To Juice Or Not To Juice

Hello everyone,

I am very new to this forum and to cancer, my mother has recently been diagnosed, so I am gathering as much information as I can lay my hands on.

I have read many articles suggesting that a patient with colon cancer should drink vegetable & fruit juice, rather than eating the actual veg or fruit.

Does anyone know why?

Many thanks
Nicola

I haven't heard the idea of doing one rather than the other, however, my father has been drinking a special juice that a friend of his (who is a survivor of colon cancer) swears by:
Makes enough for two:
4-5 long (cleaned not peeled) carrots - not precleaned mini ones
3-4 stalks of celery
2 green apples cut up (peel and all)
toss in a few grapes (adds the flavor)
pour over ice
drink right away...don't let it sit a while or it will lose some nutrients.
Good luck!

When you juice you are getting compact nutrition. If you had to eat all the fruit that you juice it would be hard to do. You can juice a banana, an apple, a plum, grapes, and any other fruit you like and not feel stuffed. if you try eaing all these fruits you may be uncomfortable. Plus in the juice you can put extra nutrients in the form of powders or tablets. Some cancer patients find taking alot of supplements is hard to do.

NCS

If you are interested in nutrition and holistic appraoches to
healing, I highly recommend Dr. Michael Murray's book; HOW
TO PREVENT AND TREAT CANCER WITH NATURAL MEDICINES.
It has saved my life!!! Also, Google: Gayle Bledsoe, my
mother's battle with cancer. Good Luck!

Yes'm, fresh juice is like gold to your body...the foregoing gave some good counsel(although I'd find that much celery at once a bit strong, despite how wonderful it is for the liver & etc!), but I saw one more important point
to present: when one begins juicing, the body will abruptly have the resources(energy, enzymes
& fluids) to afford to divest itself of toxins that were stored...(a common short-sighted critique of juicing is the lack of fiber!)so more frequent bowel movements are advisable. There are numerous fiber supplements, crackers, etc, but the best is likely psyllium seed husks, as they can be mixed with a pleasant dilute juice, or with water..but it also provides a rare glyconutrient that is yet another cancer foe! Be sure to use the fiber spread between meals and other supplements so it will not carry off the H2O-solubles! God bless, and better health! Michael L M.

With all this talk about juicing, I couldn't resist
adding a comment or two. It wasn't long ago
that the 5-a-Day marketing campaign was
prompting Americans to consume five
servings of fruits and veggies daily. Now, that
recommendation has been changed to 9 - 13
servings per day. Why? Because scientists
continue to validate the health potential of
fruits and vegetables. The problem is that
most of us are lucky if we eat two servings of
produce each day! If you approach juicing
therapy with some common sense, it can be
a valuable component of a balanced diet and
help you achieve your health goals of
consuming more cancer-fighting plant
chemicals. But juicing is not for everyone.
Ideal candidates for juicing therapy include
individuals who are no longer in cancer
treatment, those who are not losing weight,
or those who are strong and just want to
flush out their systems. I believe you should
use organic produce as often as possible. To
support immunity by keeping blood sugar
levels in check, it’s important to drink your
juice with a protein-based meal or snack.
If you're in the middle of chemotherapy or
radiation treatments, adding fresh juice to a
whole foods diet may assist in detoxification,
but drinking large amounts of juice or fasting
on juice is not recommended during this
time. Sometimes, a one- or two-day juicing
regimen can be followed during the early
stages of cancer treatment or as a
preventative to recurrence.
If you aren't sure juicing is right for you, I
would encourage you to find a nutritionist to
evaluate your health situation. Finally,
remember that juices are very low in calories
and protein. To support rebuilding, you
should focus on foods and beverages that
will provide you with adequate levels of
calories and nutrients. And that means
chewing, not just gulping, what's good for
you.

Healthy regards,

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD
Director, Holistic Nutrition Services
Cancer Resource Center
Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Yes, there are many aspects worthy of consideration. Three I rarely see mentioned/emphasized re; juicing are 1) It provides most of the nutrients, and is "fractured" to the point of being very easily digested, thus conserving a great deal of precious energy(used for digestion), and therefore reducing caloric needs; 2) If sipped, so mixed with the salivary enzymes, it will be better tolerated by the weakened digestive systems of many cancer-persons; 3)It lacks fiber, and bowel motility is imperative during any illness; therefore, fiber supplements, whether psyllium, chitin, oat bran, etc. should be used to stimulate bowel activity/peristalsis;
ok, 4)It is possible to consume several times as much produce via juicing than one can eat comfortably, even when quite healthy; and one needs the nutritional support all-the-more when weakened by cells-gone-crazy, wherever and however numerous they may be! Bon apatite, MLM, ND

Hi Nicola,

I've not seen any evidence to suggest that drinking fruit and vegetable juice, as opposed to eating fruits and vegetables, is recommended for colon cancer. The dietary changes that appear to be most helpful when it comes to colon cancer include limiting overall fat intake, avoiding grilled and nitrate-containing meats, encouraging less white, refined pastas and grains and more whole grains, eating low fat free-range and organic dairy products and avoiding alcohol. In addition, it's important to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. These plants contain chemicals that may have a variety of cancer fighting potential. For example, researchers have shown in animal and test tube studies that cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) possess potential anti-tumor activity. Juicing fruits and vegetables may be one way to get some of the plant chemicals you need into the daily diet, but I would try to consume the recommended daily 9-13 servings of produce in whole fruit and vegetable form, raw or cooked. This way, you don't lose out on the valuable detoxifying benefit of fiber (often lost in juicing).
My bottom line: It's important to get your fruits and veggies--just remember to drink them a little, eat them a lot!

For free nutritional recommendations specific to colon cancer, please contact Cancer Resource Center at 800.940.2822.

Regards,

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD
Director, Holistic Nutrition Services
Cancer Resource Center
Cancer Treatment Centers of America

I have found that I don't have to lose the fiber when juicing if I use a blender' Very simple,yes?

If you grind your items in a blender you may have your choice to eat or drink them depending on the consistency. You wont lose the fiber or anything. I like to pour my fruit over my cereal and drink my veggies thatway I can drink more than I would normally eat reducing early hunger.