Cervical cancer dietary taboos

Foods that are known to contain carcinogens, foods that will aggravate the adverse reactions of your current treatment, and foods that you are allergic to. Most of the remaining so-called "taboos" are "control the amount according to the situation" rather than complete fasting. Don't avoid malnutrition for the sake of unfounded claims, which will drag down the effect of treatment.

Why do people always think that there are so many dietary taboos for cervical cancer? It’s not just that the random lists on the Internet are spread too fiercely, the first one that bears the brunt is the statement that “you can’t eat fat food”. There is indeed a cognitive difference in this: In the traditional Chinese medicine system, goose meat, roosters, seafood, etc. are considered to be "fat foods" that may cause the aggravation of old diseases. However, in the Western medicine system, there is no concept of "fat foods" at all. Instead, these foods are regarded as important sources of high-quality protein, and patients are encouraged to eat more to supplement their nutrition. I met an aunt in the follow-up group before after surgery. I heard from neighbors in the community that eggs are fat. She had not touched eggs, milk, or meat for half a month. During the reexamination, her albumin was so low that she had to inject extra nutrient solution. The doctor who was in charge of the hospital frowned angrily. Originally, postoperative wound recovery requires a lot of protein, but the strict taboo dragged her into malnutrition. I really can't do it.

Regardless of whether it is traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, there is one type of taboo that is completely uncontroversial, which is food that clearly contains carcinogens. Moldy nuts, aflatoxins in grains, nitrosamines in pickles and salted fish that have been pickled for less than 20 days, as well as alcohol and betel nut, are all carcinogens certified by the WHO. They not only irritate the cervical mucosa, but may also induce mutations in normal cells. Regardless of whether you are a patient or not, ordinary people should avoid touching them. I have seen many family members who like to make medicinal wine for patients to replenish their health. They say that it contains ginseng and deer antler, but alcohol itself is a clear carcinogen. Especially for patients during radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the cervix and digestive tract mucosa are already damaged, and even a few sips may cause pain for several days, which is completely outweighing the gain.

There is another type of taboo that is the most flexible and depends entirely on your current physical condition. Last week, there was a little girl who just had a radical surgery three days ago. Her family secretly brought her iced milk tea. Her intestinal function was weak after the operation. After drinking it, she had diarrhea for two days, and her stomach hurt so much that she broke out in cold sweats. But if your body has recovered as well as a normal person after half a year after the operation, drinking milk tea at room temperature will be fine. Most patients who are undergoing radiotherapy will encounter the problem of radiation enteritis. Diarrhea and anal pain are common. At this time, even broccoli and celery, which are considered "healthy vegetables" in everyone's eyes, should be touched less. High fiber will repeatedly rub the damaged intestinal mucosa, making diarrhea worse. After a month or two after radiotherapy, the intestinal function has recovered, and there is no problem eating normally. When you have severe vomiting during chemotherapy, don't force yourself to drink pig's trotter soup or old hen soup. There is a thick layer of oil floating on it. Drink it and vomit immediately. Instead, it is better to eat some refreshing steamed eggs and soft boiled vegetables. It is not too late to make up for it when your appetite comes back.

As for those false taboos that are so popular, you can really ignore them. For example, many people say that soy products cannot be eaten because the estrogen in them will cause cancer cells to grow wildly. This is pure nonsense - soybeans contain plant isoflavones, which are not the same thing as estrogen in the human body. Instead, they can regulate hormone levels in the body in both directions. Drinking a cup of soy milk, eating a piece of marinated tofu every day, and supplementing high-quality protein are much more reliable than any folk supplements you take. There are also people who say you can’t eat sweets. As long as you don’t have diabetes, you can hold a piece of fruit candy when your mouth is bitter after vomiting from chemotherapy. If you want to eat a cream cake, just eat a small piece. Feeling comfortable is better than anything else. It’s better than not being able to eat anything and starving and losing weight.

I have been in the gynecological oncology ward for almost 8 years, and I have seen the patients who recovered the best. They were never the ones who dared not eat this or touch that. Instead, they all ate miscellaneously and happily. You really don’t have to regard diet as a big burden. Just remember one big principle: being able to eat, being comfortable when eating, and having enough nutrition are more important than rigid taboos. If you are really not sure whether you can eat something, ask your medical doctor or nutritionist. Don’t blindly believe in the three-no’s list on the Internet that you don’t even know the author of.