Adopting a vegan diet for cancer treatment – Helpful or hurtful? A Dartmouth Cancer Center dietician weighs in

Switching to a vegan diet has many benefits that may aid cancer patients. However, there are also a number of concerns to consider, according to Dartmouth Cancer Center clinical dietician Dianne Kelecy, MS, RD, LD.

A vegan diet is a very strict regimen, eliminating all animal products: meat, eggs, seafood and dairy. Believe it or not, even honey is not allowed. Originally adapted for ethical reasons, the vegan diet has become more health-based in recent years. Some sources claim maintaining a vegan diet will reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.

“A vegan diet is not the right fit for everyone, but it's a choice,” Kelecy said. “And while that choice is a good one for some, there are things you should be aware of.”

One major area of concern is that eliminating all animal products puts the individual a higher risk of protein and calcium deficiency. Adults should aim to consume at least 60 grams of protein per day. If you're a very active person or if your body is under stress from disease or injury, you'll need a lot more protein than 60 grams. Consuming one gram of protein per pound of your body weight is a good target to go by in those cases. Plants are not complete sources of protein since they don’t contain all the essential amino acids, so you have to put more thought into your daily food intake.

“It's also going to be harder to get omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins D and B12 on a vegan diet,” Kelecy said. “Finally, and very importantly, I want to point out that a higher risk of depression, hair loss, anemia, muscle wasting, and weak bones can occur if you're not really well educated and smart about how you're following a vegan diet.”

If you are interested in starting a vegan diet, Kelecy recommends working with a registered dietitian who can set you up for success to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and strong.

Dartmouth Health has a variety of simple, healthy and delicious recipes for all diet types on its Cooking Up Health webpage. For those who want to give veganism a try, check out this recipe from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center executive chef David Jones for tan tan noodles, a traditional Sichuan dish, which calls for tofu, black beans, peanuts and peanut butter as its protein source.

Ingredients

• 1.25 pounds spaghetti pasta
• 2 ounces garlic chili sauce
• 3 ounces creamy peanut butter
• 1.5 ounces lite soy sauce
• 1.5 cups cold water
• 20 ounces extra firm tofu, cut in ¼ inch cubes
• ½ pound red bell peppers, diced
• ½ pound green bell peppers, diced
• ½ pound Spanish onions, diced
• 1 ounce sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 and ½ cups frozen green peas, thawed
• ¾ pound dry roasted peanuts
• ¾ cup fresh chopped mint
• 2 cup black beans
• 2 cups water chestnuts

Instructions

Step 1: Cook spaghetti according to package instructions and set aside.

Step 2: Mix together garlic chili sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce and cold water and heat in saucepan. Keep hot until needed.

Step 3: Toss tofu, vegetables, salt and pepper in the sesame oil and place on a sheet pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Step 4: Rinse and drain water chestnuts and black beans. Toss water chestnuts, peas, dry roasted peanuts, chopped mint and beans together. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.

In large serving bowl, mix all ingredients together and serve.

Nutrition (per serving): approximately 640 calories, 76 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 26 grams fat, 12 grams fiber, and 824 mg. sodium.