| Does the standard medical approach that
encourages cancer patients to
eat whatever they want, especially
diets rich in meat and dairy products,
actually cause many cancer patients
to feel worse? Could certain foods
often recommended to cancer patients
actually feed their malignancies?
The answer to these important
questions is a resounding “yes,”
according to cancer expert and
researcher Keith I. Block, MD,
Scientific/Medical Director of
the Block Center for Integrative
Cancer Care and Optimal Health
in Evanston, Illinois. “Numerous
studies published in peer reviewed
medical journals over the past
decade, including the Journal
of Nutrition, the British Medical
Journal and the Journal of Surgical
Research have associated the saturated
fats found in animal products,
partially hydrogenated fats and
omega-6 fatty acids with chronic
inflammation,” says Dr. Block.
“This can potentially contribute
to cancer growth as well as the
wasting syndrome known as cachexia.”
Cachexia affects 8 out of 10 advanced
cancer patients and can cause
a massive (up to 80%) loss of
both fatty tissue and skeletal
muscle. In fact, it is often not
a malignancy but cachexia that
takes the lives of cancer patients.
According to the National Cancer
Institute cachexia is estimated
to be the immediate cause of death
in 20% to 40% of cancer patients.
In addition to decreasing survival,
cachexia also increases complications
from all conventional treatments.
Typical symptoms include weakness,
fatigue, accelerated weight loss,
anorexia and chronic nausea, as
well as emotional distress and
depression. “Cachexia is not a
case of cancer patients simply
not eating enough or not feeling
like taking nourishment,” says
Dr. Block. “The current scientific
consensus is that cancer cachexia
results primarily from an underlying
metabolic imbalance induced by
the cancer which causes the body’s
metabolism to speed up. This generates
a chronic, low-grade inflammation
and the breakdown of muscle and
other lean tissues, as well as
immune suppression. Unfortunately,
general recommendations coming
out of some cancer organizations
encourage eating all you want
of the typical American diet.
The heavy consumption of fats,
refined flours and sugars, can
increase inflammation and contribute
to more anorexia and debilitating
weight loss.” The fallacy in this
approach can be likened to trying
to keep a leaky container full
of liquid by adding more water
to it. Solely adding water won’t
keep the container full unless
the underlying cause – the leak
– is rectified. So when it comes
to nutritional recommendations,
simply consuming more food and
calories with high calorie drinks
and shakes is not a meaningful
solution. More importantly addressing
the underlying problem, inflammation,
with inflammatory-fighting foods
will better correct the underlying
metabolic disorder. Then, improving
caloric intake with healthy choices
will provide a better potential
for overcoming this common condition.
So what sort of diet can fight
both cachexia as well as other
causes of weight loss such as
chemotherapy induced loss of appetite?
Dr. Block recommends a diet replete
with inflammation and cancer fighting
phytochemicals, complex carbohydrates
and specific, healthy fats and
proteins, and individually tailored
nutritional supplements; while
simultaneously eliminating/reducing
inflammatory foods, which may
spur the growth of cancer, fuel
cachexia and reduce treatment
tolerance. Let’s look at these
major offenders: “Bad” dietary
fats such omega 6, saturated,
and trans fats “Bad” carbohydrates
such as high-glycemic foods “Bad”
cooking methods such as open flame
or high-heat preparation techniques
like charcoal-grilling and deep
frying To take charge of “bad”
fats, one should first, keep total
fat consumption under 20% of daily
calories. Second, reduce or eliminate
saturated fat found in milk, cheese,
butter, red meat, pork, coconut,
and poultry. Third, eliminate
unnatural fat, called trans fat,
found abundantly in margarine,
hydrogenated oils, as well as
many baked goods and convenience
foods. And finally, strive for
an optimal dietary balance of
polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) known
as Omega-6’s and omega-3’s. Omega-6
fats (found in certain vegetable
oils including corn oil, safflower
and sunflower oil) are better
reduced, while Omega-3 fats, commonly
found in fish oil, as well as
the monosaturated fats in olive
oil, should be increased. After
taking charge of your fat consumption,
one needs to look at the main
source of caloric energy—carbohydrates.
It turns out that high-glycemcic
foods, ones that cause a sudden
rise in blood sugar (even in non-diabetics)
accelerate the formation of arachadonic
acid, a product of omega-6 fatty
acid metabolism. This is the main
fuel supporting the inflammatory
pathway and foods increasing this
should be reduced or avoided.
These foods include sugar, honey,
high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated
sweeteners, sugary beverages,
cookies, cakes, pastries; white
bread, crackers, and sugar-laden
or white-flour baked goods. “This
is a scientifically sensible strategy
that provides cancer patients
with the calories they need from
dietary sources that actually
support, rather than thwart, their
recovery,” says Dr. Block, who,
for a quarter of a century, has
lived by the unrelenting conviction
that no cancer patient should
be given up on ... there is always
something more to try. “Even during
chemotherapy, my clinical experience
has shown that a grain, legume,
fish and vegetable, fruit, nuts
and seeds based diet with targeted
‘superfood’ supplementation is
the optimal approach to combating
cancer related anorexia and weight
loss, and even cachexia.” “It
is time for those who treat cancer
to put away the unhealthy ‘eat
all you want’ myth and incorporate
science-based nutrition strategies
into their treatment plans for
helping patients successfully
fight cancer and improve their
quality of life.” Leni Kass has
been in marketing and public relations
for over 15 years. Previously,
she worked with teens, and facilitated
a therapy group for adolescents
with eating disorders. She is
cofounder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y.,
Inc. NFP, a 501c3 nonprofit organization
that empowers teens with self-esteem
building tools, to help them counter
challenges such as eating disorders,
bullying, violence, substance
abuse and suicide. U.G.L.Y. is
an acronym that stands for meaning
Unique Gifted Lovable You. |
