Diet taboos for gastric cancer

It is clear that irritating foods will damage the gastric mucosa, indigestible foods high in oil and salt that will increase the burden of digestion, and processed/mouldy foods that have been proven to cause cancer risks. The rest of the so-called "absolutely untouchable" foods must be judged based on one's own recovery and tolerance. There is no unified standard answer.

When I was following up in the gastroenterology ward two years ago, I met Lao Chen, a 62-year-old post-surgery gastric cancer patient. It was just three months after he had a subtotal gastrectomy, and all the indicators on the reexamination were very good. His son brought him a piece of cured fish from his hometown. He ate half of it in one meal. That night, he suffered from stomach pain and sweated, and he also vomited some brown liquid. When he came to the emergency department, it was found that the anastomosis was irritated by the high-salt cured fish and he was bleeding. It took a week to stabilize. In fact, the World Health Organization has long classified processed meat products as Category 1 carcinogens, such as bacon, cured fish, ham, pickles, etc. Even if healthy people eat them for a long time, they will increase the risk of gastric cancer, not to mention gastric cancer patients who have inherent damage to the gastric mucosa and whose barrier function is far inferior to ordinary people. They should try not to touch these foods no matter what stage of recovery they are in.

When many people mention gastric cancer diet, their first reaction is that they must not eat spicy food. This is actually half true and half wrong. The traditional advice of gastroenterology is that patients who are within 1 year after surgery, whose anastomosis has not fully grown, or who are in the active stage of gastritis, must avoid strong irritating seasonings such as chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorns. Capsaicin will directly stimulate mucosal wounds, aggravate pain and even induce bleeding. However, in recent years, many clinical studies have shown that low-concentration capsaicin can inhibit the activity of Helicobacter pylori and improve the blood circulation of the gastric mucosa. As long as you recover well enough and have the habit of eating spicy food, occasionally eating two bites of home-fried slightly spicy green pepper shredded pork is not a problem at all. On the contrary, it will make you more appetizing than eating tasteless white porridge every day. I followed up a 30-year-old patient with early-stage gastric cancer last year who was from Jiangxi. One and a half years after the operation, he began to occasionally eat spicy fried dried fish made at home. Every time he had a gastroscopy, he was very good. Of course, it is better not to touch the spicy hot pot and abnormally spicy kebabs with chili powder. No one can bear the irritation.

There is also a misunderstanding that has been circulating for many years, saying that patients with gastric cancer should drink more porridge to nourish their stomach. This statement has really harmed many people. Especially for patients who have undergone cardiac resection, they are prone to food reflux. Porridge is liquid, and it is easier to go up after drinking it. Long-term irritation of the anastomosis may cause problems. Moreover, if you only drink porridge for a long time, the digestive function of the stomach will gradually deteriorate, and you will not be able to digest even hard food. I usually tell patients who are discharged from the hospital that they can drink porridge half a month after the operation, and then slowly switch to soft rice or rice that is normally stewed to a softer texture. This can actually exercise the digestive ability of the stomach, which is much better than drinking porridge every day.

As for the dilemma that many family members have about "whether seafood is edible or not," this should be discussed separately. There is no concept of "fat" in Western medicine. Fresh steamed fish and boiled shrimp have high protein content, low fat, and are easy to digest. In fact, they are excellent choices for gastric cancer patients to supplement their nutrition. It is much better than eating braised pork belly or greasy old hen soup. However, if the patient is also looking for a Chinese medicine doctor to prescribe Chinese medicine for conditioning, many Chinese medicine doctors will recommend avoiding cold-natured crabs and scaleless fish for fear of affecting the efficacy of the medicine. In this case, just follow the doctor's advice, and there is no need to do it. But it should be noted that raw pickled crabs, drunken shrimps and the like must not be touched. There are too many parasites and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in them. Ordinary people may suffer from acute gastroenteritis if they eat them. The gastric barrier of gastric cancer patients is already weak. If infected, it can easily cause serious problems.

Oh, by the way, there is another point that many people tend to overlook, that is, hot food and drinks exceeding 65℃ are classified as Class 2A carcinogens by the World Health Organization. I once met a patient from Chaoshan who had been drinking Kung Fu tea for more than 40 years. He drank boiling tea every day after early stage gastric cancer surgery. During the six-month review, he developed dysplasia at the anastomosis, which scared him so much that he no longer dared to drink freshly brewed tea. Regardless of whether you have stomach cancer or not, wait until the food and drinks are cool before consuming them. This habit can really help you avoid a lot of pitfalls.

In fact, when it comes down to it, the dietary taboos for gastric cancer are really not as exaggerated as the dozens or hundreds listed on the Internet. The core is to avoid those three categories that are clearly risky. The rest depends on your own body's reaction. For example, if someone else eats milk that is fine, but if you drink it and you get bloating and diarrhea, then you should not drink it. ； If you feel comfortable eating strawberries that others say you shouldn’t eat, then it’s perfectly fine to eat them in moderation. Don’t memorize the list of contraindications by rote. It’s better to observe your body more and ask your doctor if you are unsure.