What Should Men Consume During Prostate Cancer?
Treatment for prostate cancer has many side effects. Patients should take good care of their diet while undergoing this treatment. Not eating well or healthy can make the effects worse. Hence, doctors advice following good nutrition to help you feel better and gain ample energy.
The best way to make sure you have all requisite nutrients in your diet to handle prostate cancer treatment is to meet a dietitian. An experienced and registered dietitian holding experience in dealing with cancer patients will help you to understand the best diet plan. Additionally, you can report any issue and handle it under expert care. Prostate cancer patients may face dietary issues during treatment such as change in taste, trouble swallowing, a feeling of fullness etc. Reporting these issues to an experienced dietician will help you tackle these without delay so that you can continue having proper nutritious food.
Here are some of the medically approved diet strategies and rules you may follow to manage prostate cancer and get maximum benefits from the treatment:
Take Care of Basic Calorie Requirements
Calorie needs are different for everyone and depend on height, weight, side effects and treatment. The estimated calorie needs for someone with cancer is 15 calories per pound of weight if your weight has been stable. Add 500 calories per day if you have lost weight. Example: A person who weighs 150 lbs. needs about 2,250 calories per day to maintain their weight.
Protein Rich Diet
Protein is important to rebuild and repair effects of aging such as damage to body tissue. Recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of one’s body weight. You can add foods from dairy group and meats into diet such as meat, fish, or poultry. You can also add eggs and legumes (beans) as the best sources of protein. Prostate cancer tends to stress the body. Adding ample protein to diet during the treatment will help body repair and recover faster.
Vitamins
It is important to get enough vitamins. Speak to your doctor about a vitamin supplement if you are unsure of getting ample nutrients. Most doctors prescribe a multivitamin that supplies 100% of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for required nutrients.
Fruits and Greens
Add fruits and greens to your diet. According to doctors, you should get at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables in a day. You should mainly add cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Make sure you add good amount of antioxidant-rich fruits such as cherries, red grapes, berries, plums, and prunes.
Cooked Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene. This antioxidant is best absorbed into body when cooked. As per the recommendations by UCSF, it is recommended to add least 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Make sure cooked tomatoes are a part of this daily serving.
Avoid Red Meat
Doctors advise substituting fish and plants for meat. This is important to get maximum benefit from cancer treatment. A plant-based diet comprising of healthy nuts, beans, flaxseed, and low-fat dairy products is very important.
Try to avoid or reduce the amount of beef, pork, and lamb in your diet. Studies and reports have revealed a strong link between worsening of cancer and even death by consuming red meat and dairy products such as salad dressings, butter, and mayonnaise. Avoid heavy salad dressings. Instead, you can add salsa, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice to flavor to salads. Strictly avoid having cheese.
Fish
Fish is a high source of protein. According to studies, it is revealed that men consuming cold-water fish are at lower risk of developing prostate cancer. This study was published in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It revealed that men who consumed a diet high in fish were 44% less likely to develop metastatic prostate cancer. Additionally, around 63% individuals are less likely to die from this illness. Some of the best options for fish with high omega-3 fatty acid content include farmed trout, salmon, sardines, white canned tuna, and mackerel.
Healthy Oils
Add healthier oils into your diet. Practicing lighter cooking methods is important to maintain health during your treatment. It is advised to cook your meals in olive or canola oil. Strictly avoid using saturated fats, such as vegetable shortening or butter. Cooking method plays a very important role in managing health. Always use low-fat cooking methods to cook your food such as baking, broiling etc. Frying food should be avoided as far as possible.
Fiber Intake
Manage your fiber intake. This will help you get relief from diarrhea (a side effect of prostate cancer treatment). Other side effects include loss of control over bowel movements, loose stools, bleeding rectum, etc. These effects are common among men after external beam radiation treatments suggested for prostate cancer. Adding certain foods to diet can help you to manage the side effects. It is suggested to choose fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.
As per reports revealed by the Prostate Cancer Foundation, adding fiber into daily diet in balanced amount can help. Strictly avoid foods that may irritate your stomach to avoid getting constipated.
Control Weight Loss
Losing weight is not good while undergoing cancer treatment. Hence, if you do not feel like eating or have started to lose your appetite, speak to doctor without delay. Having less or no appetite can make you lose weight.
Additionally, keep a check on your cooking pattern. Make sure you experiment with seasoning foods. Check what makes the food taste better. You may add different herbs, seasoning or sauces to increase flavor. Try cooking food with higher-calorie ingredients. These won’t require eating large portions to meet daily requisite caloric needs.
Special Note:
It is advised to Skip grilling your food at high temperatures. Grilling is known to produce a carcinogen (cancer causing agent) known as PhIP. In case, you have been preparing meats on the grill, make sure you turn the meat frequently to minimize the buildup of char (blackened parts).
You can take following medicines to get relief from Prostate Cancer: Abirakast, Zecyte, Xbira, Abirapro, Indenza, Bdenza