More answers to your questions:
Questions not answered in the Nutritional Management of Adult Oncology Patients:
Does the Academy recommend refined fish oils to avoid the potential exposure to heavy metals?
Answer: To my knowledge, there is no recommendation regarding refined vs other fish oils to avoid potential exposure to heavy metals. Evidence-based public health recommendations generally suggest that the benefits derived from consuming fish, seafood and fish oils outweigh the potential harms of exposure to environmental toxicants/contaminants, so long as the EPA-FDA advisories and safe eating guidelines are followed.
Would you recommend foods high in certain antioxidants although antioxidant supplements are not recommended?
Nutrient-rich whole foods high in antioxidants should be encouraged due to their various purported roles in protecting from cancer. The high doses of supplemental antioxidants shown to have potential dangerous effects in cancer are unlikely to be reached through diet alone.
What about the use of herbal supplements for specific types of cancer, palmetto for prostate cancer?
Answer: The evidence suggesting a potential benefit of taking saw palmetto to prevent or treat prostate cancer is primarily based on laboratory and animal studies. The scientific evidence remains insufficient at this time to recommend its use in prostate cancer.
For more information, you can listen to the recording on the event page.
References:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.23599/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.20447/full
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21142/full
This blog was posted by Robin Allen, a member of OneOp (MFLN) Nutrition and Wellness team that aims to support the development of professionals working with military families. Find out more about the OneOp Nutrition and Wellness concentration on our website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and LinkedIn.
