Nutrition and cancer

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Commercial nutrition supplements

There may be times when you are unable to meet your nutrition needs from food and drinks alone. This may be because you are too tired or nauseous to eat, or perhaps food does not appeal to you very much. Commercial nutrition supplements can help. You can buy supplements as a ready-to-use beverage (similar to a milkshake) in a variety of flavours. Other supplements come as a powder, a pudding or a bar.

Many commercial nutrition supplements can be purchased from a pharmacy or grocery store. They may also be sold as meal replacements. You do not need a doctor’s prescription to buy commercial nutrition supplements. Some provincial and private health care insurance plans may cover the cost under certain conditions.

Talk to a registered dietitian if you think that you will need to depend on commercial nutrition supplements.

If it becomes too difficult for you to eat, your healthcare team may suggest using a feeding tube. A feeding tube is a thin, flexible tube that is placed directly into the stomach or intestines. Once the tube is in place, liquid nutrition supplements can be given through it. Feeding tubes can help people who have lost a lot of weight get their nutrition needs when they find it too difficult to eat or drink.

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