Nutrition and daily life

Nutrition basics during treatment

During leukemia treatment, food is more than a way to stop hunger. It is daily support that keeps up your strength, helps tissues repair and makes treatment easier to get through. This topic explains in plain language what to focus on, how to keep an eye on your weight, which myths not to believe and what to ask a dietitian.

Last updated: 3 October 2026~5 min read

A softly glowing translucent plate on a dark navy background, holding bright shapes that stand for grains, vegetables and protein, with blood cells around it. — **Figure 1.**Concept: balanced eating gives the body strength along the treatment path.

01Short answer

The main goals of eating during treatment are to get enough energy and protein, keep your weight and muscle strength, drink enough and prepare food safely. A balanced plate includes protein (well-cooked meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans and lentils, pasteurised dairy), grains, and washed or cooked vegetables and fruit. When appetite is poor, small portions, eating often and energy-rich foods help. No diet cures leukemia, and cutting out sugar completely, “detox” plans and fasting can do harm. If your weight drops quickly, eating becomes hard or you need special rules, talk to your hematology team and a dietitian; they build your personal plan.

02Simple explanation

Leukemia and its treatment demand a lot of energy from the body. At the same time, nausea, mouth sores, taste changes and tiredness make eating harder. As a result, people can lose weight and muscle without noticing.

Good nutrition helps the body cope with treatment, repair tissues and keep its strength. It does not mean a “perfect diet”; it means eating enough, and safely.

The two most important “fuels” are energy (calories) and protein. Protein is the building material for muscles, skin, the lining of the mouth and gut, and immune cells.

Priorities can change during treatment. The “low fat, low calorie” advice given to healthy people does not always suit a patient with a poor appetite. Sometimes energy-rich foods are more helpful.

How food is prepared matters too: when immunity is low, safely prepared food lowers the risk of infection. We cover this in detail in separate topics.

03Scientific explanation

ESPEN guidelines: the 2017 guidelines of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) advise checking nutritional status regularly in people with cancer, starting at diagnosis. As a general guide, they give energy of about 25–30 kcal/kg per day and protein above 1 g/kg, if possible up to 1.5 g/kg. A dietitian works out each person’s needs.

Vitamins and minerals: according to ESPEN, vitamins and minerals should be taken in roughly the recommended daily amounts; high-dose supplements are not advised when there is no deficiency. When eating by mouth is not enough, nutritional drinks are considered first, then tube or intravenous feeding if needed.

The 2022 ASCO guideline: evidence on the benefit of special diets during treatment is very limited. It states that a neutropenic diet is not recommended to prevent infection, and that regular physical activity reduces fatigue and preserves strength.

Weight loss and cachexia: the 2020 ASCO guideline suggests dietitian advice for significant weight loss; routine tube or intravenous feeding is not recommended, and each situation is assessed individually. According to WHO, the general principles of healthy eating (variety, vegetables and fruit, little salt and added sugar) remain the foundation after treatment too.

04What happens in the body?

How to build your plate

A simple rule: one part of the plate protein (well-cooked chicken, meat, fish, eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans), one part grains and potatoes (bread, rice, plov, pasta, porridge), and one part vegetables and fruit. Dairy should be made from pasteurised or boiled milk. Familiar dishes such as chicken soup, lentil soup, cottage cheese and yogurt are good choices.

Protein: the building material for repair

Try to add a protein source to every meal and snack: eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese (pasteurised), nut butter, beans and lentils, well-cooked meat and fish. When appetite is poor, drinks made with milk, yogurt or cottage cheese are an easy way to get protein. If you have kidney or liver problems, the doctor decides how much protein is right.

Small glowing blocks joining together to build a translucent cell wall on a dark navy background. — **Figure 2.**Protein is the building material for repairing tissues and immune cells.

Keeping an eye on weight and appetite

Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time and on the same scales. Noticeable weight loss over a short time, two or three days of eating almost nothing, difficulty swallowing or severe diarrhea should be reported to your team. Some medicines, especially corticosteroids, do the opposite and increase appetite and weight; this is worth discussing too.

A translucent, glowing balance scale held level on a dark navy background, with soft golden light around it. — **Figure 3.**Checking your weight regularly helps spot problems early.

Medicines and food

Corticosteroids (for example dexamethasone and prednisolone) can raise blood sugar; the team sometimes advises cutting down on sugary drinks. Some targeted medicines interact with grapefruit and certain herbal products. If a food rule is linked to a medicine, check it in the leaflet or with your doctor.

