There can be a lot of myths or misconceptions when it comes to food and cancer. Yet, what one reads via the internet may be confusing thus one should be wary on the sources of information. Some reliable sources include the cancer societies like the American Cancer Society from which most of what is written in this article were taken; cancer institutes like National Cancer Institute; nonprofit organizations like mayoclinic.org; government sites such as www.cancer.gov, www.doh.gov.ph.
The goal of nutrition is to enable a cancer patient to complete treatments and deal better with the side effects of treatments. Healthy eating habits are definitely important before, during and after treatment. Cancer and cancer treatments can cause side effects that will affect one’s nutrition and treatment. While some patients may decide to change their diets, evidence of protection from cancer may be lacking or insufficient in many aspects for some special diets like vegan, macrobiotic diet.
Can cancer patients include sugar in their diet? Some totally avoid and some even shun away from other carbohydrates. When carbohydrate-rich foods such as rice, bread, root crops, sugar and sugar substitutes, fruits and vegetables are digested, the end product is glucose. Glucose is the sugar found in our blood and preferred source of energy especially the brain. When carbohydrates are not enough, the body has to make glucose from non-carbohydrate sources namely protein and fats. Regardless of the source, glucose feeds every cell of the body without distinguishing if that is a cancer cell or not. The intake of sugar and its substitutes is linked to cancer in the sense that too much intake can eventually lead to obesity which is linked to cancer. No clear evidence that non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame, potassium, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia at levels consumed by people, can cause cancer.
Even the mode of food preparation can affect nutrition. Juicing is a good idea to increase nutrient intake but should not be the sole or main source of nourishment because juices have less or are lacking fiber and other nutrients. When it comes to antioxidants, the best will be to get them from natural food sources mainly from fruits and vegetables, rather than from supplements. Grilling, smoking or pan-frying meats, poultry and fish at high temperatures can cause chemical reactions that form cancer-causing heterocyclic amines.
Verbatim from acs.org – “Plastic containers can release substances such as phthalates, some of which are possible carcinogens or phenolic compounds such as bisphenol A which is a probable carcinogen, during storage or during cooking in a microwave oven. Use of Teflon-coated cookware may release perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a possible carcinogen, into foods. These substances may influence onset of puberty, a possible factor in the long-term risk of some cancers such as breast cancer. However, evidence in the impact of long-term exposure to these chemicals on cancer risk in human studies is lacking. (to be continued)
