Deadly mistake of believing in macrobiotics to cure cancer

Many patients, after being diagnosed with cancer, abandon all treatment regimens to follow a macrobiotic diet because they believe in rumors circulating on social media that this diet is intended to "starve" cancer cells.

This is a mistake that causes many patients to become exhausted and miss out on treatment opportunities, even though they are detected at a very early stage.

Quit smoking, quit the hospital to… eat healthy

Recently, doctors of K Hospital (Tan Trieu facility, Hanoi ) received patient Tran Thi Y. (64 years old, from Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa) for examination due to a large wart occupying the entire lip area, bleeding and pus. The results of the CT scan showed a large tumor in the lower lip area measuring 15 x 20 cm; invading the lower jaw bone, floor of the mouth, tongue; metastasis to many lymph nodes on both sides of the neck measuring 2 - 3 cm; with a diagnosis of lower lip cancer.

The patient said that he had had a lip tumor about 3 years ago but did not go to the hospital for treatment but followed word of mouth instructions to apply a macrobiotic diet in the belief that it would prevent the tumor from growing. However, the patient's health gradually deteriorated and the tumor grew in size.

The treating doctor assessed that in this case, if the patient did not have surgery, the tumor would grow larger, rupture, bleed, seriously affect health, and even cause death.

Patient with extensive lip malignancy after 3 years of macrobiotic diet

Thai Ha

Through actual treatment, Professor Mai Trong Khoa, former Director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology - Bach Mai Hospital, shared: "We have encountered cases where, after being diagnosed with cancer, the patient abandoned all treatment regimens advised by the doctor, left the hospital to go home and follow a "cancer cell starvation" diet, then practiced a certain method and it was ineffective. When returning to the hospital, the patient fell into a state of severe exhaustion. There were patients who were in a very early stage when they were diagnosed, with many opportunities for treatment, but when they returned to the hospital, they were already in stage 3, stage 4, or even the final stage."

Among them was a patient with adrenal cancer who had surgery to remove the tumor but then did not attend regular check-ups as scheduled, did not receive treatment, but went home to apply a macrobiotic diet and take herbal medicine. After 9 months, the patient was re-hospitalized with a weakened body, cancer recurrence, invasion of the liver, blood vessels, and metastasis to the lungs and abdomen.

Currently, there is no scientific basis or research to prove and recognize macrobiotics as a cancer treatment method. The belief of many patients in this viewpoint is wrong.

Dr. Ngo Xuan Quy (Head of Head and Neck Surgery Department, K Hospital)

Another case is a patient diagnosed with stomach cancer, who had surgery and was prescribed adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. However, the patient stopped treatment, went home to self-treat with herbal medicine and followed a macrobiotic diet. After that, the patient was re-hospitalized in a state of severe exhaustion, end-stage renal failure, and the cancer had metastasized and spread, and was no longer treatable.

Sick people need energy

According to information from some cancer treatment hospitals, the macrobiotic diet that patients apply is to only eat brown rice with sesame salt and soy sauce; do not eat meat and foods containing protein.

Professor Mai Trong Khoa emphasized: Only a healthy body can create a good immune system. Only healthy immune cells can become "warriors" to fight and destroy pathogens, including cancer cells. Cancer cells themselves also need nutrition and they will take nutrition from the patient. If a cancer patient is not provided with enough energy, the body will become thin, exhausted, not strong enough to fight the disease, and will not respond to specific treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc.

Dr. Ngo Xuan Quy, Head of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery - K Hospital, noted: The macrobiotic diet has been applied by many people in recent years because they believe that this diet can treat cancer. In fact, there is currently no scientific basis or research to prove and recognize macrobiotics as a method of treating cancer. It is wrong for many patients to believe in this point of view.

What should cancer patients eat?

Patients often believe that red meat and foods rich in protein (such as milk, eggs, etc.) will make tumors grow faster. However, this is a misconception. Protein is a basic factor that helps the body heal wounds, fight infections during and after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy; it is a material that replenishes the body's muscle mass, helping to increase appetite while patients are always anorexic and have poor appetite.

According to the 108 Central Military Hospital, foods that cancer patients should eat are: rice, vermicelli, rice noodles, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.; vegetable oils (soybean oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc.); meats, fish, eggs, milk, shrimp, crabs; green vegetables, ripe fruits high in fiber; foods rich in omega-3 (salmon, olive oil, etc.); foods rich in vitamins E, C, A, selenium with antioxidant properties (carrots, bean sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, etc.). Regarding animal meat, you should eat white meat (fish, poultry), limit red meat.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sai-lam-chet-nguoi-khi-tin-thuc-duong-tri-ung-thu-185230812181803015.htm