Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
My father was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He has just completed radiation treatment for his lungs and a metatastic tumor in his brain. He starts chemo in a couple of weeks.
My question for the diet and supplement gurus on the board: What research are you aware of regarding supplements and cancer treatment? Are there any specific supplements that improve the odds?
I've come across a couple of studies that suggest whey protien has some beneficial effects at the cellular level during chemo, but these studies all came from supplement companies , and two oncologists have told him that protien supplements might actually reduce the effectiveness of the chemo. (I'm not clear on exactly why.) I don't have the bio-chemistry background to really evaluate the evidence. My dad is a pretty skeptical guy, but he's open to evidence, so citations would be helpful.
I am short on time and don't have specific study notes on hand. What you can type in is the following terms to help you pull up research and studies on the subject.
Cancer and Ketogenic diet
Tumeric/Curcumin cancer
Resvertatrol cancer
Fish oil caner
The rest of my reply is a letter I wrote to a friend for advice. I have recently been having to deal with cancer in my life and it has caused me to take on a mound of research for it. In this letter I talk about a some specifics. I also mention what I do in this situation. The information is all backed up by research and study and I can say the in my situation it has been tremendously helpful, if not miraculous. At the same time, understand I am not saying this is a cure but I truly believe that there could be no harm in giving a diet and supplemental method a shot. The only thing you really want to be careful in my opinion is antioxidants around chemo treatments. Chemo is trying to kill the cancer, let it do its thing. Give a good 2-3 days before and after treatment before getting heavy with the antioxidants.
Below is the letter I sent. I hope it helps your father.
Quote:
Hope you are doing well and very sorry to hear about your friend. I hope that this information will help guide her towards a better quality of life or at very least let you feel you have done something for your friend. With these kinds of things we can feel so helpless, in truth though there really is a lot that we can do, it is never just in the hands of doctors or wishful thinking. If we hit at all angles of faith, hope, and science, then those odds increase on levels that can seem miraculous.
The thing to note with cancer treatment and nutrition is that it is very important to understand what the stage of treatment the person is in. For example, nutrition pre cancer, fighting cancer, and in remission, are all different animals. A person would have to take it seriously, they would have to be diligent, and understand that nutrition on this level and treatment is of such a standard of focus that it is almost like rehab. In short, it takes a true dedication , it takes really wanting to live and fighting for it. It isn't easy and it isn't everything but it can help.
Depending on the kind of cancer one has is important. You must first understand the basic need of a cancer cell. Like any cell it needs food, it needs "air" and it has to live. The point of chemo and radiation is to kill that "air" that can feed if you will. It can only do so much and it also can lower you immune ability. The best thing beyond that is to do everything you can to keep your level of nutritional treatment high and utilize the best supplements you can. This isn't in a "holistic quack, spend your money way". This is in a researched but not yet completely funded for mass approval way. I am not crying conspiracy, it isn't about that. What it is about is too many "cooks" and "ideas" in the kitchen that is leading to slowed progress. Until the big/dumb boys play catch up, the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves.
Now that I have stated the caveat to all of this, let me get to the point of instruction and research supporting the protocol.
Point #1-Nutrition before, during, after is all different.
What this means is that before a cancer diagnosis what will protect you from getting cancer in a nutritional sense, is in short, to all over the place to nail down. There are lots of theories, I personally have my own. However, at the end of the day it is purely anecdotal and while yes, based on educated guess and theories, they are still just that. It does seem time and time again that limiting processed foods, keeping a diet of moderate and quality macro nutrients, and focusing on minimal but essential supplementation is the winner...every time. Once you are diagnosed, the story is completely different. Quick point is this, we may not know directly what spurs it on, however, we have a pretty good idea what "feeds" it while it is here.
Cancer cells, on average (this is the large majority of cancer cells, perhaps all but that would be a blanket statement) feed off of glucose. Now that is extremely over simplifying the process, big time. I am not going to drown you with science, just to say that through all the connection of the dots, the end "dot" is that cells being fed by calories and by glucose. One of the reasons chemo has been thought to work so well is not just because of it deadening of cancer cells, but because of how sick it makes you and puts you in a state of being hypo-caloric. Because we know this (cancer feeds off of glucose) then the logical step would be to enter into a Ketogenic Diet program (no carbs/high fat/moderate protein). Normally, when the body is not in a state of cancer and "shutdown" if you will, the body can transfer fat and protein in the brain, to small degree, over to glucose properties. Meaning that pre-cancer it would seem that to go to these links would be a little extreme. However, when in a cancerous state cell mutation could be different. If feeds different and the shut off to this glucose production is more. Meaning that the less you take in, the less the cancer cells will be spread. If you take in this concept for a moment you may be thinking "it can't be that simple" but I assure you, it is. Now the more aggressive and invasive the cancer, the more it is going to spread and try to find "food". Stored energy can also be used to feed cancer cell, meaning the fatter you are, the worse your chances are. This is why, again being in a deficit (hypo-caloric) state is your best chance. You are, from all angles, starving the cancer. If can't feed, it can't "infest" the areas it wants or at least as aggressively as it wants to. You have to think of cancer as a mold.
