What should stomach cancer patients eat?

  Due to the rapid growth of tumor and abnormal metabolism of the body, patients with advanced gastric cancer often suffer from loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, which leads to malnutrition and further deterioration of the disease, so attention should be paid to adjusting the diet of patients to enhance their immunity and anti-cancer ability, as well as to make them mentally and psychologically enriched and happy. Protein is the main nutrient for cancer patients, eggs, dairy, lean meat, fish and soybean products can be used according to patients’ digestive ability, carbohydrates are the main energy-supplying substances and should be supplemented as much as possible. Those who have lost their appetite should eat small amounts and choose some concentrated high-quality protein. Pay attention to the color, aroma and taste of food to promote appetite, control pain, nausea, vomiting and other discomforts before eating, pay attention to the cleanliness, comfort and quietness of the eating environment, and for those who are severely anorexic or cannot eat by mouth, nasal feeding or intravenous nutrition can be used. Cancer experts say that 1/3 of cancers are caused by eating. As long as we keep our mouths shut, we can usefully prevent patients from caring for this part of cancer.  Fat energy supply should not exceed 35% of total energy: avoid animal fat and choose fats that can be easily digested and absorbed, such as vegetable oil, cream, egg yolk, etc. A few patients should reduce fat intake if steatorrhea occurs after surgery (referring to diarrhea when a large amount of fat particles are pulled out); excessive sugar intake is likely to cause hyperosmolar dumping syndrome (discomfort symptoms after meals caused by gastrectomy). Therefore, sugar should be controlled appropriately, and sugar supply should account for 50% to 60% of total calories, avoiding the intake of sweets, and starchy foods should be the mainstay; a high protein diet should be supplemented, choosing foods that are easy to digest and have a complete range of essential amino acids. Patients with advanced gastric cancer should consume more fresh vegetables and animal liver, so as to improve the acquisition of various vitamins and minerals. It should be noted that after gastric surgery, patients are prone to iron deficiency anemia, so they can consume lean meat, fish, shrimp, animal blood, animal liver, egg yolk, soybean products and foods rich in protein and iron such as dates, green leafy vegetables and sesame paste to prevent anemia.        Chew slowly to promote digestion: If you want to eat soup or drink, you should pay attention to the dry and thin separate, and try to eat soup 30 minutes before or after the meal to prevent the food from being discharged too quickly to affect digestion and absorption; when eating, you can take a flat position, or rest in the lateral position after eating to prolong the emptying time of food, so that it is completely digested and absorbed. Food taboos: As the physiological function of the stomach is weakened after surgery, special attention should be paid to dietary taboos.  Avoid eating cold, coarse and hard food: avoid eating spicy and stimulating condiments such as pepper and mustard; strictly prohibit drinking strong wine, strong tea and other stimulating foods; avoid overly oily and coarse food, such as fried chicken, fries and other fried foods. Food texture should be soft and easy to digest, should not eat coarse grains, dried beans, hard fruits, vegetables with a lot of coarse fiber (bamboo shoots, celery, etc.), spicy and stimulating and gas-producing foods (such as radish, garlic, white potatoes, etc.). These foods are not completely off-limits, but only the amount and personal tolerance for these foods need to be considered.  Less and more meals: Patients should develop good eating habits, regular eating time, regular and quantitative meals, insist on less and more meals, 5-6 meals a day is appropriate; main food and side dishes should be soft and easy to digest, eat a little less each meal to adapt to the characteristics of small stomach capacity, never overeat, and pay attention to dietary hygiene.        The adjustment of diet after gastric cancer surgery is a prerequisite for patients to carry out treatment smoothly. After treatment, patients are under great pressure physically and psychologically, so following the principles and precautions for adjustment of diet after gastric cancer surgery can help patients reduce pain and pressure, thus helping patients’ treatment, so that treatment can be completed more smoothly and achieve the expected effect. To change bad cooking methods and tumor eating habits. The birth of heterocyclic amines is associated with bad cooking and processing, especially cooking food at too high temperature. Therefore, precautions should be taken not to make the cooking temperature too high, not to burn the food, and to try to avoid too much consumption of burnt, baked, fried, deep-fried and smoked food. Supplement the intake of vegetables and fruits. Dietary fiber has the function of adsorbing heterocyclic amines and reducing their activity, and certain ingredients in vegetables and fruits have the function of restraining heterocyclic amines from causing cancer. Therefore, supplementing the intake of vegetables and fruits has a positive effect on preventing the persecution of heterocyclic amines. When using paper packaging of food, be careful to observe the quality of the wrapping paper.