Why is nutrition important?

Being treated for cancer can affect your appetite and may limit your ability to eat. This may in turn weaken your body and lower your energy levels. A healthy diet can make a difference to how you feel, how you cope with treatment and your recovery. But eating is more than just nutrition: it is also an important part of your social life and overall quality of life.

Eating well is important for maintaining body weight. The quality of your diet is important for the functioning of your body and your ability to cope as well as possible with treatment. There is good evidence that when people with cancer are not eating well and lose weight, the outcomes of cancer treatment are poorer. This can adversely affect physical ability, mental health, quality of life and life expectancy. Expert help is at hand to guide you through your nutritional challenges. 

We are what we eat

Your body is made up of the foods that you eat: they are used to make your muscles, bones and all the tissues of your body. Food helps your body to work properly, like a complicated machine.

The importance of healthy eating 

There is specific expert guidance for a good diet from the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) for people with cancer who have difficulty eating or who are malnourished. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) provides expert guidance for those who are able to eat well.

Reliable information on diet and cancer

Cancer treatment impacts food intake, but what should you eat? Lots of information on the internet is not evidence-based, and people are often confused about the best diet. This platform is written by experts and provides information based on decades of research.

All the information on this website is from national or international recommendations on diet and cancer that are based on research and written by experts in nutrition and cancer. You may have come across information in books and on the internet that may be someone’s opinion and not based on good science or research. Beware of following such advice as it may not be beneficial and in some cases can be harmful. Always look to see if advice comes from a reputable source. If in any doubt, please discuss with your doctor or dietitian.