Kidney Cancer & Nutrition

Living with kidney cancer can be a painful ordeal. The kidneys work hard to filter out toxins from our environment and the foods we eat. Our kidneys help us maintain health, and certain beverages like soda or sugary drinks can impair kidney function, making it more difficult for these organs to do their job. Kidney cancer causes the kidneys not to function normally, so nutrition is very important for people who are suffering from kidney cancer. The right food and beverages can enhance kidney function and improve a person's overall quality of life.

• Blueberries have a cleansing effect on the kidneys.

Significance

• Eating a healthy diet is very important for people suffering from kidney cancer. The kidneys help maintain health through detoxification. Taking in the proper nutrients through diet and supplements can strengthen the body and assist the body with the detoxification process. A person with a strong body is better able to fight kidney cancer.

Nutrition for Kidney Cancer

• According to Dr. Linda Page, author of Healthy Healing, kidney cancer and kidney disease are often the result of diet overload from eating too many of the wrong foods such as red meat, carbonated drinks, sugary foods, salty foods or prescription drug abuse. When the body is loaded with too many toxins, the kidneys become weaker and more susceptible to cancer.

  Dr. Page says to eliminate refined foods and fast foods from the diet. Replace those foods with whole food nutrition such as raw fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples, peaches, blueberries, strawberries and beets. Drink eight to ten glasses of pure water each day to speed healing and help the kidneys get rid of toxins. Dr. Page also says to avoid dairy or other acid-forming foods like pizza or processed frozen dinners.

Supplements

• Eating a healthy diet is essential when dealing with kidney cancer, but it is also important to get additional nutrition from the right supplements. Key nutrients such as vitamins C and A will help to speed the cell renewal process and assist the body with healing. Healthy fats such as omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation in the body, which is very beneficial for kidney cancer. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in cod liver oil, salmon oil, flax seed oil and coconut oil. You can also find these fats in fish, eggs, sunflower seeds and other nuts.

Nutritional Beverages

• Nutritional beverages can also be very beneficial when dealing with kidney cancer. Cranberry juice helps clean and detoxify the kidneys and bladder. Drink pure cranberry juice daily. Other beverages such as raw carrot and apple juice also help cleanse the liver and kidneys of excess toxins.

Time Frame

• It takes time to notice the difference nutrition makes for people suffering from kidney cancer. If the body has been severely depleted of nutrients for a long time, it can take months to really start to see the effects that nutrition has on the body.

  The cells in the body completely replicate themselves within 120 days, which is about four months. When our cells are given nutrients such as vitamins A, C and E, the new cells will become stronger than previous cells. A person with kidney cancer will begin to feel better and have more energy within this time frame.