According to the latest dietary guidelines, how should gastric cancer patients eat during the recovery period after surgery?

According to the latest dietary guidelines, how should gastric cancer patients eat during the recovery period after surgery?

In recent years, the food on people's tables has become more and better, but as life has improved, so have the number of diseases. We all know that many diseases are caused by diet, such as high blood pressure, high blood fat, high blood sugar, obesity, malignant tumors, etc.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022" were released on April 26, 2022. May 15-21 is the 8th National Nutrition Week. The slogans are "Healthy China Nutrition First" and "New Dietary Guidelines Always Keep You Healthy."

The main treatment for gastric cancer is surgical resection, which can be either a partial or total gastrectomy. No matter how much of the stomach is removed, the anatomical structure of the stomach changes, causing changes in the stomach's storage, secretion, stirring and absorption functions, and most patients have decreased digestive function. Most of our gastric cancer patients are diagnosed with tumors due to digestive tract symptoms. After surgery, their digestive function is affected, their food intake decreases, and their nutrition is poor, leading to low immunity. Research data show that the incidence of malnutrition in patients who die from cancer is almost 100%; the lighter the weight, the lower the body mass index, and the shorter the survival period. How to adjust the patient's diet and improve nutrition to enhance the body's immunity is undoubtedly an aspect that patients and their families need to pay close attention to in their daily lives.

Therefore, based on the latest dietary guidelines, what strategies and methods can improve the nutrition of gastric cancer patients?

First of all, we need to comprehensively assess the patient's current nutritional status. Patients should receive nutritional education and guidance throughout the entire diagnosis and treatment process.

It is necessary to clarify when enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition are performed. Enteral nutrition (EN) is a nutritional support method that provides nutrients required for metabolism and other various nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is nutrition supplied intravenously as nutritional support for pre-operative and critically ill patients. All nutrition supplied from the intestine is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

If the patient does not eat enough food orally, it is recommended to supplement enteral nutrition, which can be taken orally or tube feeding can also be considered.

If the patient's nutrient needs cannot be met by oral intake or enteral nutrition, combined parenteral nutrition is recommended.

If the patient cannot tolerate parenteral nutrition, total parenteral nutrition is recommended.

After talking so much about nutrition, where does nutrition come from and how can we choose food according to our own situation?

Increase the intake of high-quality protein: Animal protein is mainly found in eggs, milk, meat, fish, shrimp and poultry; plant protein is mainly found in soybeans and soy products; high-quality protein is mainly animal protein, which is easy for the human body to absorb and digest.

Choose the right carbohydrates: Carbohydrates mainly come from the staple foods we eat daily, such as rice, noodles, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Give priority to brown rice, whole wheat, whole grains, etc., and reduce the intake of refined processed foods such as white noodles, white rice, and desserts.

Choose unsaturated fatty acids, avoid trans fatty acids and saturated fats: Unsaturated fats mainly come from fish and vegetable oils (such as olive oil, corn oil, oil, etc.), and nuts also contain unsaturated fatty acids. These are high-quality sources of fat and are beneficial to the human body. Saturated fats from lard and other sources increase cholesterol and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which is harmful to the human body. Trans fats are mainly found in biscuits, cakes and fried foods, which can also increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and are not good for health. When we buy food, we must learn to read food labels, try to choose unsaturated fats, and refuse trans fats.

Ensure the daily requirement of trace elements, such as vitamins, minerals, etc.: Eat vegetables and fruits of different colors. The richer the color, the more vitamins and minerals it contains.

Drink enough water: Water can help digest food and absorb nutrients.

A few things to remember:

Avoid eating raw or cold food, and pay attention to food hygiene.

When dining together, we adopt the system of separate meals and use public spoons and chopsticks.

Avoid eating too much processed meat such as bacon, ham, sausage, and cured meat.

Avoid drinking soup without eating meat, especially old-style soup. Soup is high in purine and fat, but low in protein. Excessive consumption is not good for your health.

Avoid strict "dietary restrictions". Everyone needs to understand that Western medicine does not have the concept of "irritating foods", and the "irritating foods" mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine do not simply mean not eating beef, mutton, fish and other foods. "Irritating foods" refer to the proteins contained in certain foods that become allergens and cause allergic reactions, or certain hormones contained in animal foods that will promote certain hyperfunctions or metabolic disorders in the human body; or some highly irritating foods, such as alcohol, onions, garlic and other spicy and irritating foods, which are very likely to cause the spread of inflammation to inflammatory infection lesions. What can be eaten and what cannot be eaten depends on the individual.

Finally, we hope that patients can choose appropriate recipes or medical foods according to their own physical conditions under the guidance of professional clinical nutritionists and physicians.

Tips: 1. Food can be chopped into vegetable or meat puree; if necessary, feeding can be done through a tube.

2. Take appropriate nutritional preparations such as oral enteral nutrition.

3. It is recommended to eat at least 15 different foods every day and at least 25 different foods every week.

4. If you experience discomfort such as bloating after drinking pure milk, you might as well try soothing milk.