By Danie Moore
Here's another great on for the complementary medicine file: in the largest study of its kind yet, researchers have found that just a smidgen of purified ginger in supplement form (one-quarter teaspoon to one-half teaspoon of the spice each day) could reduce chemotherapy-related nausea by 40 % on the first day of treatment when used in combination with traditional anti-nausea medications. What's so great about this news is that if nausea is reduced on day one, patients tend to have reduced nausea throughout treatment, according to the study's author. Statistics show that about 70 % of cancer patients experience nausea during chemo, although anti-emetic drugs often help prevent actual vomiting. In this new study, 644 people - mostly breast-cancer patients - were given ginger supplements twice a day for six days, including the three days before and after they started chemotherapy.
The patients took 0.5, 1, or 1.5 grams of ginger daily, which was divided into two doses, or they took identical placebo supplements that contained no ginger. They found that the ginger-taking patients, regardless of daily dose, reported a greater reduction in nausea on day one of treatment than those on a placebo. Interestingly, those taking the two lowest doses of ginger reported greater relief than those taking the highest dose, so taking more of the spice isn't necessarily better (they speculate that at one gram the gut reaches maximum absorption). The reduction in nausea was substantial despite prior research had suggested that ginger supplements couldn't reduce nausea during chemotherapy. Now we know that giving the supplement 3 days before onset of treatment, which had not been done in previous studies, ahem, the anti-inflammatory property of ginger get a head start on stopping nausea.
If you're feeling queasy, consuming fresh ginger root from the grocery store can also help, but purified capsules may work better due to their faster and easier absorption in the GI tract. In theory, ginger-containing products such as ginger ale, ginger snaps, and other products could reduce nausea, too, but only if they contained real ginger root, not just ginger flavoring.
Danie moore is an herbal and natural health specialist. To read more of his articles, visit http://www.daniemoore.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danie_Moore
There are all kinds of diets and food plans out there. Ask just about any women and she’ll tell you to name a diet and she’ll have been on it. There’s a grape diet, a cabbage soup diet, which is fun for all concerned and an eat anything you like but stop at 4pm diet. We’re all heard of the Atkins diet and we’ve probably all heard of the low GI diet, both are quite popular at the moment. There is, however, one diet that no one should ever like to be on and that is the eating for cancer diet. The obvious prerequisite is that you should have cancer of some kind and be about to undergo treatment.
The right kind of food and proper nutrition can help a cancer patient feel better, stay stronger and even cope with the side effects of treatment. It is best to seek the advice of a registered dietician before undergoing treatment for cancer but below are a few handy tips for you to consider.
Before treatment (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/eatinghints) patients need to build up a stock of bodily reserves so they need a diet high in calories and high in proteins such as milk, cream, cheese, eggs, sauces, gravies and to have their food cooked in more butter, oil or margarine. They may need to eat less fibre as this might aggravate upset stomachs or sore mouths. This is the time to treat the patient. Food is pleasure and should be treated as such. Make meal times as fun as possible, if there are children present include them in the preparation of the meal. Prepare everyone’s favourite meal once a week; include at least one of the patient’s favourite dishes in each meal. Think positively and keep an optimistic attitude, this increases the appetite, at the very least it will stop the appetite from decreasing.
Even though it has been said that you must eat food high in calories and fry the hell out of it, it must now also be added that you need to try to eat as healthily as possibly. It seems very contradictory but if you include your daily 5 portions of fruit and veg and get all your fats your should be doing ok. This will help build up your reserves to prevent body tissue from breaking down during treatment and to maintain your defenses against infection.
During treatment you may find that your tastes change, do not be afraid to try new types food or of cooking food in new ways with new spices and seasonings. Do whatever it takes to keep your food intake up. You may find that your appetite is better during certain times of the day and not at others, use this knowledge wisely and eat bigger meals when your appetite is at its largest. When you feel that you can’t eat try meal replacement drinks. It is also a good idea to try and eat several small meals throughout the day rather than 3 solid meals.
For nausea try and eat toast, crackers or pretzels; yoghurt, cream of wheat, oatmeal; rice, boiled potatoes, noodles; skinned chicken baked or broiled. For an upset stomach sodium and potassium is very important try and eat bananas, potatoes and drink sports drinks also; yoghurt, cottage cheese; rice, noodles, potatoes; eggs – well cooked; smooth peanut butter; white bread, skinned chicken.
After treatment it is important to stay healthy, ease off the high calorie and high fat foods, lower your protein intake and gradually increase your fibre. A healthy diet will increase the speed at which you recover from your treatment and it will help to ensure that the cancer does not return.
The top 5 healthiest foods according to http://www.healthcastle.com are:
1) Salmon – high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, the good cholesterol.
2) Soy – High in protein, amino acids, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, omega and fibre
3) Greens – Vitamins A & C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients, fibre
4) Berries – Vitamin C, fibre, phytonutrients, rich in antioxidants
5) Whole grains – antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron
Diet plays a very important role in cancer treatment and healthiest foods. Its role is both physical and psychological. When you eat well you feel well. When you don’t eat and when you feel nauseas all the time, you feel like you are sick and like all the hope is being sucked out of your world. So do like the title says and eat for a brighter tomorrow.
Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Tell Her cervical cancer one of the most informative sites on cervical cancer available on the web
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Cosser
Stomach cancer is a disease in which tumors are found in the stomach. If it is not diagnosed quickly, it may spread to other parts of your stomach as well as to other organs. Research indicates that more than 25,000 Americans are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year. Also, more than 13,000 Americans die from this disease annually. There are twice as many males with this disease than females.
The majority of people with stomach cancer are between fifty and seventy years old. It is more prevalent in Japan, Korea, Great Britain, South America and Iceland than in the United States. There are ten times as many cases in Japan than in the United States. Contrary to these other countries, the number of cases in the United States has decreased over time.
The precise cause of stomach cancer has so far eluded researchers. But risk factors have been identified that will increase your chances of developing this disease. Research has shown that diets high in salt and nitrites can increase your chances of developing stomach cancer. There are a smaller number of cases among native Japanese people who moved to the United States and adopted the diets of Americans in comparison to those who stayed in Japan and continued with the Japanese diet.
There are a high number of cases among people who work as coal miners or who work processing timber, nickel and rubber. People who are exposed to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori have developed lymphomas in the stomach. Polyps (benign growths) that develop in your stomach have the potential to become cancerous. Other risk factors include a family history of the disease, stomach surgery for ulcers and pernicious anemia. If you want to lower your chances of developing this disease, you can try avoiding some of these risk factors. You can also try adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. The American Cancer Society recommends that you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
During the early stages of stomach cancer, you should expect to see either no symptoms at all or very nonspecific symptoms. Some of these symptoms include indigestion, heartburn, mild discomfort and mild nausea. In the early stages, the tumor is small and has not spread (metastasized). In the late stages, the symptoms are more distinct and include abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and blood in the stool.
By the time these distinct symptoms occur, the cancer can metastasize to other organs in the body, such as the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, liver, small intestine or colon. Unfortunately, this occurs to eight to ninety percent of stomach cancer patients. This is one of the reasons for its poor prognosis. Patients who are diagnosed in the early stages have a seventy five percent chance of surviving for at least five years and those who are diagnosed in the late stages have a less than thirty percent chance. A stomach virus or ulcer can also cause some of these symptoms. If you think that you have might have some of these symptoms, you should see a gastroenterologist or an oncologist immediately to get the correct diagnosis.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Stomach Cancer
source:users.search-o-rama.com
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