Cancer is a terrible disease for those who live with it, and food can be a way to rationalize it and gain strength to overcome it. The book Marta Carriço and Catarina Sousa Guerreiro Comer para Prevenir e Confrentar o Cancer contains some tools for those who already have the disease, but also for those who want to prevent it. However, always keep in mind that the advice presented is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
The book was created at the invitation of a publisher who wanted to develop a nutrition and oncology subject, and the authors decided to take up the challenge. “For us, the need for this framework with the population is obvious, as the importance of nutrition at different stages of the oncological process needs to be further clarified,” says Katrina Sausa Guerrero, nutritionist and associate professor in the faculty. Medicine of Lisbon (FMUL). All the misinformation that exists about the relationship between nutrition and oncology has led the author to write a book with the possibility of explaining the people who follow and sometimes carry on.
Throughout the process, Marta and Katrina based their writings on scientific evidence and nothing else, he says. “There are many studies that prove this link [entre nutrição e oncologia]But the big message will be our clinical experience and everything will be supported by scientific evidence “, says Katrina Sousa Guerrero.
Marta Carico is currently a nutritionist at the Champalimod Foundation, and Katrina practiced the profession for many years before dedicating her time to the academic world. The authors focus their analysis on two moments: prevention and disease context.
In terms of prevention, they present food as a way to provide the body with everything it needs to protect itself and to cope with the daily attacks – some of which can lead to oncological diseases.
Regarding the disease, “We know that we have to guarantee a series of nutrients, energy, proteins, we have to help patients cope with the myriad of symptoms, and here nutrition is fundamental, in the sense that the patient needs to know. To eat, clear your doubts. Do it, manage your symptoms “, explains Marta Carico.
This book will serve as a guide for those undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy or any other treatment and hopefully find useful tips on the most appropriate diet for each condition.
Marta and Katrina recognize that when a person is diagnosed with cancer they are more susceptible and seek out more information to find ways to reduce the effects of the disease. These studies may occasionally include methods such as fasting or an alkaline diet. “This involves explaining to the patient what the scientific basis of the proposed diet is at the end and explaining to them whether there is scientific evidence,” says Marta Carico.
Although there is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets, they are not recommended by experts, they insist on strengthening. One of the main objectives of this book is to impart knowledge to the patients, but also to their families. Two nutritionists believe that many mistakes related to nutrition and health are related to the lack of food literacy, but Portugal is well on its way to changing the paradigm.
The book was already written when the authors decided to include a chapter on relative and absolute risk. Absolute risk indicates the likelihood of disease due to a person’s characteristics, while relative risk assesses a person’s risk, such as eating behavior, for example.
“Often, when people see that tomatoes reduce the risk of cancer or increase the risk of meat, they need to determine the risk to that person because of their age, gender, family history, and the large changes that have been assigned to the risk. “, Explains Katrina Sousa Guerrero.
Then there are the small risks associated with factors such as diet. “Sometimes patients are frightened when they read that certain foods increase their risk of cancer by 50%. But we are talking about the increased risk already due to my internal variables.” The authors consider that it is important to provide knowledge and information to the patient so as not to overestimate the value of food and to avoid exaggeration.
sara.a.santos@dn.pt
.