Watermelon, peaches, melon, apricots, plums. These are the fruits that summer gives us and that often end up in an extractor or centrifuge as ingredients to prepare juices that refresh and help counteract the fatigue of the cancer patient. But is it a good habit? In reality, contrary to what one might think, it is not at all and indeed there is a risk of doing damage.
No to fruit, yes to vegetables
Cancer cells consume much more glucose than normal cells and more and more studies show that those with a little higher blood sugar get sick more (as is observed in diabetics) and if they are sick they may have a worse prognosis. Keeping your blood sugar low also helps control insulin levels
and therefore cell growth factors. Therefore, it is better to avoid very sugary fruit which contributes to increasing the glycemic load. “Prepare extracts and centrifuged with seasonal fruit – he explains Anna Villarini, nutrition biologist and researcher at the National Cancer Institute of Milan – it is not a good choice because the simple sugars contained in fruit are too concentrated, so much so that they are not even recommended for prevention “. No exception? “The centrifuges – he explains debora war, biologist nutritionist at the Romagnolo Institute for the Study of Tumors – IRST of Meldola – are sometimes indicated in patients who need a reduced intake of fiber but only temporarily and must be composed of 80% vegetables and only 20% from fruit “.
The dispersion of nutrients
Keep in mind that there is a lot of difference between the nutrient content in the extracts and that of whole fruit or vegetables. “The main difference – continues Villarini – lies in the fact that some nutrients are lost through contact with the metal parts of the extractors or centrifuges and become depleted of fibers. This is why the extracts and centrifuged are not analogous to the fruit or the whole vegetable but rather they are an extremely impoverished drink ”. And then there is a question of waste and use of raw materials. “To make a glass of extract, you need a lot of fruit and vegetables, while if I ate whole fruit I would only eat a portion. Furthermore, having to use greater quantities of ingredients, the quantity of sugars that are drunk increases even more without having assimilated all the precious nutritional substances contained in the whole fruit and vegetables ”.
Vegetable mix
But to cool off and also nourish yourself by drinking when often because of the heat and the therapies you have little appetite, a homemade extract or centrifuged can be fine as long as you use only vegetables as ingredients. “All seasonal vegetables are fine because they are in any case less rich in sugar than fruit and rich in many other nutrients”, explains Villarini. In addition, they have many valuable nutritional properties. Nature offers us a wide choice: cucumbers, carrots, celery, baby spinach, cauliflower. Are there vegetables more suitable than others for cancer patients? “There are no scientific studies that give indications in this sense”, explains the nutritionist of the Int. “We know that green leafy vegetables help the immune system a little bit, cauliflower extract helps fight Helicobacter pylori and that citrus fruits reduce the risk of stomach cancer, especially the one that affects the cardia, but all are indicated. to prepare a refreshing and invigorating juice “. To quench your thirst, a smoothie with ice with vegetables or a peach or melon milkshake can also be fine because less fruit is used and other ingredients are added: “In this case – explains Villarini – instead of cow’s milk it is better to add a non-vegetable drink. sweetened like that of soy or almonds “.
Anti-tumor spices
And the flavor? If you only use vegetables, isn’t there a risk that the juice will be unappetizing? “It is not certain, because it depends on the vegetables: some like cucumber have a very neutral flavor, while others like radish and rocket give a spicy flavor, others like carrot a sweet taste”, Villarini replies. “But you can still dilute the extract with a little water to dilute it and you can add a pinch of ginger or turmeric giving it an even greater anti-tumor value because both of these spices are powerful anti-inflammatories”. “In general – adds Guerra – cancer patients prefer salty tastes over sweet ones but if you want, instead of centrifuged or extracts, you can flavor the water with pieces of fruit, mint and ginger, always respecting the tolerance of individual patients”. Furthermore, given that often cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy have a lowering of iron levels in the blood, once the preparation of the extract or centrifuged is finished, you can also add lemon juice to promote the absorption of the iron contained in the vegetables.
Ideal snacks for those with gastric cancer
For patients with stomach cancer who have undergone a gastrectomy, are there any particular indications in the choice of ingredients for a juice or a centrifuge? “All the more reason gastrectomized patients who often suffer from ‘dumping syndrome’ – explains Guerra – must pay attention to juices but also to centrifuges if prepared with a prevalence of sugars”. Well, on the other hand, if you only use vegetables or if you prepare a smoothie: “They represent ideal solutions for a snack because in this way they become a small meal suitable for gastrectomized patients who have to eat little and often”, explains Villarini.
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