The role of nutrition before, during, and after a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma or any cancer is being studied and the results are constantly evolving. The basic information is that your personal diet should fit your taste, contribute to a healthy lifestyle, and be affordable for you. Generally, it is recommended that your diet be low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.
The National Cancer Institute has a division, Nutritional Science Research Group, in the Division of Cancer Prevention, whose purpose is to, “promote and support studies, establishing a comprehensive understanding of the precise role of diet and food components in modulating cancer risk and tumor cell behavior.” On Cancer.gov, there are results of studies that have been conducted and their connection with cancer.
Research has shown that you can reduce your chance of getting cancer or improve your chances of recovering from it by making conscious decisions about what you eat. We all have heard through the media many propositions for what someone should eliminate but one of the most promising diets is a plant-based one which eliminates meat, dairy and eggs. Back in 2012 there was an analysis of all the studies that concluded that vegetarians have significantly lower cancer rates. A study funded by the National Cancer Institute showed that vegans have lower rates of cancer than meat eaters and vegetarians. What is it that makes vegan and vegetarians less prone to cancer? When eating animal protein, the growth hormone called IGF-1 is increased. By performing studies that collect blood from meat-eaters, vegans, and vegetarians and placing it on human cells growing in a petri dishes, the results showed that those who ate more plant- based diets were found to suppress the growth of different types of cancer. Additionally, research has shown that being overweight can be a risk factor for cancer.
When you are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma you may lack hope and doubt that a diet change is going to improve your outcome. Despite what the cancer will bring, you may feel better by just making some positive changes. Your whole diet does not have to change overnight but simple steps can improve your overall health and outlook. The American Cancer Research encourages us to eat a diet where our plates are filled with 2/3 of plant- based foods.
We know that Mesothelioma is not related to diet but the overall control of how you treat and fuel your body may feel empowering. Possibly you do not want to change your diet and you are satisfied with your nutritional status and that is fine. Although there is not one study that could provide all the answers, find what is right for you and give it a try.
There are a lot of healthy foods and vitamins widely available to all. Supplements can help a limited diet but, unfortunately one vitamin cannot take place of a food that would otherwise be full of it. Many times, vitamins work with other vitamins and not individually so that should be considered when making food choices. Remember it is quality over quantity; if you cannot get fresh vegetable, try the frozen version. Always remember something is better than nothing.
When dealing with a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma it is vital to take the best possible care of yourself. One of the ways to do that is to get enough sleep. The amount of sleep that can provide you with optimal physical health, optimum immune function, mental health, and cognition, is what you need to obtain. This is often easier to say and to intellectually know but to achieve can be challenging.
Sleep is a basic need of the body for physical and psychological well-being. The importance of sleep for best health cannot be underestimated. Sleep is something that has been undervalued by many of us. The amount of sleep we need varies with age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults age 18-64 should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Age 65 years and older 7 to 8 hours are recommended. Infants and younger people require more sleep. Over time not sleeping, called short sleep deprivation, can lead to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and all-cause mortality. The immediate effects of not getting enough sleep are irritability, negativity, bad mood, inability to concentrate, short term memory loss, apathy, poor communication and questionable decision making.