Well - Fall 2010 - (Page 13)

Q&A Cancer and Nutrition Q: I have heard that sugar feeds cancer. If I have a cancer diagnosis, should I cut all sugars out of my diet? A: There’s a lot of confusion out there about the connection between sugar and cancer. The idea that sugar feeds cancer is really not useful because sugar feeds all of our cells. Our bodies need glucose, or sugar, for energy. Even if you cut every bit of sugar out of your diet, your body will make sugar from other sources, like protein. The real problem with a lot of simple sugar is that it causes the body to produce insulin, which can tell cells to grow. For healthy cells, this is a good thing. For cancer cells, this is not a good thing. In general, keeping insulin in balance is very important for your health. If you have a cancer diagnosis, the recommendations are to follow a plantbased diet. Q: I have heard that having an “acid environment” in the body can encourage cancer cells to grow and that I should avoid acidic foods. Is this true? A: This is a common idea that comes from a misunderstanding about the connection between cancer and acid in the body. It’s true that cancer cells can create acid—but extra acid in the body does not cause cancer. Your body is a finely tuned machine that really doesn’t allow big swings in its acid-base balance. The good news is that the same foods that fight cancer in other ways also help make the body less Conflicting advice from friends, family, acquaintances and Internet sites about nutrition during cancer treatment can provoke a great deal of anxiety at an already stressful time. That’s why the N.C. Cancer Hospital’s oncology nutritionist, Aimee Shea, discusses some of the common questions patients have about cancer and nutrition. Q: Are soy foods dangerous for women with breast cancer? A: This is a great question that creates a lot of anxiety for individuals who have been diagnosed with breast or other hormone-related cancers. It is also one of the misunderstood concepts relating to healthy nutrition for women with a history of breast cancer. Research studies do not support the idea that soy foods produce estrogen and therefore should be avoided. This idea comes from the fact that these foods do contain a group of nutrients known as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). While these nutrients look chemically similar to human estrogen, they Photo: tamara LaCkey StudioS acidic. These include plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits and legumes. You don’t have to be a vegetarian, but everyone can benefit from eating more plants. A general rule is to try to have two-thirds or more of your plate covered by plant foods (vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans) and one-third or less covered by animal foods (meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs). As the N.C. Cancer Hospital’s outpatient dietitian, Aimee Shea, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN, helps patients figure out which foods can ease side effects of cancer and which foods can help recovery. And she can help patients make dietary and lifestyle changes that will aid long-term recovery and promote overall wellness. Nutritional Support for You Visit www.unclineberger.org/ ccsp/nutrition for helpful links, downloadable tips and to learn more about UNC Health Care’s outpatient oncology nutrition programs. are not the same as naturally occurring human estrogens. Researchers have noted that women who consume soy food as part of a normal diet, such as Japanese women living in Japan, have much lower breast cancer rates than women who do not eat soy foods regularly. However, remember that there are many other lifestyle factors that may also contribute to breast cancer rates among Japanese women! The consensus in the oncology nutrition world is that two to three servings of whole soy foods per day are fine. The entire interview can be read at cancer.unc.edu/ccsp/nutrition/faq.asp. Aimee Shea’s responses have been edited here to fit the space available. www.unchealthcare.org 13 http://www.unclineberger.org/ccsp/nutrition http://www.unclineberger.org/ccsp/nutrition http://cancer.unc.edu/ccsp/nutrition/faq.asp http://www.unchealthcare.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Fall 2010

Well - Fall 2010
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
100 Years of Medical Advancement
Managing Diabetes for a Lifetime
Fixing His Failing Heart
Nutrition
Q&A
Calendar

Well - Fall 2010