Hello,
Wondering you take on this...

Our Rad Oncologisit suggested a HIGH protein diet during my hubbys treatment plan. I recently received the book The China Study and it recommends a LOW protein diet to help control the growth of cancer cells (or something like that! )

????? Confused what to do what to do?

I also followed a high protein diet 60-90 grams daily starting with surgery and still going today. I found through research that the more quality protein you are able to ingest the better your cells have to rebuild with. the treatments are meant to breakdown and destroy cells good and bad so help your body rebuild. after all is clear then you can go veg. and or low protein.

Good Luck!

Your body is rebuilding like crazy from all damage every day. It needs amino acids for this process to make new cells and keep the muscle mass intact. If you do not get enough protein, your body still needs those amino acids for repair, and it will breakdown your own lean body mass to get them.... This wasting during treatments can be severe if you cut protein from your diet.

Just because someone wrote a book on something doesn't make it right. A nutritionist at the hospital can confirm this with you. There are tons of old wives tales out there about what to do during cancer treatments or to not get cancer in the first place. The vast majority of these do not stand up to scrutiny and were conjured up by someone trying to sell people something... a supplement, a book, whatever.

JDR,

The China Study is a great resource for maintaining good health! BUT it doesn't apply during treatment. Your husband needs to follow the nutrition plan laid out by his medical team during and for months *after* treatment.

As Brian said, the damage done to the body during radiation is massive and devastating and good nutrition is essential to avoid major problems.

Whoever gave you the book I'm sure had the best of intentions, but turn to it after treatment and healing is finished.

- Margaret

Thanks everyone, great advice! In fact I didn't even mention the book to the hubby and won't do so either.. Just trying to read as much as I can about anything I can to try and make good use of my time.

Reading is good, I read everyday. I spent my time during treatment reading everything I could about what I was going through, what drugs I was taking, how I could deal with it mentally and emotionally etc... But reading books should never replace the wisdom of your medical professional if you have chosen the best medical team available to you.

A use high protein whey powder to help boost my protein intake. I add it to my tube feeding formula. One scoop has 56 grams of protein. You can get this thru the Amazon link right here on the forum pages. Amazon gives a small amount back to OCF when you buy things thru the links here.

try some of the high protein powders the muscle builders use including Muscle Milk..

Crosswards
Seems you and Ron are on the same schedule of having things done. How are you feeling and can you swallow and eat? Ron had to have all his teeth pulled. They did his bottom during surgery and the rest of his top 2 weeks before radiation started. They took it off his top of his right thigh for his free flap, they felt it makes a better seal more meatier the doc said, so he could swallow and eat again. anybody else have this done with the thigh instead of arm?