How can I reduce chemotherapy side effects through diet?Please keep these points in mind!

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-02-01

Chemotherapy is one of the most important methods for malignant tumors in clinical practice, which refers to the use of chemical drugs to inhibit or kill cancer cells in the body to achieve or alleviate tumors.

However, chemical drugs can also cause certain damage to healthy cells while killing cancer cells, such as loss of appetite, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, dry mouth, diarrhea, hair loss, bone marrow suppression, etcAnd the more times the chemotherapy is made, the larger the dose, and the more serious the *** produced.

In recent years, studies have found that if cancer patients scientifically adjust their dietary structure during chemotherapy, they can significantly reduce the risk caused by chemotherapy

1.Loss of appetite

1) Chemotherapy patients should follow the principle of eating less and eating more often, do not need to eat strictly according to the rules of three meals a day, and can do some light exercises, such as walking, before meals to promote gastrointestinal peristalsis. Those with poor appetite can prepare some appetizers that stimulate appetite according to dietary preferences, and try to eat in a pleasant environment, such as **light**, prepare comfortable seats and beautiful utensils. Those who are unable to eat normally can take some nutritional supplements, such as sea cucumber, hydrolyzed protein oral liquid, etc.

2) Between meals, you can drink some nourishing and easy-to-digest foods, such as red taro milk dew, white fungus lily soup, wild rice longan porridge, etc.;Supplement some high-protein, high-calorie foods, such as pork, fish, eggs, chicken thighs, milk, oats, soy milk, etc.;At the same time, pay attention to supplementing vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B1, to increase appetite.

2.Nausea and vomiting

Usually, nausea and vomiting disappear on their own within 24 to 48 hours after the chemotherapy drug is injected. If it does not disappear completely, you can arrange your diet according to the following care points.

1) The temperature of the food is moderately hot and cold, avoid too cold or too hot, chew carefully and swallow slowly, or change to liquid food or semi-liquid food, do not overeat;Don't eat overly sweet or oily foods, and give preference to high-protein foods such as lean meats and skim milk.

2) People with stomach discomfort can drink cool drinks to relieve it, such as qi tea, perilla tea, plum juice, etc.;Replace ice cream with jelly such as apricot blossom jelly and almond jelly.

3) Pay attention to maintaining the balance of water and electrolytes in the body, if conditions permit, you can drink some electrolyte water and sports drinks, but the amount of water you drink each time should be moderate, and it is best to control it at about 150 ml.

If the above methods do not improve, oral antiemetics and vitamin B6 can be used for reliefIf the vomiting persists, or even worsens, you should seek medical attention in time and give symptomatic fluids under the advice of your doctor**. It should be reminded that in order to prevent the occurrence of nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, food and water should be fasted for 2 hours before chemotherapy.

3.Altered sense of taste

The exact recovery time from taste changes after chemotherapy varies from patient to patient. Some recover faster;It can gradually recover in about a month, while some patients have a heavier gastrointestinal reaction and a slower recovery of taste, which usually takes about half a year after chemotherapy to gradually improve and recover. These patients can use some ingredients or condiments with strong smells, such as tomato brisket, plum pork ribs, passion papaya and other foods with sweet and sour taste.

4.Canker sores

Moisten the food thoroughly with a small amount of soup and allow it to soften before allowing the patient to eatOr change the shape of the food, such as making pieces of meat pureed to make it easier for people to swallow. The diet should be based on soft foods such as porridge and milk, such as mushroom and yam porridge, oat milk, and stay away from irritating foods, such as chili sauceAt the same time, avoid food that is too cold or too hot, and those with severe ulcers can use a straw to suck liquid food.

It should be reminded that patients should pay attention to oral hygiene and develop a good habit of gargling more mouths, so as to remove the irritants and exfoliates in the oral cavity in time and keep the oral cavity moist.

5.Diarrhea

The diet should be light, mainly low-residue foods that are easy to digest, such as noodles, white rice, vegetable soup, fish, etc.;It is forbidden to eat raw fruits, vegetables and foods with high fiber content, such as brown rice, bran, cereals, beans, nuts, etc.;Do not eat foods that tend to flatulence, such as sweet potatoes, onions, potatoes and beans.

If you have more than 5 bowel movements per day, you should follow the principle of eating small meals frequently, with a minimum of 2000 ml of fluid per day, but no more than 150 ml of fluid per day. If there is no significant relief from diarrhoea after 48 hours, or if dark green mucus and bloody stools appear, you should seek medical attention immediately.

6.Constipation

Eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, rice and other foods with high fiber content;Drink more drinks that have digestive effects, such as lemon juice, orange juice, plum juice, etcPay attention to replenish body water, and the daily fluid volume should reach 2000 to 2500 ml;Exercise properly, or massage the periumbilical area clockwise to promote gastrointestinal peristalsis.

7.Anemia, low white blood cells, low immunity

Eat more foods that have the effect of replenishing qi and blood, such as spinach, pork liver, beef, egg yolk, longan, etc.;At the same time, attention should be paid to vitamin supplementation to improve the body's hematopoietic function, especially vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, etcIf necessary, you can take traditional Chinese medicine, such as Codonopsis, red ginseng, astragalus, angelica, wolfberry, etc.

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Important reminder: This article is for reference only for the purpose of popular science, and is not used as a basis for diagnosis and treatment

*: Peng Xu, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine].

Edit: sanx Statement: **Network, invasion and deletion].

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