Nutrition for children with cancer is a matter of great concern today. Child nutrition is an important factor in promoting health and preventing disease in children. Especially for children with cancer, it is even more necessary. Let’s learn about the nutritional needs of children with cancer and its importance through the article below.

Important Aspects of Nutrition in Children with Cancer

Nutrition is the provision of nutrients needed by the body in the form of food to sustain life. For both adults and children, nutrition is very important. Especially for children with cancer, it makes more sense to get the nutrients they need. Cancer and its treatments can affect a child’s ability to tolerate food and use nutrients.

The ability to absorb nutrients of children with cancer is reduced due to the effects of the treatment process

If before, during, and after the treatment process, the child is interested in nutrition, the child’s health status may be better and healthier. Children can also overcome unwanted effects caused by the treatment process. However, each child’s nutritional needs are different. Therefore, it is important to define nutritional goals for children with cancer and plan how children can achieve those goals.

The Benefits of Good Nutrition for Children with Cancer

When children have a good diet during cancer treatment, it will bring many benefits such as:

  • Improved health status: healthier children, better energy
  • Helps heal and increase resilience
  • The child’s tolerance is better, including the side effects of the treatment.
  • The child can stick to the treatment plan without being left unfinished
  • Reduces the risk of infection during treatment
  • Can maintain the child’s normal growth and development
  • Ensure weight maintenance, store nutrients in the body
  • Help children feel the happier, better, more optimistic spirit,…
When children have a good diet during cancer treatment, it will bring a lot of benefits

Nutrition For Children With Cancer

What is good to eat with cancer? What is a reasonable diet for children? This is an issue that many people are concerned about. Children with cancer need a diet full of protein, fat, carbohydrates, water, vitamins, and minerals, etc. Even blood cancer in children is a dangerous disease that also needs a diet. similar nutrition.

In order to have a reasonable diet for each child, nutritionists need to assess the child’s condition through factors such as weight, age, diagnosis, treatment plan, and current medications. use. Through this, it is possible to understand the nutritional needs of children and make plans for implementation.

Here are the nutrients that children with cancer need to supplement.

Protein (protein)

Protein is provided into the body with the role of promoting the growth and development of children. Protein helps repair tissues, maintain skin, blood cells, and the body’s immune system as well as the lining of the digestive tract. When sick, children’s protein requirements are often higher. Therefore, if children with cancer do not get enough protein, it can lead to muscle breakdown to meet the amount of protein the body needs. After chemotherapy or radiation therapy or surgery, children also need protein supplements to help heal wounds and prevent infection from occurring.

Good food sources of protein include lean red meat, poultry, eggs, milk

Good sources of protein that you can refer to include: lean red meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and soy-based foods, etc.

So cancer should eat beef? Currently, many people still think that people with cancer must limit their intake of animal protein so that cancer cells do not grow quickly. However, this is a misconception. Protein supplementation not only helps cancer patients restore lean mass lost due to catabolism but also helps in wound healing and fight infection after surgery or chemotherapy.

Carbohydrates (carbohydrates)

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for physical activities and the function of organs in the body. In a child being treated for cancer, the body may need 20 to 90% more energy than a normal child. And this number can vary depending on the child’s age, size, or condition.

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for physical activities

Carbohydrates can be obtained from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This is considered the best source of carbohydrates that help provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients to the body’s cells. In addition, you can also provide carbohydrates from many different sources such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, legumes. Should limit processed foods containing sugar such as candy, Sugary drinks because they provide sugar but very few nutrients.

Fat

Made up of fatty acids, fats create an abundant source of energy for the body, helping to form cell structures. When added to the body, fat is broken down to store energy, insulate body tissues, and carry certain vitamins through the bloodstream. Therefore, the daily diet cannot lack fat, especially for children with cancer.

Unsaturated fats are good fats including olive oil, peanut oil

Unsaturated fats are good fats and are often chosen over saturated and trans fats. Unsaturated fats include:

  • Monounsaturated fat: found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, …
  • Polyunsaturated fat: found in sunflower oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil, corn kernel oil, in seafood also has this fat.

In foods of animal origin such as meat, poultry, whole or reduced-fat milk, cheeses, butter, etc. contain saturated fat or saturated fatty acids. Some vegetable oils also contain saturated fats like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc.

Essential fatty acids are essential to the body, they help build cells and make hormones. However, the body cannot make it on its own but must be supplemented with outside foods. Sources of essential fatty acids for the body are soybean oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, …

Water

Almost every function of the cells in the body requires water. If the child is not provided with enough water or the body lacks fluids, it will cause an imbalance between minerals and fluids in the body. This situation can be dangerous for children.

Water helps balance between minerals and fluids in the body

Children can become dehydrated from not drinking enough water or from diarrhea or vomiting. Therefore, to calculate the fluid needs of the child needs to be based on the size of the child and the amount of fluid lost. In addition to drinking water, children are also provided with water from foods, fruits, vegetables, liquids such as milk, soup, …

Vitamins and minerals

For normal growth, development, and functioning, a child’s body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals. In addition, vitamins and minerals also help the body use the energy it gets from food.

In fact, even healthy children still have vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Children who eat a healthy, balanced diet will usually get more vitamins and minerals than other children. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the appropriate amount to ensure the health of children.

Children can become dehydrated from not drinking enough water or from diarrhea or vomiting. Therefore, to calculate the fluid needs of the child needs to be based on the size of the child and the amount of fluid lost. In addition to drinking water, children are also provided with water from foods, fruits, vegetables, liquids such as milk, soup, …

With the above information, hope you have useful knowledge about nutrition for children with cancer. If you have any questions, please contact Diag Medical Testing and Diagnostic Center immediately via hotline 1900 1717 for the earliest advice and support.

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The site cannot and does not contain medical advice. The medical information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information. We encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals.