High Calorie Foods for Cancer Patients All

KOMPAS.com – Disease cancer often causes sufferers to experience malnutritionthus requiring high food intake calories and protein.

Nutritionist Dedyanto Henky Saputra said that cancer the patient can change the characteristics of the body’s energy requirements or metabolism.

“Cancer cells can stimulate the release of substances that are inflammatory or called cytokines,” said Dr. Dedy in a conference via Zoom World Cancer Day 2022 themed “Beyond physical: mental and emotional impact” on Sunday (20/2/2022).

Cytokines generally have 2 effects on the body cancer patientthat is:

• Causes the body of cancer patients to require more energy.
• On the other hand, these cytokines suppress appetite.

Also read: Expert Says about Foods to Avoid for Cancer Patients

If cancer patients are malnourished, the impact can be more dangerous because it is related to the risk of complications to the success of treatment therapy.

Therefore, cancer sufferers need a high amount of calorie and protein intake.

Cancer sufferers Those who are malnourished usually lose their muscles.

“Because they eat less in the long term, the body is looking for a backup energy source that is mostly taken from the muscles,” said Dr. Dedy.

Thus, the tendency of cancer patients’ muscles are getting smaller and smaller.

“If the muscles shrink, the patient will become weak, so they must be given high-energy, high-protein foods,” he explained.

Then, what foods are high in calories and protein?

The following types of foods that are high in calories and protein are recommended for cancer sufferers:

Also read: Malnutrition Can Affect Cancer Treatment Success

1. Milk

quote HealthlineMilk has been used as a weight gainer or muscle builder for decades.

Milk provides a balance of protein, carbohydrates, good fats, and is a great source of calcium, vitamins and other minerals.

For people with cancer trying to gain more muscle, milk is an excellent source of protein that provides both casein and whey proteins.

Casein is a complete protein that contains all the essential amino acids to support the body’s performance, which are found in milk and its products.

Whey is a protein from leftover milk that is produced in the production of cheese.

Research even shows that this type of milk can help a person gain muscle when combined with weightlifting.

In addition, studies have found that both types of milk, can lead to greater weight gain than other protein sources.

It is recommended to drink one or two glasses of whole milk (149 calories per cup) as a snack.

Cancer sufferers may also try milk smoothies to include milk in their diet.

2. Peanuts and peanut butter

quote Healthline, Peanuts and peanut butter are the perfect choice for weight gain for cancer sufferers.

For example, one small handful of raw almonds (1/4 cup) contains:

Nuts are very calorie-dense, so people with cancer can simply consume two handfuls per day with a meal or as a snack that can quickly add hundreds of calories to the body.

Meanwhile, to enjoy peanut butter into a high-calorie snack in a short time, it can be mixed with smoothies, yogurt, and crackers.

However, make sure to choose 100 percent peanut butter with no added sugar or extra oil.

Also read: How to Support Cancer Patients?

3. Red meat

quote Healthlinered meat is one of the best muscle-building foods for cancer sufferers.

For example, 6 ounces (170 grams) of red meat steak contains about 5 grams of leucine.

Leucine is a key amino acid that the body needs to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and add new muscle tissue.

The meat also contains 456 calories and nearly 49 grams of protein.

In addition, red meat is one of the best natural sources of creatine in the diet.

Creatine is a natural chemical in the body that helps provide energy reserves for muscle and nerve tissue.

It should be noted that leaner cuts of red meat provide more calories than lean meat for cancer sufferers.

4. Potatoes and starch

quote Healthlinepotatoes and other starchy foods are a very easy and cost-effective way to add extra calories to people with cancer.

Some healthy sources of starchy carbohydrates, for example:

• Wheat seeds
• Wheat
• Corn
• Room
• Potato and sweet potato
• Good
• Winter root vegetables: radishes, carrots and celery
• Nuts and legumes.

Potatoes and other starches not only add carbohydrates and calories to help you gain weight, they also increase muscle glycogen stores.

Glycogen is a stored form of glucose that the body uses as energy for most sports and activities.

Also read: Get to know what is retinoblastoma, eye cancer that often attacks children

5. Salmon and oily fish

quote Healthlinesalmon and oily fish such as red meat, which are excellent sources of protein and important healthy fats for cancer sufferers.

Salmon and other oily fish contain many nutrients, the most important of which are omega-3 fats.

These fish offer many health benefits and help fight disease.

Just one 6-ounce (170-gram) fillet of boneless salmon provides about 250 calories, 12 grams of healthy fat, and 37 grams of high-quality protein.

Thus, it helps you to build muscle and gain weight.

6. Dried fruit

quote HealthlineDried fruit is a high-calorie snack that also provides antioxidants and good micronutrients for cancer sufferers.

Dried fruit is fruit that is processed by drying in direct sunlight or with artificial dryers, but still retains its taste and aroma.

Dried fruit contains a lot of fiber, most of the vitamins and minerals also remain intact.

A variety of dried fruits are high in natural sugars, including raisins and dates.
So, good for gaining weight. For example, two medjool dates alone provide about 130 calories.

Also read: World Children’s Cancer Day, Recognize 7 Early Symptoms of Child Cancer

Dr. Dedy said that after the nutritional status of cancer patients improved or did not experience malnutrition, they could only consider being given dietary restrictions.

“Anything that needs to be limited, for example sugar, saturated oil, trans oil. We will adjust the portion of the meal later,” continued Dr. Dedy.

The provision of dietary restrictions usually sees the presence of other congenital diseases of the patient (comorbid), for example having diabetes or other diseases.

Also read: 4 Foods That Can Prevent Prostate Cancer

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