These days, many Cancer patients succumb to the disease due to the side effects of chemotherapy treatment and not because of cancer itself. Although the process can effectively destroy cancerous cells in the body, moreover, it also harms other healthy cells.

Chemotherapy compromises a person’s immune system, which is the most essential line of defense versus any illness. Its most common side effect is weakened immunity. Some other side effects are depression, hair loss, insomnia, mood disorders, skin changes, constipation and anemia.

Rather than being dependent to another round of medications in order to control the side effects, a drastic change in lifestyle may be a big help in supporting the body during Chemotherapy. Doing so can also reduce collateral damage throughout the process.

The Significance of Diet when Fighting Cancer
A person’s diet plays a significant part during Chemotherapy. Even though eating well could be a challenge since the treatment affects not only one’s taste buds but also appetite, eating properly has its rewards; aside from minimising side effects and promoting recovery, it also lessens the risk of infection. That’s why it is highly suggested for cancer patients to consume these super foods which are rich in nutrition along with their diet.

Moringa
Some of the common adverse effects of Chemotherapy is loss of appetite and nutrients; so as a result, the patient may suffer from weight loss and at extreme levels, malnutrition. Moringa could help fight that. Moringa leaves consist of all the essential amino acids which could enhance the immune system.

Moringa is widely popular for being abundant in iron, calcium and protein as well as with high antioxidant levels like Vitamins A, B and C; these could aid in terms of offsetting side effects in cancer therapy. They also decrease the current cancer process.

You can easily meet your daily nutrient requirements when you include Moringa in your diet even without having to eat a full meal.

Curcumin
Curcumin or turmeric extract works like a charm with Cancer patients and then offsets the side effects of Chemotherapy by improving immunity. It is exceedingly anti-inflammatory as well as anti-microbial and that is highly beneficial since Cancer is in fact an inflammatory disease.

Combining Curcumin with piperine is a wise decision because piperine from black pepper promotes its absorption.

Seeds
The seeds consist of various forms of Vitamin E such as tocopherols and tocotrienols, and also the phenolic acids which are really brilliant at increasing bodily immune functions.

All seeds such as sesame, sunflower, watermelon, flax and most importantly pumpkin are packed with vital nutrients like magnesium, zinc, B Vitamins such as folic acid and biotin which aid in detoxification of lignans, and protecting DNA. Omega-3 essential fatty acids inhibit malignant cells from getting close into the other cells in the body.

Furthermore, flaxseeds support in minimising oestrogen levels and contain lignans showing anti-angiogenic features; they prevent tumours from developing new blood vessels.

Coconut oil
The best thing about coconut oil is its amazing healing properties. The coconut tree is usually known to be the ‘tree of life’—and rightly so. This is because it serves as a defence from bacteria, infection and viruses. Not to mention that the MCT contained in coconut oil helps in enriching the absorption of healthy nutrients and combating fatigue.

“The word, superfood, is not commonly used by healthcare professionals, but is used to describe particular foods with a myriad of health benefits. These health benefits may range from having a higher vitamin and/or mineral content to having medicinal effects compared to common foods.

Most of these foods would be plant-based since plants do not contain arachidonic acid compared to meat products, which is a precursor to inflammation. At Verita Life, the superfoods we use could be differentiated into 3 categories, which include nuts/seeds, botanical spices and fruits/vegetables.

The nuts and seeds that are used are mainly for the dietary fibre, lignan, and the healthy oils. Lignans are polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, that can be used to quench free radicals and feed the gut flora. They may be found in chia seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseeds. Dietary fibre also feeds the gut bacteria in the colon to produce small fatty acid chains to keep the cells in the colon healthy. Fibre is usually viewed as a colon cleanser, but it also helps reduce cholesterol levels through binding with bile produced from the gallbladder. Most of the bile is reabsorbed after being used; however, bile that has been bound to fibre will be excreted into faeces. Once the old bile is excreted, the body has to produce more bile from cholesterol.

Botanical spices such as Turmeric and Moringa do contain anticancer properties. When used as a food, they contain medicinal molecules, also known as constituents, to help prevent cancer, but may need a higher dose to help treat a very aggressive cancer. These herbs are used at Verita Life at a therapeutic range to achieve a higher level of intervention compared to just using them as spices in food. The misconception of using spices as food compared to medicine is that most of the active ingredients is being metabolised by the liver before it could be used to fight cancer cells. However, the herbs do contain other nutritional values to help vitalise the overall health; therefore, the healthy benefits of spices in food is not completely futile.

There are certain fruits and vegetables that are considered as superfoods such as kale, beetroot, and coconut. The main problem we run into among cancer patients is that the sugar content within these fruits and vegetables are quite high when taken at a large quantity such as the unlimited beetroot juice or carrot juice. Cancer cells use all the nutrition a normal cell would use at an accelerated level; therefore, the mechanism at which glucose is used by cancer cells would be accelerated as well. Generally, beetroot is a liver food that helps increase the efficiency of the liver, which would be appropriate for the general population. At Verita Life, we try to limit the carbohydrate intake due to the enhanced metabolism of glucose in cancer cells. Coconut oil from coconut contains medium-chain fatty acid, which is used in conventional medicine to help with the lymphatic system. It also contains a high energy content; however, when taken at a very high quantity, it may cause diarrhoea. For patients that have diabetes, the saturated fats within coconut oil may be contraindicated.

Superfoods have always been used positively, but it is not recognised as a medical term. At Verita Life, we do use three types of superfoods as treatment and as part of the anticancer diet, which are as follows: nut/seeds, botanical spices, and fruits/vegetables. Despite the promotion of superfoods for their health benefits, certain types of superfoods may not be recommended for certain conditions. It is then very important to consult with a healthcare professional when in doubt.”

We at Verita Life pride ourselves in having a thorough follow-up programme for all our patients which is already complete as our therapies. Our world-class Cancer treatments do not stop when the patient leaves our facilities. From supplementary therapies when needed, to customised diet plans, the partnership between Verita Life and its patients is a very personal one and extended even when the patient has gone back home.

Our supportive team of Patient Representatives and oncologists is always ready to help you in your cancer-related queries. You may contact us here for more details.