Using the power of nutrition to fight cancer
At Immunotherapy Institute in Tijuana, nutrition is our first line of therapeutic defense against a chronic disease such as cancer.
As part of our oncological assessment we create a detailed nutritional history of the patient, formed with the information given by them, their medical history and the information the medical team recorded, all with the purpose of providing quality nutrition to our patient.
Most cancer patients don’t see the importance of a healthy diet when it comes to cancer treatment, however it is vital to ensure the best results possible.
In our modern lifestyle, a fast and processed diet is more convenient. In addition, large companies have refining processes for larger food production to satisfy great demand. Our day to day diet is partly behind the development of multiple chronic degenerative diseases.
However, patients don’t realize the lack of nutrients in their food and the negative effect it has on their overall health. When a body is not getting sufficient nutrients, a chronic disease such as cancer, grows faster.
“Our nutritional plan has one purpose: make the patient’s body stronger and healthier to endure medical treatment and minimize the possibility of side effects”
Many clinical and scientific studies have shown that modern day diets are lacking quality nutrients such as fiber and are using damaging substances to the human body such as:
- refined sugars
- additives
- preservatives
- chemicals
- colorants
- unhealthy saturated fats
- corn syrup
The nutritional needs are undermined by an increase in caloric intake for defense, repair or maintenance purposes or all the above. Our Nutrition Care Plan for cancer patients includes certain foods that provide a beneficial nutritional intake to keep the body balanced.
Nutrition in Cancer Care
Cancer is a chronic disease that starts at the body’s cellular level. Many patients ask: how is my daily diet to blame for having cancer? The explanation is simple:
Everyone and everything in this world needs nutrients to grow and be strong, including cancer. When a patient’s body is unhealthy due to bad eating habits, they are creating the perfect environment for cancer to form. Once the disease is present (tumor), it takes nutrients from the body to grow and become stronger.
This leaves the body without the sufficient nutrients to be healthy and fight the disease. Our body enters a state of emergency because it’s looking for strength (nutrients) to fight but cancer has taken all of them, giving it every chance to grow and multiply.
The adipose tissue and connective tissue are the main sources to meet these needs, resulting in nutritional deficiencies; for example, severe malnutrition and a complete chain-reaction of complications as a product of these shortcomings.
If our patients want to stop the growth and spread of cancer, they need to combine their external environment (food) with their internal environment (the nutrient absorption at the cellular level) to create the balanced nutrition needed to ensure a harmonious system – creating the perfect scenario for the body to fight.
Cancer Treatments and Nutrition
When it comes to conventional treatments such chemotherapy, their side effects can damage the overall nutrition of the patients such as: lack of appetite, change in the taste of food, nausea and vomiting.
It is here that we must consider those cases where the gastrointestinal system is directly assaulted in terms of its integrity and function, putting at risk the nutritional status of the patient. We are talking about digestive tract, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, head and neck cancers.
Our medical team focuses on what type of treatment is the best option for our patient and in addition, focus on nutrition and meeting the needs of the patient’s body to maintain balance. Our specialists will guide you in every moment and answer all of your questions.