According to the National Cancer Institute, “Nutrition therapy can help cancer patients get the nutrients needed to maintain body weight and strength, prevent body tissue from breaking down, rebuild tissue, and fight infection….Being well-nourished has been linked to a better chance of recovery.”
Recommendations abound for just what and how to eat and supplement your diet when you’re going through treatment, and it can be confusing to figure out what you need to do on a daily basis. We think Dr. Michael Murray, ND and author of How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine (Riverhead, 2003) breaks it down with some pretty simple instructions, and wanted to share these with you.
Eating
As to what to eat and when, Dr. Murray recommends first, that you drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. On top of that, add at least one glass of fresh vegetable juice (18-24 oz), and at least one high-protein smoothie containing one ounce of whey protein. Eat more small meals instead of fewer larger ones; use extra seasonings and spices to improve taste appeal; take small bites and chew completely; and if you’re suffering from mouth sores or other side effects that make it difficult to chew and swallow, eat soft foods like bananas, brown rice, yams, applesauce, and cottage cheese.
Supplements
You probably already know to take a high-potency multivitamin. Make sure it’s from a reputable manufacturer, and has a high dose of important B vitamins and minerals. (The right daily dose will come in 2-3 capsules, not just one.) In addition to that, add a quality fish-oil supplement and some sort of “green” drink or supplement that contains barley grass, wheat grass, or algae sources (chorella or spirulina).
Extras
Along with these basics, Dr. Murray suggests “natural cancer fighters” like proteolytic enzymes-which help digest protein and have shown in some studies to increase survival rate-and maitake mushroom extract, which contains immune-boosting compounds. (Take .5-1 mg/2.2 lbs body weight of mushroom extract.)
Another recommendation offered by Safe Solutions Inc. is to get enough calcium, which helps control the acidity in the body, allowing more oxygen into the cells. (Make sure to pair it with vitamin D and magnesium for optimum absorption.) Dr. Lindsey Duncan, ND, CN, recommends probiotics, which you can get from a cup of yogurt a day, and the National Foundation for Cancer Research says that selenium can help fight cancer by enhancing vitamin E’s antioxidant activities. (You can find selenium in fish, grains, and meat.)
To get a copy of Dr. Murray’s book, click here.
Please share any recommendations you may have for fighting cancer with natural methods.
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