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C A NCERFIGHTER S THRI V E .COM
stresses, it is always suggested as
part of a plan that is reviewed by a
patient's care team to ensure that
it will be a safe piece of the overall
treatment plan.
POTENTIAL RISKS OF JUICING
Although juice can provide benefts,
there are risks associated with juic-
ing. For cancer patients the potential
for bacteria and related food-borne
illness is a major consideration.
Following the safety tips previously
described when juicing at home and
buying pasteurized juice when din-
ing out will help alleviate this risk.
In addition to food safety, Lam-
mersfeld notes that patients—and
anyone else interested in adding
fresh juice to their diet—should be
aware that while adding servings of
fruits and vegetables through juice
can add needed nutrients, you are
not getting all the beneft of the
whole food. When you juice produce,
you generally lose most of the fber.
For this reason, Lammersfeld says
she recommends that anyone juicing
at home choose a masticating juicer,
which allows the user to control how
much pulp is included in the juice,
and to leave
the skin on
the produce
when pos-
sible.
Another
potential
pitfall of
juicing—
and one that
might seem
counterintuitive—
is unwanted weight
gain. "If patients are
consuming large amounts of
juice—particularly fruit juice—they
can be getting a substantial number
of calories," Lammersfeld says.
Limiting the fruit included in juice
and focusing instead on juicing
vegetables can help limit sugar and
carbohydrates (and related calories).
Also important, she notes, is to pay
attention to the portion size; espe-
cially where fruit juice is concerned,
you can get too much of a good thing.
The high sugar content in fruit not
only means you are consuming excess
calories but also can raise blood sugar
to unhealthy levels, which can affect
energy. "We encourage smaller por-
tions and recommend patients focus
on vegetables to limit a spike in blood
sugar," Lammersfeld says, "because
when blood sugar declines rapidly,
this can add to fatigue."
Patients in active treatment should
also be aware of the potential of
various juices to interact with some
medications. "Patients on blood-
thinning medication have to be
careful of juicing too many vegetables
with vitamin K (dark leafy greens,
for example), and some fruits and
vegetables can affect the enzymes
that help you metabolize various
drugs," Lammersfeld says. Consistent
communication with your care team
about your nutritional needs will help
ensure that you are making choices
that will not compromise your treat-
ment.
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
If you are considering adding fresh
juice to your nutrition plan, talk
with your care team and discuss how
juicing might provide beneft—and all
potential risks. Lammersfeld says that
there are certainly pluses to consum-
ing fruit and vegetables in this way
but that any foray into juicing should
be undertaken with care: "As long
as juicing is done in moderation and
with communication with your health
care team, it can be a good addition to
your diet."
References
1. Juicing. American Cancer Society. Retrieved
March 22, 2015, from http://www.cancer.
org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/
complementaryandalternativemedicine/
dietandnutrition/juicing
2. Juice and Cider: Make Sure They're Safe.
FoodSafety.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/apple_cider.html
DIANA PRICE
is Managing
Editor at
OMNI Health
Media, where
she writes
and edits women's health and
oncology content for Women
magazine and Cancer Fighters
Thrive
®
.