Good nutrition is needed for general good health and particularly important when you are ill. During this time, it is important to give your body the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals it needs for energy, repair of normal tissue, and to keep your immune system strong to fight disease. Studies indicate eating a healthy diet is as important as your surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy during cancer treatment.

Many of the therapies designed to destroy cancer cells may also damage the nearby, healthy tissue. Areas of the body vulnerable to side effects of cancer treatment methods include the mouth and digestive tract. Unfortunately, the damage to the healthy cells in the mouth and digestive tract can result in eating problems including loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, sore mouth or throat, dry mouth, changes in tastes, weight loss or gain, and fatigue.

Whether or not an individual experiences cancer treatment-associated side effects depends on a variety of indications including the part of the body being treated, the type and length of the treatment, and the amount or dose of the treatment given. Fortunately, not everyone experiences side effects during cancer treatment and those who do have problems can be comforted that the side effects can be reduced with changes in diet and/or medication, and will go away after the treatment has ended.

Many side effects, including nausea, vomiting, sore or dry mouth, may make eating difficult and cause you to lose interest in eating. “During this time, appetite may no longer motivate you to eat, and a planned approach may be necessary for you to keep up your strength,” Diva Justice, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Food and Nutrition director, said.

According to Justice, it is important before and during cancer treatments to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. This includes:

• Choosing low fat dairy products
• Choosing lean cuts of meat, chicken, turkey, or fish
• Cutting back on sugar, fat, alcohol, and salt intake
• Eating whole grain breads and cereals
• Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

“Food is not only something to delight the taste, but is an essential ingredient in the fight against disease and plays an important role in the path to helping the body to heal,” Justice concluded.

If you are experiencing cancer treatment-associated side effects, speak to your oncologist or dietitian about developing a diet that meets your nutritional needs and fits with your lifestyle. For more information, please call the CareLine at (606) 833-CARE (2273).