What supplements can someone going through chemotherapy take to get healthy?
A. Both cancer and the therapy of cancer have significant impact on the nutritional status of patients. The aim of chemotherapy is to inhibit the replication of cancer cells. The majority of cancer patients become very ill while undergoing chemotherapy and cannot eat. Protein-calorie malnutrition is a strong concern in these patients. Micronutrient deficiencies may occur. The common ones are B1, B2, niacin and folic acid. Chemotherapy can also cause deficiencies by inducing gastrointestinal disorders which may lead to malabsorption. This may cause vitamin B12, calcium, and magnesium deficiencies. A recent study has shown that there is up to 50% loss of plasma beta-carotene and lycopene following chemotherapy. Physicians use different combinations of drugs for cancer chemotherapy. Some are designed to be “anti-vitamin.” For example, methotrexate interferes with folic acid. Other anticancer drugs, like bleomycin and adryamicin, may act through a free-radical mechanism. When faced with ch
