Side Effects of Cancer Treatment Affect Taste, Leading to High Risk of Malnutrition! Doctor Recommends Three Dietary Principles to Help Cancer Patients Eat Well
The Taiwan United Cancer Association, in
collaboration with Dr. Po-Chen Chen from the Family Medicine Department of Shu-Tien Hospital, conducted a survey in September 2022
involving 150 cancer patients and their families. The findings revealed that
while taste disorders are a common side effect of chemotherapy, they are often
overlooked, increasing the risk of malnutrition and making it harder for
patients to endure subsequent treatments.
70% of Cancer Patients Experience Taste Disorders, Nearly 40% Feel Malnourished
Chemotherapy is one of the most common and
essential cancer treatments, but it can also damage healthy cells, leading to
various side effects. According to Secretary-General Danny Chen of the Taiwan
United Cancer Association, aside from common issues like hair loss, taste
disorders are another challenging side effect faced by cancer patients during
chemotherapy. Among the 142 valid survey responses collected, a staggering 70%
of cancer patients reported experiencing taste disorders during treatment.
Additionally, while most cancer patients claimed
they remained optimistic about their changing taste, nearly half of their
caregivers observed frequent complaints about food tasting bad or refusal to
eat. Concerned about the patients' ability to endure further treatment, many
caregivers tried persuading or even forcing them to eat, leading to conflicts
in 31% of cases.
Ms. Kuo, a chronic myeloid leukemia patient,
shared her experience. Five years ago, her condition progressed to acute
lymphoblastic leukemia, requiring her to undergo high-dose chemotherapy in a
transplant unit before receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. She
recalled, "One month into chemotherapy, everything started tasting
excessively salty and greasy. The hospital meals were monotonous, and eating
meat and vegetables felt like chewing on rubber bands or sugarcane pulp."
"As chemotherapy progressed, food even had a sewage-like taste. The only things I could tolerate were sweets and starchy foods. However, my family believed these were neither nutritious nor healthy. My doctor reassured us, saying, 'Any food you can swallow is good food.' After discussing it with my family, we adopted a small, frequent meal plan supplemented with nutritional products."
Doctors Recommend Adjusting Flavors to Stimulate Appetite and Aid Treatment
For cancer patients' dietary care, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner Dr. Mei-Fei Chen explained, "Many cancer patients suffer from weak spleen and stomach, leading to symptoms like poor appetite, belching, diarrhea, and constipation. TCM treatments often use herbs to boost energy, strengthen the spleen, stimulate appetite, and aid digestion. To counteract the most common bitter taste disorder, cancer patients can sip lemon water, tea, or soup before meals. Using broths and aromatic ingredients can help neutralize bitterness. Additionally, switching from metal cutlery to wooden or ceramic utensils can reduce strong tastes in the mouth."
Dr. Mei-Fei Chen also suggested three key dietary principles for cancer patients and their caregivers:
- Adjust According to Taste Changes: Modify the aroma, flavor, and texture of food to make it more palatable.
- Utilize Natural Flavors: Use ingredients that naturally release sweetness and fragrance, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, scallions, and ginger.
- Choose Acceptable Flavors: Prepare a variety of seasonings so patients can experiment and choose based on their changing taste preferences:
- For those who dislike sour flavors: Use kelp soy sauce, fucoidan-based soy sauce, or Japanese-style thickened sauce.
- For those who dislike sweet flavors: Try salted lemon sauce, preserved plums, or basil sauce.
- For those who dislike salty flavors: Use tomato sauce, tempura sauce, or sweet vinegar-pickled radish.
Cancer patients and their families should be reminded that all cancer treatments cause cellular damage. To repair these cells, the body's nutritional needs are higher than during normal health. If the body lacks sufficient energy to heal cells damaged by chemotherapy, patients may become weaker and unable to continue treatment, significantly affecting overall effectiveness. By adjusting food flavors and aromas to make meals more palatable, cancer patients can maintain better nutrition and fight cancer more effectively.
Reference: https://fucoidan.org.tw/page/news/show.aspx?num=103&kind=21&page=1
https://heho.com.tw/archives/243042
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