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Chronic Conditions
Oncodietetics
During chemotherapy, the main goal of nutrition is to avoid losing weight and muscle: get enough energy and protein (ESPEN guidance: more than 1 g, and if possible up to 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day), eat small meals often, and adjust your diet promptly for nausea, taste changes, oral mucositis or diarrhoea. Nutrition does not cure cancer, but it helps you tolerate treatment better. Strict diets, fasting and supplements during chemotherapy — only after agreeing them with your oncologist.
In short.
What to do
- Eat 5–6 times a day in small portions, even without appetite.
- Add protein to every meal: eggs, fish, poultry, fermented dairy products, legumes.
- Weigh yourself weekly and note changes in weight and appetite.
- Follow food safety rules: cook food thoroughly; no raw meat, fish, eggs or unpasteurised milk.
What to avoid
- Fasting and “anti-cancer” diets that restrict calories or entire food groups.
- Supplements, herbal remedies and grapefruit without your oncologist’s approval — they may interact with medicines.
- Alcohol.
- Spicy, acidic and very hot food — if you have oral mucositis.
When to see a specialist
- You are losing weight unintentionally, especially more than 5% over a few months.
- You have been eating less than half your usual amount for more than a week.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea for more than a day — contact your oncologist straight away.
- Taste changes, a dry mouth or mouth pain make it hard to eat.
Consultation
Olga Bezugla, MD, PhD
internal medicine doctor licensed in Ukraine, clinical dietitian, 18 years of practice.
- Format: online only, from any country.
- Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, German.
- Price: first consultation with Olga Bezugla — 6,000 UAH (+ one week of follow-up), consultation with a centre dietitian — 4,500 UAH, one month of follow-up — 4,500 UAH.
Balanced therapeutic nutrition for cancer patients not only provides a feeling of fullness but also helps achieve the most comfortable treatment.
Principles of oncology dietetics.
Oncology dietetics includes:
- Primary prevention aimed at reducing the risk of cancer development, eliminating or mitigating the impact of adverse factors on the process of malignant tumour formation. This primarily involves the complete elimination or minimization of contact with carcinogens.
- Secondary prevention, which implies an individual approach to each person, depending on the oncological disease and cancer stage. When composing a diet in this case, the localization of the tumour process, the stage of the disease, and the type of treatment used are taken into account.
What can our nutrition program for cancer patients include?
- Working with eating behaviour in cases of increased or decreased appetite
- Optimizing the delivery of essential macro and micronutrients through food
- Effective work with the gut microbiome
- Teaching nutrition strategies based on needs dictated by the disease
Diet after chemotherapy.
During chemotherapy, the patient particularly needs the support of a dietitian and dietary changes. The nutrition model and diet structure should consider 'food safety', nutritional features, and metabolic organs during this period.
Chemotherapy is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loss of smell and taste, intestinal mucosal pathologies. Tolerance to chemotherapy is individual, and it is extremely important to correctly choose a nutrition strategy focused on personal needs and side reactions.
Nutrition programs for cancer patients developed by our dietitians help effectively treat and live a full life.
How it works.
Application and tests
The administrator will select a doctor and time. Blood tests - in the morning on an empty stomach, in a package at MedLab or by referral.
Online consultation
Health status, diet, habits, sleep, and daily routine - in a dialogue format with the doctor.
Personalised Programme
Nutrition considering tests, diagnoses, and your tastes.
Support
Doctor on call: answers questions and adjusts the diet.
One Consultation.
Complete Action Plan.
Initial consultation Olga Bezugla
- Expert Evaluation of Actual Nutrition
- Laboratory Indicator Analysis
- Nutrition Programme Considering Diagnoses and Tastes
- Examination Plan if Changes are Detected
- Prescription of Medications and Vitamins as Indicated
- New Eating Behaviour Strategies
Questions.
Can nutrition cure cancer?
No. Nutrition does not cure cancer, but it can either hinder or support treatment: enough energy and protein help preserve weight and muscle and make therapy easier to tolerate.
How much protein do I need during chemotherapy?
ESPEN guidelines: more than 1 g, and if possible up to 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day; energy — usually 25–30 kcal per kilogram. The exact figures depend on your condition, weight and lab results and are set during the consultation.
What should I eat when I feel nauseous during chemotherapy?
Small portions every 2–3 hours, cool dishes without strong smells, dry foods in the morning, and sipping fluids between meals. Anti-nausea medication is prescribed by your oncologist — take it as scheduled.
Can I fast or “starve the tumour”?
No. Clinical guidelines advise against energy-restricted diets during cancer treatment: they speed up muscle loss and make therapy harder to tolerate.
Can I take vitamins and supplements during chemotherapy?
Only after agreeing it with your oncologist. Some supplements and herbs, as well as high-dose antioxidants, can interact with your medicines. Deficiencies confirmed by lab tests are corrected by a doctor.
How does an online consultation with an oncology dietitian work?
You send a request, have blood tests done if needed, and then have an online conversation with the doctor about your condition, diet and treatment side effects. After the consultation you receive a personalised nutrition programme, and the doctor stays in touch for a week.
Sources.
- ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical Nutrition in cancer — Clin Nutr, 2021.
- ESPEN guidelines on nutrition in cancer patients — Clin Nutr, 2017.
- Management of Cancer Cachexia: ASCO Guideline — J Clin Oncol, 2020.
This page is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
Start with one conversation.
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