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I
hope you can provide me with some much-needed direction. I was recently
diagnosed with a severe case of C-diff. After treatment and a hospital
stay, I am now allowed soft foods.
Are there foods I should avoid? Focus on?
The doctor said "soft foods" without
much guidance. Can you make a few suggestions to help in this path
of recovery?
A - Thanks for visiting my web site and asking your very good question.
You can read more about the infection in your large bowel caused by
the overgrowth of the bacteria called Clostridium difficile (commonly
called C-diff) at the following web sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id_CdiffFAQ_general.html
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/954992292.html
If you have not
done so already, the most important thing to introduce into your
diet are
*friendly bacteria*, often called probiotics, that
will help repopulate your gut and crowd out the potential for regrowth
of the C-diff bacteria. Probiotic bacteria are found in fermented foods
like yogurt. Make sure the brand you purchase contains live cultures
as consumed. Stonyfield Farms is a brand name of yogurt made with six
different species of these live helpful bacteria. Sauerkraut, tempeh
(fermented soybeans – look for recipes on my web site) and miso
(fermented soybean paste – again look for recipes on my web site)
are some foods that provide probiotics.
In addition, I recommend
purchasing a product called Culturelle. This is an over the counter
probiotic supplement that your local pharmacy
can order for you if they do not have it on the shelf. I have used
this brand myself and for my family in a prophylactic manner whenever
we have needed antibiotics, because this brand has been actually used
in research studies and shown effective for repopulating the gut with
those “friendly bacteria”. Here is one study actually showing
control for relapsing C-diff using the same strain of bacteria in Culturelle:
Gorbach SL et al Successful treatment of relapsing clostridium difficile
colitis with lactobacillus GG' The Lancet 26th Dec 1987, 2 (8574) p1519
A soft diet usually means avoiding foods high in fiber, nuts, seeds,
and gassy foods and foods that are easy to chew. However, there are
very few research studies showing which diet is most effective for
recovery of C-diff. Some animal studies showed that using diets including
soluble fiber (oat bran) helped eliminate the C-diff infection sooner
than a diet with insoluble fiber (wheat bran).
Foods high in soluble fiber include: oats and oat bran, oatmeal, beans,
peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp.
Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals,
wheat bran, rye, rice, barley, most other grains, cabbage, beets, carrots,
Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin.
You can read more about probiotics and prebiotics (foods that the
good bacteria need to thrive) at the following web site:
http://web.cancernutritioninfo.com/main.cfm?id=1406&display=yes&RequestTimeout=500
You can also read more about using foods to manage diarrhea at:
http://web.cancernutritioninfo.com/main.cfm?id=1397&display=yes&RequestTimeout=500
In addition to bananas being a good food to help control diarrhea,
there is a product called Kanana Banana flakes that has had been successful
controlling diarrhea by adding pectin and soluble fiber to the diet.
This product also can be ordered from your local pharmacy.
Lastly, I also recommend seeking the professional expertise of a Registered
Dietitian (RD) in your location, either in the outpatient department
of your local hospital or in private practice to help you with this
transition back to full recovery. You may have other nutritional needs
that should be taken into account as you recover from this serious
illness. You may find one in private practice by typing in your zip
code at www.eatright.org if your local hospital or medical center does
not have one available to evaluate and counsel outpatients.
posted
4/06
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to Main QandA
Page
Miscellaneous
 |
What
research studies have you funded with the proceeds from the sale
of your
book? posted
9/02, updated 9/05, updated 12/06 |
|
Has
your WBC count finally gone back up to normal? |
 |
What
do you think helped your WBC count finally get back to normal? posted
8/02 |
|
Can
you recommend a web site or relatively user-friendly book that would explain
the particular lab tests I am having done, results and what that means?
posted
4/02 |
|
Do
you ever drink coffee? I just cannot give it up!
posted
8/03 |
|
What
did you eat during the recent black-out?