-A study was done on lab rats given a progressive tumorous cancer. The rats feed a Ketogentic (85/15/0) ratio diet lived 51 days longer than the rats feed a balance of carbohydrates/low fat.
- Brain cancer has a very low survival rate yet it has been shown that Keto diets have a higher succes rate than chemo in some studies.
-Some sources say while on chemo the craving for sugar are unbearable, leading more belief or reasoning that the body is trying to feed the cells
Now if the cancer is just too aggressive, then there is little you can do. Basically taking out or suffocating that "bad" is just to hard. There is just to much of it to battle and you couldn't do it all in time. However, believe it or not, this shouldn't be as often as it is. If you get it early enough, and starve it soon enough, then you can go into remission.
Once in remission you should go back to a focus on re-building the immune system. You will need carbohydrates for this, but IMO should focus on a higher intake of fruits and veggies with smaller amount of overly processed grains and as little as inflammation properties as possible. In short provide the highest nutrients and repair to the body possible. The worry of feeding that cancer with glucose isn't as high and it is more important to focus on rebuilding your immune system rather than starving it. It is a delicate balance and to be truthful for a lot of people a more complicated one. I am not even beginning to say I have it down, but I just know what I would do/am doing.
Bottom Line Nutrition Guidelines DURING cancer treatment
65-75%-Fat (mostly high quality rich fats)
Rest of the diet in protein
No carbs/Fiber supplement with psyllium husks.
If carbohydrates are taken in it should be only the lowest calorie/highest fiber veggies like celery, mushrooms, and peppers.
Point #2-Supplements do help
There is a wide variety of supplements you can take to help you build your immune system, lower body and blood inflammation, and achieve a higher level of fighting towards the cancer. I am not (though can if you desire to know) going to get into the ifs/ands/whys of these supplemental choices. This is highly involved on each one as to why. Rather than overload you with that, I am going to keep it simple but please if you have any questions on which/why just let me know. I have no problems expanding or explaining. I recommend looking at pub med on research, these things are highly backed
1-Fish Oil, particularly Cod Liver Oil and Omega 3's (low on 6)-15-20 grams daily. Break up into 3 doses a day. Meaning 3 times a day take in pure at least 5 grams of Oil. This will manly work on reducing inflammation amongst other things.
2-Multi-Vitamin (quality and approved with minerals and vitamins) Make sure there is no Yeast, sugar, or starch. Also make sure it is high in all vitamins and complete.
3-Co-enzyme Q10-100mg a day-Make sure there is no Yeast, sugar, or starch. High For Immune System
4-Complete Digestive Enzymes- -Make sure there is no Yeast, sugar, or starch. This is for help to absorb nutrients better.
5-Resveratrol - This is expensive, harder to find, but has 107 research works towards positive results in cancer research.
6-Curcumin- Yes, Cumin. 3.6 mgs a day was found to slow the progress of cancer cells in Mast Cell Tumors in a highly controlled and well produced study. It also is extremly high in reducing inflammation.
You can find all of these pretty easy and the cost more than makes up for the result.
Point #3-Hunger, is a good thing, stay that way.
You want to starve the cancer. To some degree that means starving yourself. You do not want to take it to that level of severe malnutrition, but, during the fighting stage you want to make the cancer weak. You may have moments of feeling good and wanting to have some pie with your friends. This isn't the time. This is the fight for your life, literally. You have to get in and do what you have to do. Staying in at least a 30-40% deficit of caloric needs until remission, IMO, is the least amount you should be doing.
I hope this helps. At the very least it should inform you on higher levels about nutrition and cancer in the future. Please note: I am not a doctor nor am I am anyway telling anyone to eat a certain diet. However, the above protocol is what I would follow if myself or a loved one got cancer.
supplements and cancer
, and two oncologists have told him that protien supplements might actually reduce the effectiveness of the chemo. (I'm not clear on exactly why.) I don't have the bio-chemistry background to really evaluate the evidence. My dad is a pretty skeptical guy, but he's open to evidence, so citations would be helpful.
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