Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements include things like vitamins, minerals, herbs, or products made from plants. They can also be made from animal parts, algae, seafood, yeasts, fungus, and many other food substances or extracts. They include powdered amino acids, enzymes, energy bars, and liquid food supplements.

Some dietary supplements are formulated under careful conditions in clean, controlled laboratories and labelled accurately. Others are made less carefully and have been found to contain none of the substances listed on their labels. And many supplements contain other substances that are not listed on their labels fillers, different herbs, or actual drugs that are known to be able to cause harm.

If you are thinking about using dietary supplements as part of your cancer treatment, you'll want to know more before you decide what to do. The information here will help you learn more about dietary supplements so you can make a more informed decision about using them safely.

Why people with cancer use dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are also called nutritional supplements.

You might need to have dietary supplements if you have low levels of particular nutrients. For example,Hormone therapy(often used forBreast Cancerand prostate cancer) can weaken your bones. So your doctor might give youCalciumandVitamin Dsupplements.

Or, your cancer might stop you from easily absorbing nutrients from your food. So your doctor might prescribe a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Many people with cancer use dietary supplements to help fight their cancer or make them feel better. Most people use supplements alongside their conventional cancer treatments, such as Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy. However others choose to use them instead of conventional treatments.

Having nutritional supplements instead of conventionalCancer Treatmentcould be harmful to your health. It might greatly reduce the chance of curing or controlling your cancer.

It is important to talk to a health professional if you're thinking of taking nutritional supplements. If you are having eating difficulties or trouble maintaining your weight your specialist might refer you to a dietitian. They can give advice on diet and supplements.

Important factors while choosing dietary supplements:

Also Read: Dietary Supplements And Nutraceuticals

• Investigate before you buy or use any dietary supplements. There are many resources in libraries and online.
• Check with your doctor or other healthcare providers before you try a supplement. While your doctor wont realize all the products available, he or she could also be ready to keep you from making a dangerous mistake.
• Find a product that uses only a part of the plant thats thought to be helpful. Avoid botanicals that are made using the whole plant, unless the whole plant is suggested.
• Does the label provide how to contact the corporate if youve got questions or concerns about their product? Reputable manufacturers will give contact information on the label or packaging of their products.
• Avoid products that claim to be miracle cures, breakthroughs, or discoveries, as well as those that claim to have benefits but no side effects, or are based on a secret ingredient or method. Such claims are nearly always fraudulent, and therefore the product may contain harmful substances, drugs, or contaminants.
• Try to avoid mixtures of many different supplements. The more ingredients, the greater the probability of harmful effects. Mixtures also make it harder to understand which substance is causing any side effects.
• Start only one product at a time. Take note of any side effects youve got while taking the merchandise. If you have a rash, sleeplessness, restlessness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting,diarrhoea, constipation, or severe headache, stop taking the supplement. Report any reaction to your doctor, and high ones to the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration).
• During pregnancy or if youre breastfeeding, take only dietary supplements prescribed or approved by your doctor. Few, if any, of those products are studied for safety; and their effects on a growing fetus or infant are largely unknown.
• Do not take any self-prescribed remedy other than the drugs prescribed by your doctor without talking about it together with your doctor first.
• Do not depend upon any non-prescription product to cure cancer or another serious disease. No matter what the claim, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Follow the dosage limits on the label. Overdoses can be deadly. Do not take a dietary supplement for any more than recommended.
• Never provide a supplement to a baby or a toddler under the age of 18 without lecturing the childs doctor. A child processes nutrients and drugs differently from an adult, and the effects of many products on children are not known.
• Avoid products that claim to treat a good sort of unrelated illnesses. If a dietary supplement claims that it can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, such as cures cancer, or stops tumour growth, the product is being sold illegally as a drug.

ZenOnco.io's Approach to Supplements & Nutraceuticals

At ZenOnco.io, we understand the vital role that nutrition plays in cancer care. Our approach combines the essence of both dietary supplements and nutraceuticals to ensure the holistic well-being of our patients. We believe in empowering individuals with knowledge, and our once-nutritionist tailors dietary plans considering one's health history and current medications. Our Zen Onco-Nutrition Protocol is a testament to our dedication, focusing on high-calorie and high-protein foods to maintain energy levels during treatment.

How you have it

Vitamins and dietary supplements come as pills, tablets or a liquid. Some complementary or alternative therapists also use injections of dietary supplements.

Side effects

Some dietary supplements can cause skin sensitivity and severe reactions when taken duringRadiotherapytreatment.

Some vitamins or minerals could interfere with how well cancer drugs work. Antioxidant supplements such as co-enzyme Q10, selenium and the vitamins A, C and E can help to prevent cell damage. So some doctors think this might stop Chemotherapy from working well.

Get advice from your doctor, specialist nurse, or dietitian if you want to take supplements and are having any kind ofCancer Treatment.

Research into dietary supplements and cancer

There is no reliable evidence that any dietary supplement can help to prevent cancer. However, there is evidence that a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables can reduce your cancer risk.

Some research has looked at whether particular vitamins and dietary supplements can help prevent cancer in certain groups of people.

A study looked atVitamin Dsupplements in preventing cancer and heart disease but the researchers found thatVitamin Dsupplements did not lower the incidence of cancer or heart disease.

An organisation called The Cochrane Collaboration carries out systematic reviews. These are overviews of all the research into a specific issue. The reviews look at the published results of all the trials that have investigated a particular treatment in a particular situation. They pull all that information together and conclude.

A Cochrane review published in 2018 looked at an essential mineral called selenium. They wanted to see if selenium supplements could reduce cancer risk. After looking at all the information they found that selenium did not reduce cancer risk. Some of the trials even raised concern by reporting a higher incidence of high-grade Prostate Cancer and type 2 diabetes in people who took selenium supplements.

Elevate Wellness & Recovery in Cancer

For personalized guidance on cancer treatments and complementary therapies, consult our experts atZenOnco.ioor call+91 9930709000

Reference:

1. Wierzejska RE. Dietary Supplements Whom? The Current State of Knowledge about the Health Effects of Selected Supplement Use. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 24;18(17):8897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18178897. PMID: 34501487; PMCID: PMC8431076.
2. Dwyer JT, Coates PM, Smith MJ. Dietary Supplements: Regulatory Challenges and Research Resources. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 4;10(1):41. doi: 10.3390/nu10010041. PMID: 29300341; PMCID: PMC5793269.