“🥗Diet and Cancer: Separating Myths from Science”

Nutrition plays a powerful role not just in cancer prevention—but also in how patients respond to treatment and how they feel during recovery.

Yet many patients are confused by the flood of advice online: Should I go vegan? Is keto good for cancer? Do I need to fast?

Let’s break it down based on current scientific understanding.

Mediterranean-Reduces cancer risk

🔥 Cancer, Catabolism & Nutrition

Cancer and its treatments—like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy—often lead to a catabolic state, where the body breaks down muscle and fat faster than it can rebuild.

This causes:

• Unintended weight loss

• Loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia)

• Fatigue and poor tolerance to treatment

• Weak immunity

✅ Nutritional support during this phase isn't optional—it’s therapeutic. Tailored dietary interventions can improve treatment response, energy levels, and survival.

🥦 Do Anticancer Diets Work?

You may have heard of popular “anticancer diets” such as:

• Vegan or vegetarian diets

• Ketogenic diets

• Alkaline or “basic” diets

• Sugar-free diets

👉 While some of these may improve general health, none have been proven by large clinical trials to cure or control cancer.

🌍 What Actually Helps? The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean-style diet is consistently associated with:

• Reduced cancer risk

• Better survival in patients with cancer

• Improved quality of life

✅ Features:

• High intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains

• Use of olive oil as main fat

• Moderate consumption of fish, nuts, and dairy

• Minimal red meat and processed foods

• Emphasis on plant-based protein over animal protein

🧬 A large 2020 meta-analysis showed that cancer patients following this diet had lower cancer-specific and all-cause mortality1.

⏳ Emerging Concepts: Fasting & Meal Timing

Research is also exploring:

• Caloric restriction (mild and supervised): May reduce inflammation and improve response to therapy

• Time-restricted feeding (e.g., eating only during daylight hours): Linked to improved circadian rhythms and possibly enhanced chemotherapy effectiveness2

These approaches are still under study and should not be tried without medical supervision, especially during active treatment.

📌 Takeaway

There is no miracle cancer diet, but good nutrition is your ally in every step of cancer care.

📍 At Dr. Rajiv Cancer Clinic, we combine modern cancer treatment with evidence-based dietary guidance—because healing happens from the inside out.

– Dr. Rajiv Mohan, Medical Oncologist

📚 References:

1. Schwingshackl L, et al. “Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of cancer: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.” Nutrients. 2020. DOI: 10.3390/nu12020253 ↩

2. Klement RJ, et al. “Fasting, caloric restriction and cancer therapy: from prevention to treatment.” Aging (Albany NY). 2020. DOI: 10.18632/aging.102783 ↩