Nutrition for Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer include powerful ingredients that wreak havoc on healthy cells while killing cancerous cells. Most chemotherapy drugs have short-term side effects that include nausea, hair loss and joint pain, all conditions that lead to poor nutrition because of loss of appetite. In addition, the body's ability to properly utilize healthy nutrients is compromised. Look for ways to include foods and supplements that help to replace lost nutrition from chemotherapy side effects.

Tea

• Make tea from ginger, fennel or caraway seeds to prevent nausea.

Calories

• The National Cancer Institute recommends that patients with chemotherapy side effects should concentrate on taking in as many calories as they can and to include foods high in protein, such as meat and dairy products.

Blood

• Keep your blood count up by taking supplements high in B12, such as beet juice or shark liver oil, to keep from getting anemic.

Regularity

• Avoid diarrhea, a common side effect of chemotherapy treatments, by limiting the amount of fat intake.

Prepare

• Stock up with high-calorie, healthy foods that you enjoy prior to receiving chemotherapy so that you will have food available and won't have to deal with shopping.