Dietary Guidance for Leukemia Patients
Leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the body's blood-forming tissues, requires careful attention to diet and nutrition. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet can help support overall health and treatment outcomes for individuals living with leukemia.
Recommended Foods
A leukemia-friendly diet includes a variety of whole, nutrient-dense options such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Examples of these foods are apples, berries, leafy greens, broccoli, brown rice, chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, nuts, and olive oil. These provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and macronutrients to support the body's needs during treatment.
Food Safety Guidelines
For leukemia patients, it is crucial to avoid foods that may carry a higher risk of infection due to their often compromised immune systems. This includes raw foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables that are not thoroughly washed, raw or undercooked meats and seafood, unpasteurized dairy products, street food or foods prepared in unhygienic conditions, and certain high-risk items like raw sprouts, unwashed fruit and vegetables, food from buffets or salad bars, and well water. Proper washing and cooking of fruits and vegetables are essential to reduce exposure to harmful bacteria and prevent foodborne illnesses.
Additional Recommendations
In addition to a balanced diet, leukemia patients may find it beneficial to eat well-cooked proteins and steamed vegetables to ease digestion and reduce infection risks. Maintaining hydration with water-rich fruits, soups, and fluids is also important. Adjusting food textures, such as opting for soft fruits or nut butters, may be necessary if mouth sores or other treatment side effects affect eating.
The Neutropenic Diet
The neutropenic diet, which involves avoiding certain foods to reduce exposure to bacteria, is not recommended for people with leukemia by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This diet involves avoiding raw or undercooked meat, raw or undercooked seafood and shellfish, unpasteurized drinks, soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk, uncooked or unpasteurized egg, refrigerated paté or deli meats, raw sprouts, unwashed fruit and vegetables, food from buffets or salad bars, and well water.
The Role of the LLS and Further Research
The LLS suggests that healthy eating can help the body replace damaged cells, support the immune system, maintain strength, and reduce complications. However, they do not recommend the neutropenic diet for people with leukemia. The amount of sulforaphane necessary to affect leukemia is more than a person would be able to ingest from food alone, and further research is necessary to determine its effectiveness in treating leukemia in humans.
Interactions with Supplements and Medications
Some supplements, such as St John's wort and green tea, can interact with medications used to treat leukemia. For example, Imatinib, useful for treating chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, can have its effectiveness reduced by St John's wort. Bortezomib, a drug for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia, can be affected by green tea supplements.
Consulting a Doctor
It is always recommended that people with leukemia speak with their doctor before changing their diet to ensure they are making informed decisions about their nutrition during treatment.
[1] Nutritionists recommend a moderate and balanced diet for leukemia, with no foods that can treat or cure leukemia, but some can help with side effects and reduce the risk of complications. [2] Eating well-cooked proteins and steamed vegetables to ease digestion and reduce infection risks. Maintaining hydration with water-rich fruits, soups, and fluids. Adjusting food textures, such as opting for soft fruits or nut butters, especially if mouth sores or other treatment side effects affect eating. [3] Certain foods may aggravate the side effects of leukemia treatment, including foods high in fiber or sugar, greasy, fatty, or fried food, very hot or very cold food, milk products, alcohol, spicy foods, caffeine, apple juice, food sweetened with xylitol or sorbitol, foods that can hurt the mouth, citrus fruits, tomatoes and ketchup. [4] Cancer treatments can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of foodborne illnesses. [5] Neutropenia, a condition where a person has too few neutrophils, increases the risk of infections. [5] Leukemia, a type of cancer, can impact the body significantly. [6] A doctor may recommend the neutropenic diet, which involves avoiding certain foods to reduce exposure to bacteria, for someone who has neutropenia. [7] The LLS recommends a diet for people with leukemia should include a variety of vegetables and legumes, whole fruits, grains (half of which should be whole grains), low-fat dairy products, low-fat protein sources, healthy oil, and water, tea, or coffee. [8] Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, and kale, may be beneficial to people with leukemia due to compounds like sulforaphane. [9] People with leukemia should always speak with their doctor before changing their diet. [10] The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) suggests that healthy eating can help the body replace damaged cells, support the immune system, maintain strength, and reduce complications. [11] Bortezomib, a drug for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia, can be affected by green tea supplements. [12] The LLC does not recommend the neutropenic diet for people with leukemia. [13] However, the amount of sulforaphane necessary to affect leukemia is more than a person would be able to ingest from food alone, and further research is necessary to determine its effectiveness in treating leukemia in humans.
- In addition to a balanced diet, food and food benefits recommendations for individuals living with leukemia may also include well-cooked proteins, steamed vegetables to aid digestion, water-rich fruits for hydration, and adjusted food textures based on treatment side effects.
- A leukemia-friendly diet typically includes a variety of whole, nutrient-dense options such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, like apples, berries, leafy greens, broccoli, brown rice, chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, nuts, and olive oil.
- To support overall health and treatment outcomes during leukemia, a predictive diet can help provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and macronutrients from these nutrient-rich foods.
- For people with leukemia, nutritional advice often emphasizes avoiding raw and high-risk foods, like raw fruits and vegetables, raw or undercooked meats, unpasteurized dairy products, and street food, to minimize the chances of foodborne illnesses and infections.
- Individuals with leukemia may also require dietary modifications to address other medical conditions like depression, bipolar, eczema, psoriasis, and other leukemias.
- It is advisable for people with leukemia to consult with their doctors before making any changes to their diets, including the neutropenic diet, to ensure they are making informed decisions about their nutrition during treatment and to receive personalized recommendations based on their specific health circumstances.
