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Foods you should avoid with bone cancer to prevent complications

suffering from bone cancer

Bone cancer is a metastatic disease affecting any bone in the body. There are two types of bone cancers referred to as multiple myeloma and bone sarcomas. Bone sarcomas occur more frequently amongst people between the age group of 10-20 years. The most common indicator of bone cancer is pain. The pain being mild initially, starts becoming intense gradually. One needs to be careful about the food intake as it will help the patient to support the immune system to fight against cancer.

The dietary recommendation depends upon the treatment and condition of the patient. One should avoid toxins as a thumb rule. Suffering from bone cancer could mean avoiding food allergens like dairy products ranging from milk to ice cream, preservatives, and chemical food additives. Your doctor may also suggest you undergo a food allergy test. This calls for an increase of a diet rich in antioxidants like fruits and vegetables. Here is a list of foods to avoid during bone cancer.

Foods to avoid during bone cancer

Avoid foods with low or empty calories

skim milk,Bone cancer treatment and remedial actions can cause pain and nausea affecting the overall appetite. Therefore, a patient suffering from bone cancer should not consume foods low on calorie or which contain empty calories. One should be innovative and creative in boosting the protein and calorie intake via the foods you consume. Enhance the usage of meal substitutes which include diets rich in high-calorie and high-protein drinks. Eat whenever you feel hungry. Include foods like skim milk, butter or brown sugar for those extra protein supplements. High-protein and high-calorie foods could also include snacks. The body ailing from bone cancer requires extra calories and protein to heal and recuperate. Don’t feel perturbed if side effects from surgery make it too hard for you to hog. Ideally one should also go slow on beverage intake to avoid intake of a high amount of toxins and empty calories.

Reduce or eliminate fatty acids

donutFatty acids found in commercially baked goods like donuts, processed cheese, fruit cakes, baked chips and more should be avoided as they increase the chances of nausea in patients suffering from bone cancer, due to loss of appetite. These items are also high on trans fatty acids which get stored in the inner walls of the intestines, making it tough for the body to digest them. Refined and spicy foods should also be avoided. Foods like fruits and vegetables, salad dressings should be replaced with fatty foods. They are high on calorie and low on fatty acids. One should also eliminate fried food from the diet. Plan to choose boiled food over fatty or fried or spicy food as they may cause diarrhea or constipation.

Choose foods low on salt

Health-Problems-with-SaltWe tend to consume salt in our daily diets. However, foods high in salt content may lead to hypertension. Similarly, it can also lead to increased chances of suffering from strokes. Lower levels of salt help to preserve bone density in patients ailing from bone cancer. It is important to ask about ingredients while visiting a restaurant or attending a luncheon/dinner party and to avoid consumption of foods high in salt quantities than recommended. Always check the food labels while consuming commercial food items.

Avoid stimulants

CaffeineApart from external stimulants, there are various internal stimulants that should be avoided during bone cancer. Especially the foods and beverages that contain stimulants like caffeine should be consumed in low quantities or avoided. Beverages like caffeine and colas are considered to weaken the bones. They also cause constipation, bloating and gas and can add to the existing pain caused by this disease. One should replace these types of drinks with fruit juices or green tea which are antioxidants and contain nutritional properties. They also help in expediting the healing process.

Say no to nicotine and tobacco in any form

tobacco

Limit your intake of tobacco and nicotine in any form if you are ailing from bone cancer. One should focus on positive lifestyle changes which include the elimination of tobacco and nicotine from one’s diet. Tobacco products cause increased chances of losing bone density and alveolar bone loss. It causes the bones to fill with diseases causing bacteria leading to weak bones elevating pain. It’s not just about cigarettes but all tobacco products.

Avoid high intake of sugar

sugarSome elements used in food additives and chemicals used to enhance taste can hinder cancer treatment. Some foods contain components referred to as carcinogens, or cancer promoters, which promote cancer cell production. Avoiding refined sugar is key. Feeding on sugar in the bloodstream by consuming food high in sugar content loaded with simple carbs will load the bloodstream with the chemical energy needed for cancer cells to flourish. Enhance intake of food items and beverages low on sugar and avoid foods with labels of sucrose. Items like white pasta or other white foods should be avoided completely.

Limit intake of sodium nitrate-rich foods

Limit intake of sodium nitrate-rich foodsSodium nitrate is present in commercial food items to preserve the food and increase its shelf life. When the body digests food, it converts sodium nitrite into nitrosamine, a carcinogen, affecting a cancer patient. Ingredients present in foods like hot dogs, processed meat, French fries contain a high dosage of sodium nitrate and saturated fat contributing to the illness. They are also known to clog the arteries with saturated fat. Hence one should replace these food items with unprocessed foods and foods that contain omega-3 fats and other essential fatty acids. Higher ingestion of fruits and vegetables in one’s diet helps fight bone cancer. It is advised to consume foods high in natural vitamin C as it deters the conversion of nitrite into nitrosamine and promotes healthy immune function.

Opt for foods with minimum hydrogenated oil

avoid processed and canned foodUsage of foodstuff made from hydrogenated oil should be limited. Processed foods are generally made from hydrogenated oil, oil is heated in the presence of hydrogen and metal catalysts, increasing the shelf life. Though it increases shelf life, but also creates trans-fat. Such foods interrupt with the metabolic process and also cause unwanted belly fat. One should opt to replace trans-fat in the diet with essential fatty acids. The key is to avoid processed and canned food and look for labels like ‘trans-fat-free’.

