Dietary recommendations for tumor patients in hot weather

Four key words for improving appetite
It is recommended that tumor patients should choose a balanced diet that is light, warm and soft, and hygienic on high temperature days to ensure nutrition intake.

1.Balanced
A balanced diet is the best diet for tumor patients. It is suggested that tumor patients choose diversified foods in sufficient quantity and scientific combination, which include cereals and tubers, eggs, milk, beans and meat, vegetables and fruit.

2.Light
It is recommended to use such cooking methods as steaming, boiling and stewing and to avoid fried food. The diet on high temperature days should be refreshing and light. In addition, eating small portions of refined food and increasing the number of meals is a good way to improve appetite, increase nutrition intake and alleviate side effects on the digestive tract caused by anti-tumor treatment.

3.Warm and soft
Overheated food can easily burn the oral cavity and digestive tract mucosa. Food that is too cold can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing reduced secretion of digestive juice, gastrointestinal vasoconstriction and intestinal dysfunction.
Make sure that the food temperature is appropriate before eating. Eating hard food can easily scratch the mucosa of the digestive tract, leading to its inflammation and bleeding. Soft food can avoid unnecessary damage to the digestive tract and promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients in food.

4.Hygienic
Rising temperature and humidity can speed up food spoilage. Tumor patients need to pay more attention to food hygiene. It is recommended not to eat dishes left out overnight and reduce intake of cold and oickled dishes.

Get protein from eggs, milk and beans
Many tumor patients lose their appetite for meat products in hot weather. It is recommended to choose other high-quality protein foods instead. Fish is the preferred choice, as it is rich in protein and easy to digest. In addition, there are several kinds of food that can provide high-quality protein.

1.Eggs
Eggs, which contain lecithin, lutein, zeaxanthin and ω- 3 fatty acid, are easy to digest and absorb. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022), the recommended intake of eggs is 40-50g per day, equivalent to 1 egg, 3-4 pigeon eggs, or 5-6 quail eggs.
For elderly tumor patients, it is recommended to consume one egg per day. Patients in the recovery period after surgery can eat two eggs per day. Diabetes and hyperlipidemia patients are recommended to eat a boiled egg every other day.

2.Dairy products
Milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are good sources of high-quality protein and calcium. It is recommended that tumor patients drink 200-250ml of fresh milk with a staple food for breakfast, or 100-150ml of yogurt with fruits or nuts between meals. Doing so not only provides more nutrients, but also promotes their absorption.

3.Beans
Beans include soybeans and miscellaneous beans. Soybean food has high protein content whose amino acid composition is close to that of animal protein.

Consume fresh vegetables and fruits
Tumor patients can choose lettuce, celery, cabbage, tomato, balsam pear and wax gourd. Choosing fresh sour fruits between meals, such as grapes, lemons and hawthorn, can effectively reduce the feeling of dryness and heat on high temperature days.

The furanocoumarin and its compounds contained in grapefruit can interact with a variety of anticancer medicines, interfering with metabolism and efficacy of the medicines. If you are not sure whether you can eat grapefruit while taking medicines, please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Have mixed nuts
Many kinds of nuts, such as cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, peanuts and macadamias, are suitable for tumor patients. Nuts are rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the human body. Eating some nuts every day can reduce fatigue and weakness for cancer patients.

Because the nutritional content of different nuts vary, it is recommended to change varieties or mix them up. It should be reminded that patients with oral cancer and esophageal cancer or elderly patients should eat crushed nuts or nut powder to avoid choking or damaging the esophagus.

Drinking sufficient water
In high temperature weather, it is recommended that cancer patients drink sufficient warm water, but consume small amount for multiple times. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022), the recommended daily intake of drinking water for adults is 1700ml for men and 1500ml for women, which is also applicable to tumor patients. For chemotherapy patients, drinking more water can promote the metabolism of chemotherapy medicines and reduce their toxicity.