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Do antioxidants encourage the spread of cancer cells?
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/antioxidants-and-cancer-spread
Full article: https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v527/n7577/full/nature15726.html
Scientists do not yet know why some cancers spread to other parts of the body (a process called metastasis). A study in mice suggested that high doses of some antioxidants (chemicals that can protect cells from damage) might actually make it easier for cancer cells to spread. (12/01/2015)
Expert Guidelines
Dietary Supplements
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines on survivorship include the following recommendations on dietary supplement use:
- Taking dietary supplements is not recommended for most cancer survivors unless a patient has a known nutritional deficit, an inadequate diet or other indication (for example, osteoporosis).
- Little data exist to support the use of vitamins or other dietary supplements for cancer prevention, control or recurrence.
- Taking vitamin supplements does not replace the need for a healthy diet. Patients should try to get nutrients from the foods they eat and the beverages they drink.
- Providers should ask about supplement use at regular intervals, about a patient’s reasons for using supplements and the ingredients in those supplements.
- Survivors of certain cancers are at risk of vitamin deficiencies based on cancer treatment (e.g., gastric cancer patients who have had a gastrectomy may be at risk of vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies).
- NCCN recommends calcium and vitamin D supplements for people who have been prescribed denosumab or a bisphosphonate to treat bone metastasis or osteoporosis.
- Patients taking multiple supplements and those in need of nutritional support should be referred to a registered dietitian or nutritionist, preferably one who is trained in supporting oncology patients.
Nutrition for people diagnosed with cancer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends the following for cancer survivors:
- Think about your food choices and amount of fruits, vegetables and unrefined grains you eat compared with red and processed meats, alcohol, and foods or drinks with added fat or sugar.
- Think about your eating habits, including portion size, snacking, how often you eat out and use of added fats or sugars.
- All survivors should be encouraged to:
- Make informed choices about food to ensure variety and adequate nutrient intake.
- Limit refined sugars.
- Eat a diet that is at least 50% plant-based, consisting mostly of vegetables, fruit and whole grains.
- Track calorie intake; monitoring of calories is an effective way to manage weight.
- Minimize alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for a woman and two drinks per day for a man.
- For patients desiring further dietary guidelines, the USDA approximate food plate volumes are:
- Vegetables and fruits should comprise half the volume of food on the plate
- Vegetables: 30% of plate; Fruits 20% of plate
- Whole grains: 30% of plate
- Protein: 20% of plate
- Recommended sources of nutrients:
- Fat: plant sources such as olive or canola oil, avocados, seeds and nuts, and fatty fish.
- Carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
- Protein: poultry, fish, legumes, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the United States Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the American Institute for Cancer Research also publish expert guidelines on nutrition and health.
Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- Are there foods I should eat or avoid after I have had cancer?
- What level of antioxidants should I include in my diet?
- Are there supplements I should take or avoid?
- Can you refer me to a nutritionist?
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.