Avoid foods that reduce appetite

loss-of-appetite

Bone cancer patients should avoid appetite-suppressing foods. During bone cancer, a person is already low on appetite due to the high intensity of pain in the entire body. Opting for foods with a low energy density should be completely avoided like a bowl of celery which only contains 16 calories in a cup. One should focus on aromas that help stimulate the appetite. Items like freshly baked bread and cookies aid in augmenting appetite. If alcohol is permitted by your health care provider, one should consume a glass of wine or beer prior to meals to stimulate the appetite.

Avoid foods that are low on antioxidants

green tea.Bone cancer requires a comprehensive treatment plan, comprised of both medical and natural therapies. Medical experts encourage an increase in intake of diet rich in antioxidants and low on toxins. One should avoid foods high in toxins as it to worsens the condition of a patient ailing from bone cancer and elevate pain. It hinders with the process of recovery. For instance, green tea is highly endorsed as one of the natural tonics for treating bone cancer as it possesses anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. Milk also inhibits bone cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body. It is also known to reduce the side-effects of cancer considerably. It is available in form of capsules and should be consumed in the form of seeds, capsules or with tea.

Eliminate fast food low on vitamins

couple Sunbath

Fast food provides empty calories. It is high in fat content and low on nutrition. Bone cancer patients should increase the consumption of food rich in vitamins. For instance, consuming higher amounts of vitamin A in the body kills bone cancer cells. Foods like dark-green, yellow, or orange fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin A, nutritious for the body. Sun rays also help to reduce or control bone cancer cell multiplication drastically. Experts recommend sun exposure to people suffering from bone cancer. UVB rays from the sun are a form of Vitamin D, essential for a human body.

11 Complications with bone cancer you must know

Bone cancer usually affects the long bones, which support legs and arms. The risk associated with bone cancer can be extensive. Many complications arise even while treating the disease. The patient has to face many health challenges and side effects. 

1. Increased blood calcium

Increased blood calciumWhen cancer affects bone, it results in increase in the calcium amount in your blood. This leads to psychotic episode among the patient. According to research, increase in calcium can rescue the ability of the patient to focus or think clearly. It also results in cramping and some people feel dazed or dizzy. If the calcium percentage is more, it can also lead to kidney stone problems. 

2. Pain

This problem usually comes with tumor site. It begins as intermittent, becomes stable, and sometimes increases as the cancer progresses. This progress leads to the increase in pain. The chances of person to get a limp increase if the cancer is in a leg. 

3. Radiation therapy

chondrosarcoma

This therapy is given as a treatment to cure some type of bone cancer like chondrosarcoma. This helps to eliminate the pain that occurs due to bone cancer. However, though this treatment lessens the risk of pain, it also increases the chances of other risk. Patient can face the problem of tiredness, dizziness, fatigue, vomiting and skin irritation at the place where therapy is applied.

4. Bone lesions

Lesions come in two types – lytic lesions and the blastic lesion. Lytic lesions destroy material of bone whereas the blastic lesion overfill the bone with cells. The chances of bone tissue damage increase with bone cancer. 

5. Osteomyelitis

OsteomyelitisThe risk of bone infection, i.e. osteomyelitis, increases when patient undergoes a cancer treatment. This infection can have effects like chills, fever, and pain. If not treated on time can also become injurious. 

6. Fractures

This is very common risk involved in bone cancer. Broken bones or fractures take place when the cancer reaches to its developed stage. The cancerous bone becomes weak. It can also break under stress if they become weak. Bone cancer patients usually have to face the fracture problem along with intense pain near the affected area. 

7. Osteoporosis

OsteoporosisWhen there is less density of bones or decreased calcification, osteoporosis takes place. It weakens the bones that are already affected. This increases the chance of fracture. If there is bone loss in leg or hips, it can be serious situation for the patients as most of weight is taken by these parts. 

8. Metastasis

The cells of bone cancer can spread the cancer to other body parts. This affects the lymphatic system or blood stream in bad way. It slows down the body’s defense mechanism due to which the body fails to respond to the medicines. Usually bone cancer spreads in the lungs most of the time. 

9. Hypocalcaemia

HypocalcaemiaWhen the level of calcium increases in the bloodstream, it is called as hypocalcaemia. It destroys the bones, which are related with metastases. According to experts when such problem occurs, the patient’s chances to survival reduce. It also reduces the person’s ability to think and talk. The patient becomes more irritated and has to face cramping problem. Other problems like kidney stones or constipation also becomes the part of bone cancer. 

10. Shock

When the patient is taken for the treatment of bone cancer, it can lead to many side effects. One of the worst things from which the patient goes through is shock. During surgery, the chance of blood pressure to drop instantly increases. This results in the patient to go in shock. 

11. Chemotherapy

ChemotherapyThe chemotherapy to treat bone cancer also affects the patient in bad way. The therapy is given to the patient after surgery to ensure that all the cancer cells present in the body are destroyed. This therapy is also used to shrink the tumor, if any. The most common risk that patient have to suffer from are hair loss, weariness, low blood counts due to which blood flow increases, vomiting due to internal problems, nausea and increase in bleeding.

Despite the risks associated with bone cancer, you must have a positive approach toward the treatment given. You must stay motivated throughout the treatment, which will surely help in a quick recovery form this disease.

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