Stanford Nutrition Services
At Stanford, we offer you nutrition services designed specifically for coping with cancer. Our registered dietitians are certified specialists in cancer nutrition and provide counseling before, during, and after treatment.
When you work with one of our cancer nutritionists, you can expect us to:
- Provide nutrition guidelines and education tailored for people with cancer
- Assess any side effects that may arise during treatment, such as loss of appetite or low energy
- Identify possible disease or treatment complications that may affect nutrition and recommend interventions
- Monitor you throughout your treatment to make adjustments
Benefits of cancer nutrition services
Medical nutrition therapy is a healthy eating plan designed by our registered dietitians that complements your medical treatment. Studies have shown that working with nutrition specialists for medical nutrition therapy offers several benefits for people with cancer, including:
- Fewer complications
- Fewer hospitalizations
- Fewer breaks or delays in treatment caused by malnutrition or weight loss
- Improved quality of life
- Potential for longer survival
Benefits of eating a healthy diet throughout cancer treatment
Proper nutrition means eating a wide variety of foods that provide nutrients supporting your health. For people with cancer, the benefits of a healthy eating plan include:
- Maintaining your strength and energy during treatment
- Promoting the healing process
- Supporting your immune system
- Helping you maintain a healthy weight
- Relieving side effects such as fatigue and anemia (deficiency in red blood cells that reduces the blood’s ability to supply oxygen to the body)
- Lowering your risk of other health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease
Current as of: 10/2019
Stanford Health Education, 2020