Cancer cells' sugar
Chemotherapy can cause certain appetite-related side effects, for example – increased appetite, nausea or cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. Although patients don't have to cut sugar out of their diet completely, there are many healthy alternatives to help control the cravings.
The results obtained indicate that food cravings in children with cancer are detected more frequently when patients are diagnosed at an older age. Moreover, patients had higher cravings overall and for specific food subscales such as fast foods, sweets, carbohydrates (starchy food), and fats [13].
Choose desserts that aren't as sweet, such as yogurt, custard, pumpkin pie, fruit, baked fruit, fruit with cottage cheese, fruit crumble, plain doughnuts, or graham crackers.
The American Cancer Society recommends a high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. The most advantageous way to eat dark chocolate without any added ingredients such as caramel, peanut butter, marshmallow, etc.
You might think of chocolate as an unhealthy treat, but dark chocolate in particular has several health benefits—including powerful anti-cancer properties. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals, which are unstable molecules in the body that can cause cancer.
Complex carbohydrates.
Instead, include fruits, whole grains, beans, milk, yogurt, and starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas), to get nourishing carbs with fiber and many other nutrients. A good guide is to include 1 carbohydrate food at snack times and 2 carbohydrate foods at each meal.
"Cancer-fighting foods"
The list is usually topped with berries, broccoli, tomatoes, walnuts, grapes and other vegetables, fruits and nuts. "If you look at the typical foods that reduce cancer risk, it's pretty much all plant foods that contain phytochemicals," says Wohlford.
Researchers found in cells and in mice that a low-protein diet blocked the nutrient signaling pathway that fires up a master regulator of cancer growth.
Deficiencies in certain minerals such as zinc, chromium, iron, calcium, and magnesium may lead to sugar cravings as well, Elia says. Magnesium deficiency is specifically worth paying attention to.
Eating dessert won't make your cancer spread
“The danger in sugar is that it's basically empty calories. It would be better to consume vitamins and nutrients that help your body stay strong during cancer treatment,” Levy says.
Rises in estrogen and progesterone levels tend to correlate with rises in cortisol (stress hormone) levels which lead to cravings for carbohydrates, including sugar. Your serotonin levels tend to decrease during this time, which also leads to sugar cravings.
“Chemotherapy can cause certain appetite-related side effects, such as increased appetite, nausea or cravings for sweets and carbohydrates,” says Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, senior clinical nutritionist at Dana-Farber.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
Chemotherapy. You may feel most worn out for a few days after each chemo treatment. Your fatigue may get worse with each treatment. For some people, fatigue is worst about halfway through the full course of chemo.
Drinking lots of fluids and eating well can help keep your energy reserves up. If nausea and vomiting make it hard to eat, talk to your doctor about these side effects. Get moving. Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, riding a bike and swimming, throughout the week may help you preserve your energy level.
Some raw foods can contain germs that can hurt you when cancer or treatment weakens your immune system. Ask your health care provider about how to eat well and safely. Eggs can have bacteria called Salmonella on their inside and outside. This is why eggs should be cooked completely before eating.
Do not eat soft cheeses or cheeses with blue veins (such as Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Bleu). Do not eat Mexican-style cheeses (such as Queso Blanco fresco and Cotija).
You may also want to avoid cold drinks and frozen treats like smoothies and sorbet with certain types of chemotherapy, as they can cause discomfort if you have chemo-related cold sensitivity. It's fine to take a nutritional supplement if your doctor prescribes it.
Take care with cheese bought from farmer's markets and locally produced cheeses. Pasteurised cheeses such as most cheddars, edam, gouda, jarlsberg, emmental, cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, halloumi processed cheeses such as philadelphia, dairylea and laughing cow.