posted
9/03, updated 10/03 |
|
Diana,
do you have a favorite cookbook?
posted
9/03 |
|
Diana,
I am a student entering the field of dietetics. One of my assignments is
to find a Registered Dietitian on-line, view the web site, and ask a few
questions. I am very impressed by your web page. I do hope you have a few
minutes to answer a few questions. posted
10/03 |
|
Why
don't you put calories and other nutrients on all of your
recipes? How can I figure this out myself? posted
8/04 |
|
I
could not get a flu shot this year. Are there immune-boosting foods that
you can recommend? posted
11/04, updated 1/05 |
|
How
do you know you are cured? posted
5/05 |
|
Can
you give me some advice about self-publishing a book? posted
7/05 |
Back
to Main QandA
Page
Nutritional
Concerns during Cancer Treatment (related
to side effects)
|
Can
you provide a list of all chemotherapy drugs called alkylating agents that
may potentially have interactions with antioxidant supplements during chemotherapy?
posted
10/02 |
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Dear
Diana, I am undergoing treatments for cancer and am not eating well. What
should I do? posted
7/01 |
|
Can
I drink your soy shake recipes if my oncologist or dietitian has recommended
that I follow a neutropenic diet due to my low white blood cell counts?
posted
5/00, updated 7/01, updated 11/02, updated 8/03 |
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Should
I consume antioxidants during my cancer therapy? posted
12/01, updated 10/02 |
|
Can
herbs interact with any of the chemotherapy drugs? posted
4/01, updated 9/02 |
|
Are
there any diet changes to help relieve bloating during abdominal radiation?
posted
4/03 |
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Do
you have diet suggestions for someone who has diarrhea after
radiation therapy for rectal cancer? posted
1/04, updated 4/04, 11/04, 1/05 |
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Is
it safe to drink green tea if I have a port for administration of my chemotherapy?
posted
1/04 |
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Can
you tell me foods to eat to reduce the acid in my urine and pain in my bladder
and ureters? posted
2/04, updated 5/05 |
|
How
can I eat a diet as healthy as you suggest if I need to be
hospitalized for more than a day or two? posted
3/04 |
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My
husband is having chemotherapy treatments and has lost his sense
of taste after one treatment. Are there any foods I can prepare that will
give him some relief?
posted
9/04 |
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Is
there a good web site describing the nutrition related side effects from
chemo drugs? posted
10/04 |
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Should
I stop drinking green tea during chemotherapy to avoid consuming too many
antioxidants? posted 7/05 |
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How
can I use the diet recommendations on your web site and in your book
to both increase my intake of cancer fighting foods for optimizing
my cancer recovery and lose weight at the same time? posted
3/06 |
|
What
tips do you have to stay on a healthy diet during the holiday season? posted
11/06 |
Back
to Main QandA
Page
Herbs
and other Dietary Supplements
|
Can
herbs interact with any of the chemotherapy drugs? posted
4/01, updated 9/02 |
|
Is
the herbal product Amrit® safe to take during chemotherapy?
posted
9/02 |
|
Did
you use Essiac tea? There seems to be so much confusing and conflicting
information available about this. Can you steer me to some reliable information?
posted 8/02, updated 1/05 |
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Do
you know anything about the recalls of the herbal products SPES™ and
PC-SPES™, both made by BotanicLabs?
posted
6/02 |
|
Which
herbs might cause problems with blood clotting? updated
8/03, 1/04 |
|
Can
you tell me if a product called Sun Soup is useful for patients with lung
cancer? posted
1/03, 4/04, 1/05 |
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What
is your opinion on IP6? I've been hearing good things about its effect on
cellular health. posted
2/04 |
|
Should
I drink wheatgrass juice to help fight my cancer?posted
2/04 |
|
Top
These questions and answers
are intended to be of a general informative nature. Please consult with
the Registered Dietitian in your cancer center or your health care provider
for nutritional advice that can be individualized to your specific medical
condition.
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