During chemotherapy, the spices to avoid generally fall into two categories: those that can worsen treatment side effects and those that may interfere with your medication.
It is therefore prudent and advisable to avoid the concomitant use of anti-cancer drugs and herbal products, especially echinacea, garlic, ginseng, grapefruit juice, milk thistle, and St John's wort.
Since garlic may alter hepatic metabolism of many drugs through its cytochrome P450 it needs to be used with caution during active chemotherapy. It should also be used with caution with patients on anti-coagulation therapy since garlic has significant anti-platelet aggregation properties.
What foods should you avoid during cancer treatment?
Some studies support the short-term use of ginger for chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and motion sickness. However, ginger supplements should not be used around the time of surgery because of blood-thinning effects.
After a chemotherapy infusion, the body must recover from the harsh chemicals. Ways to flush chemo out of body include staying hydrated, eating nutrient-rich foods, and supporting liver and kidney function.
Herbal tea ingredients like peppermint and ginger can also provide a stimulating, energising effect for those who are trying to avoid caffeine entirely. This soothing ginger tea is just one of the essentials in our chemo care kit—designed by cancer patients to ease side effects naturally.
Avoid foods that are fatty, greasy or spicy on chemotherapy days, as these may not be well tolerated. Make sure to eat a meal or snack prior to your infusion and avoid skipping meals, which can worsen nausea.
12 chemotherapy tips from cancer patients who've been there
Drinks to Avoid
If you're suffering from constipation from medication or diarrhea from chemo, definitely avoid fizzy drinks such as soda and energy drinks, as they can give you gas. Give your mouth tissues a break, too, by avoiding acidic drinks like lemonade or orange juice that can burn a sore mouth.
If you're using garlic in a meal, the first thing that you should do when you walk into your kitchen is take the back of your knife and smash or chop it. Then let it sit for 10 minutes. That's how the compound allicin develops, and where all that anti-cancer action comes from.
Delicious & healthy recipes for people with cancer
Make sure that your eggs are cooked all the way while your immune system is low during cancer treatment to reduce the risk of foodborne illness (that means no soft-boiled, poached, or any other form of eggs with a runny yolk).
Herbs and vitamins to avoid during chemotherapy
Resistance can occur when cancer cells—even a small group of cells within a tumor—contain molecular changes that make them insensitive to a particular drug before treatment even begins.
Doctors and scientists say that the body already has specific systems in place (gut, liver, kidneys, and skin, to name a few) to clear toxins and waste. Eating healthy foods (such as vegetables) and drinking a lot of water helps the body break down and remove them.
15 Essentials for Chemotherapy Comfort
Signs of improvement can show up early in chemotherapy. These signs include tumor shrinkage on scans, lowered tumor marker levels in blood tests, and better blood counts. Healthline says these signs help doctors see if treatment is working.
These include:
The side effects from chemotherapy tend to be the worst the day after it's administered. “If you're on a strong chemo regimen, usually the day after is when you'll experience the worst symptoms,” says Iheme. “By worst, I mean you'll experience the most fatigue, weakness and nausea.
In place of sweet snacks, choose other foods, such as:
The best known foods affecting CYP enzymes are grapefruit and Seville oranges. This includes their juice and other products mostly made from these, for example, marmalade. The food and drink you may need to avoid depend on the drug you have and which CYP enzymes are involved.
Sip on drinks at the temperature that appeals to you most (for example, warm beverages such as tea or hot water with lemon may be more soothing). Include beverages with calories such as juice, milk, decaf tea with honey and oral nutrition supplements (Boost, Ensure).
You can also take steps to protect your liver during cancer treatment, such as:
Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being after cancer treatment and can make your recovery faster. Cancer survivors who exercise may experience: Increased strength and endurance. Fewer symptoms of depression.