Any special diet?

**mpalka6** · 07-17-12, 11:13 AM

I have been hearing a lot about what to eat or not eat to kill cancer. There is a lot of books there. Anyone try any anticancer diet?

**CancerSux** · 07-17-12, 01:20 PM

There are things to watch out for like raw food that could harbor bacteria, especially if you are on chemo, and the amount of antioxidants you eat, again if you are on chemo, need to be monitored.

However, while there is DEFINITELY something to eating a better diet effecting your rates of developing some cancers, there is absolutely no such thing as an anti-cancer diet or anything that you can eat that will kill the cancerous cells. There are a lot of books, but the science is clear - there is no special anti-cancer diet, sorry.

What you can do depends on what you are up for. My husband was in the 'I have cancer, screw my diet' camp through his treatments, and I was not going to argue with him - he went with comfort food. A lot of people do the reverse and feel better for it, so talk to your oncologist and maybe a nutritionist, let them help guide you depending on your treatment, and a healthy diet is always a good plan long-term.

**mpalka6** · 07-17-12, 08:59 PM

Thanks for the answer. I am quite confused about the antioxidants. I always though you should eat them ad much as you can so are you suggesting someone should lower intake of them when is battling cancer?

**Davepet** · 07-18-12, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by mpalka6

Thanks for the answer. I am quite confused about the antioxidants. I always though you should eat them ad much as you can so are you suggesting someone should lower intake of them when is battling cancer?

Some sources feel that antioxidants also help the cancer cells as well as the normal cells. There does not seem to be widespread agreement on this (at least that I have found). I take supplements & a number of antioxidant rich foods & did not alter that while getting chemo, didn't seem to hurt anything, YMMV.

Dave

**CancerSux** · 07-18-12, 08:53 AM

Some chemotherapies work specifically by inducing oxidation, including those used in the majority of testicular cancer treatments (BEP), so while on those therapies it is advisable to avoid antioxidants, purely based on theory (it is far too unethical to do a clinical trial to evaluate this since you would be basically attempting to make a person's chemo treatments less efficacious, so it may be that there is no overall effect, like in Dave's experience, but it is also truly not worth the risk).

However, that is while on certain chemos, and not to be taken into a broader setting of post-cancer diagnosis. Antioxidants are fine in general, and there are some studies showing they might help prevent cancers/may be useful as therapies themselves, so as long as your husband isn't on chemo, they are a good idea.

Sorry if that answer is long-winded.

**mpalka6** · 07-18-12, 02:11 PM

http://www.drlam.com/articles/cancer...tioxidants.asp

Before he got diagnosed and now he drinks 2 cups of fresh green squeezed juice and 2 cups of green smoothie. Now after diagnosis he added 20 gram of spirulina which contains a lot SOD. Do you think its to much? We don't know yet if he needs any treatment.... what do you think? As far I understood you shouldn't have SOD during chemo? But before and after is OK right? My husband is such as healthy frick I can believe the cancer happened to him.

**CancerSux** · 07-18-12, 02:27 PM

I am assuming SOD = super oxide dismutase? He is fine now, the only time to discuss it with the oncologist is if chemo is needed.

Originally Posted by mpalka6

My husband is such as healthy freak I can believe the cancer happened to him.

Cancer doesn't discriminate, and while a healthier lifestyle in a population does lead to decreased incidences of various cancers, it is (most often) truly random crappy chance. Plus with TC it is most likely genetic events that occurred in utero - meaning when your husband was a developing fetus, so nothing he did or didn't do changed his chances of developing cancer.

All we can do is use logic - avoid smoking, eat healthier, don't bath in radiation - to decrease our chances of developing cancers.