A mesothelioma patient’s diet should include dark green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables to help fight this debilitating cancer. Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma or undergoing treatment for cancer are encouraged to include plenty of dark green leafy and cruciferous vegetables in their diets, for the excellent nutritional qualities these foods provide. It is important to get a lot of antioxidants and nutrients from a diet that includes healthy greens. Cancer patients can improve the way they feel by choosing a healthier diet.
Extremely Nutritious Vegetables
Most people in the U.S. do not consume enough vegetables and fruits, and the group of dark green leafy vegetables includes some of the most neglected – yet most nutritious – vegetables. For mesothelioma patients, maintaining a high level of nutrition is itself a significant challenge, but adding at least some of these dark green leafy vegetables to their diets can help raise their levels of energy, strength, and immunity:
- bok choy
- chicory
- collard greens
- kale
- mustard greens
- romaine lettuce
- spinach
- Swiss chard
- turnip greens
Cruciferous Vegetables in a Mesothelioma Diet
The term “cruciferous” is derived from the name for a plant family, “Cruciferae,” a Latin word that translates loosely to “cross-bearing.” The flowers of the hundreds of vegetables and food plants in the Cruciferae family often have four petals that are in the shape of a cross, not unlike a crucifix. The family of cruciferous vegetables is also known as “Brassica.” Whenever possible and as approved by a physician, a mesothelioma patient’s diet should include cruciferous vegetables such as:
- broccoli
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- brussel sprouts
- watercress
- radish
- daikon (a kind of radish)
- wasabi
- kohlrabi
- parsnips
- rutabaga
- turnips
Benefits of Cruciferous and Green Leafy Vegetables
When you are fighting cancer, it is important to take a whole life approach and address ways you can fight the cancer through your diet, as well as through traditional medicine. There are many benefits to eating healthy greens. Cancer patients can benefits from the added vitamins and nutrients. In the fight against cancer, including mesothelioma, cruciferous and dark leafy vegetables offer a number of excellent nutritional properties, such as:
- Antioxidants: these can destroy the free radicals that cause cell damage such as the damage involved in cancer
- Phytochemicals: these can prevent DNA damage and boost enzymes that clean away carcinogens
- Glucosinates: found at high levels in cruciferous vegetables, they slow the growth of cancer cells, in part by preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed the cells
- Folate – essential for healthy DNA
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Vitamins C, E, K
Adding More Vegetables in a Mesothelioma Diet
An individual diagnosed with or undergoing treatment for mesothelioma needs all the nutritional help possible to keep up the immune system, strength, and energy levels. Vegetables are not always a mesothelioma patient’s first choice for food, but a caregiver can ease these vegetables into the diet by:
- Stir-frying them with other foods
- Sautéing them and adding them to an omelet
- Serving them raw with a vegetable dip
- Adding sautéed, chopped kale leaves or mashed cooked turnips to mashed potatoes
- Adding green vegetables to soup (whole or pureed)
- Adding young leaves (such as those of baby spinach) to sandwiches
A Mesothelioma Patient’s Food Choice Is Important
Don’t overlook the nutrition that a mesothelioma patient is receiving (or not). Good food and a proper diet can be powerful allies in a mesothelioma treatment and quality of life, and the inclusion of dark-green leafy vegetables is an excellent step to take on behalf of the “meso” patient in your life. For more information about mesothelioma food and diet, contact Mesothelioma Treatment Centers today. While you need to consult with a doctor about your different treatment options, you may want to contact an attorney about recourse. A lawyer may be able to help you find recourse to help you pay for your treatments.