Miracle diets and myths

The internet is full of diets that claim to “starve cancer”: sugar-free, alkaline, “detox” and long fasting programmes. There is no reliable evidence that they treat leukemia. All cells, including healthy ones, use glucose for energy, and strict restrictions can lead to loss of weight and strength.

Questions for your doctor and dietitian

Are there special food rules for me? Which foods should I avoid? Do I need nutritional drinks? Which foods do not mix with my medicines? Should I monitor my blood sugar? What amount of weight loss should worry me? Can I take vitamins or herbal products?

05How does nutrition help treatment?

Small daily steps keep up the body’s strength.

1Enough energySmall portions, eating often.

2ProteinRepair of tissues and immune cells.

3Safe preparationLowers the risk of infection.

4MonitoringWeight and appetite are tracked with your team.

Stable weightMuscle and strength are preserved.

Feeling betterTreatment is easier to get through.

With your teamA dietitian builds a personal plan.

06Food groups and examples during treatment (simplified)

Food group	What it gives	Safe examples
Protein	Muscle, tissue repair, immune cells	Well-cooked chicken, meat, fish; hard-boiled eggs; lentils, chickpeas
Dairy	Protein, calcium	Pasteurised milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese
Grains and potatoes	Energy, fibre	Bread, rice, porridge, pasta, potatoes
Vegetables and fruit	Vitamins, minerals, fibre	Well-washed, peeled or cooked vegetables and fruit
Fats	A lot of energy in a small amount	Olive oil, butter, nut butter
Fluids	Water balance, kidney protection	Safe water, soups, kompot, milk drinks

* This table is general information. After a transplant, or with diabetes, kidney or liver problems, the rules may differ; your hematology team and dietitian set your personal plan.

07Key terms

Dietitian: A specialist who builds a personal eating plan.
Calorie: A measure of the energy that food provides.
Protein: The main building material of muscles and tissues.
Nutritional drink: A ready-made drink with a lot of energy and protein in a small volume.
Cachexia: Loss of weight and muscle during illness.
Malnutrition: A state in which eating does not meet the body’s needs.
Pasteurisation: Heating milk and juices to kill germs.
Corticosteroid: A hormone medicine that can raise appetite and blood sugar.
Neutropenic diet: A diet that strictly limits raw foods; its benefit has not been proven.

08Key points

The goal is enough energy, protein and fluid.
Small portions and eating often help.
Add a protein source to every meal.
Weigh yourself once a week.
Report rapid weight loss to your team.
No diet cures leukemia.
Prepare food safely.
Your team and dietitian build your personal plan.

09Frequently asked questions

Does sugar “feed” leukemia?

All cells use glucose for energy, and there is no evidence that cutting out sugar completely slows leukemia. Even so, keeping added sugar low is good for general health, especially if steroids are raising your blood sugar.

Should I take vitamins?

A balanced diet is usually enough. If a deficiency is found, your doctor will prescribe the right supplement. High-dose vitamins and antioxidants can affect some treatments, so talk to your team first.

If I am gaining weight, should I diet?

Steroids and moving less can lead to weight gain. Strict diets are not usually advised during treatment; your team and dietitian will suggest the right approach for you.

When are nutritional drinks needed?

A dietitian may suggest them when appetite is poor and it is hard to get enough energy from ordinary food. They add to meals; they do not replace them.

My child is eating very little. What should I do?

For children, nutrition is especially important for growth. Offer favourite safe foods in small portions and often, without forcing. Talk regularly with the children’s dietitian and hematologist.

Can I eat our familiar national dishes?

In most cases, yes: well-cooked plov, dolma, soups and stewed meat are good choices. Raw or undercooked meat, and home-made cheese and yogurt from unpasteurised milk, are risky when immunity is low.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

What should I pay attention to in my diet in my current condition?
What should we do if I am losing weight?
Can I see a dietitian?
How do my other conditions (for example, diabetes) affect my eating?

My questions

12Sources

National Cancer Institute (NCI). Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ®) – Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
National Cancer Institute (NCI). Appetite Loss and Cancer Treatment
American Cancer Society. Nutrition for People with Cancer
American Cancer Society. Benefits of Good Nutrition During Cancer Treatment
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Eating Well During Your Cancer Treatment
Macmillan Cancer Support. Eating problems and cancer
World Health Organization (WHO). Healthy diet — fact sheet
Clinical Nutrition, 2017. ESPEN guidelines on nutrition in cancer patients
Clinical Nutrition, 2021. ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical Nutrition in cancer
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2022. Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment: ASCO Guideline
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2020. Management of Cancer Cachexia: ASCO Guideline

Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

Last updated: 3 October 2026← Back to the list

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