Use of Functional Foods and Oral Supplements as Adjuvants in Cancer Treatment

Abstract

In cancer patients treated with radiotherapy to the abdominopelvic region, dietary modifications and the use of functional foods (fortified food with added ingredients to provide specific health improving benefits, such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and glutamine), may contribute to the improvement of the toxic effects of treatment, including nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, among others. With the aim of analyzing which coadjuvant foods benefit these patients, scientific evidence was gathered by a group of experts. For these patients, the authors recommend a diet that includes sufficient foods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols instead of supplements. Docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids have proven useful for the management of anorexia/cachexia in pancreatic cancer patients. Probiotics composed of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. are regarded as safe even in patients with neutropenia and have been proven to decrease gastrointestinal symptoms. Several factors should be considered before probiotic supplementation, these include the stage of the disease, radiation dose, and symptomatology of each patient. There is no demonstrated clear benefit to the use of glutamine, so it is not recommended due to its high cost.

β-Hydroxy-β-methyl Butyrate/L-Arginine/L-Glutamine Supplementation for Preventing Hand–Foot Skin Reaction in Sorafenib for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Interestingly, diarrhea was also significantly reduced in the ONS group (Table II). Several reports have shown that glutamine can contribute to improving the toxic effects of chemotherapy, such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea (24,25), and therefore it seems reasonable that HMB, L-arginine and L-glutamine supplementation can also be preventive against sorafenibinduced diarrhea.…”

Ensuring the future of functional foods

“…These products known as probiotic supplements have been extensively studied over recent years, indicative benefits have been reported such as their ability to neutralise toxins (Corbo et al ., ); good sensory characteristics when microencapsulated (Mokhtari et al ., ) and superior survival and transition through the gut (Campaniello et al ., ). They have also been developed with a range of fortification approaches to further improve health benefits, such as the addition of linoleic acid (Abd El‐Salam et al ., ); green tea fortified with soy (Moumita et al ., ); supplemented with Vitamin D as an aid to weight loss (Mohammadi‐Sartang et al ., ); added to fruit juices (Ephrem et al ., ) and as an adjuvant or a prophylactic therapy in cancer treatment (Serna‐Thome et al ., ; Wardill et al ., ).…”

Importance of the Nutrition with Antioxidants in the Treatment of Cancer and Others Damages

“…Glutamic acid is a nonessential amino acid and has functions that allow it to interact with other biological biomolecules in order to maintain energy between tissues for the synthesis of molecules and lead to cell growth [1].…”

“…This compound also participates in the metabolism of carbohydrates and in the cellular respiration process of the Krebs cycle [1].…”

“…Currently, consumption of foods rich in antioxidants such as functional foods as omega-3 and glutamine [1] plays an important role in the nutrition of the population. As functional foods that contain fiber, vitamins, minerals and which decrease saturated fats or sugars are considered [2].…”