believed that vegetables and low-calorie foods were better choices than foods that are high in calories, according to researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital. A. Bonde Jensen, MD, says the results point to a need for improved dietary counseling for cancer patients. Jensen spoke Wednesday at the European Cancer Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
The issue of nutrition among cancer patients remains controversial. But most large health organizations, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the U.S., recommend that cancer patients undergoing treatment try to eat high-calorie diets that emphasize protein. In its publication, Eating Hints for Cancer Patients, the NCI stresses foods like milk, cream, eggs, and cheese and recommends cooking with butter or oil.
"Recommendations about food and eating for cancer patients can be very different from the usual suggestions for healthful eating," the publication states. "This can be confusing for many patients because these new suggestions may seem to be the opposite of what they've always heard."
The high-calorie diet is advocated to combat the weight loss and malnutrition that frequently occurs with cancer and cancer treatments. Malnutrition is a major cause of illness and death in cancer patients. As many as one in four people with cancer report anorexia, or the loss of appetite, at diagnosis and, among those with very advanced cancers, almost all patients lose their desire to eat. Loss of appetite is also a frequent side effect of various cancer treatments.
Most agree that cancer patients who have completed treatment and are in recovery should follow general healthy eating guidelines. But experts disagree about the best nutritional course for patients who are undergoing therapy, and the evidence is inconclusive.
While many cancer-nutrition experts favor the high-protein, high-calorie diet endorsed by the NCI, two other authorities tell WebMD that they do not. Both said that unless a patient is extremely malnourished, a high-calorie, high-fat diet could do more harm than good. ...