Battling mesothelioma is an uphill climb where the odds do not favor those suffering from the serious, if not deadly, disease. While treatment options exist, many victims of this deadly cancer also take steps to improve their health through more natural methods.
The Need For Nutrition May Present Dangers
Living a healthier lifestyle by changing diets and taking supplements can certainly improve the quality of life for mesothelioma patients. The process of chemotherapy and related drugs create nutritional obstacles. Appetites for sustenance disappear, making vitamins an obvious choice to maintain a certain level of health.
However, two recent studies published in a prominent medical journal warn of the potential dangers of certain, supposedly healthy supplements.
While antioxidants seem like an obvious choice in a healthier lifestyle, those who have lung cancer can, in reality, be harmful, not beneficial. Mesothelioma is not specifically named as one of the diseases. However, the warnings pertain to an affliction that is relevant to another deadly form of cancer.
Medical professionals are taking notice and getting the word out. Instead of helping their mesothelioma symptoms, antioxidants can potentially accelerate the growth and progression of tumors. One of the studies revealed that supplements could help cancer cells accumulate a protein that helps it to spread.
As with anything outside of a formal treatment plan, specifically alternative medicine, patients consulting a doctor first is paramount. What is thought to help a body fighting a serious illness may actually be feeding the disease, making it stronger and the victim weaker.