High protein diet in digestive cancers.

Alessandro Laviano

Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care 2022 Sep 01

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Recent advances in the nutritional management of patients with digestive cancers suggest that modulation of protein intake may significantly contribute to achieve nutritional and clinical benefits. By reviewing the available evidence, a quantitatively and qualitatively optimal protein intake could be derived. High protein diets (i.e., 1-1.5 g/kg body weight/day) appear key to maintain the adequate nutritional status, and may also contribute to achieve clinical benefits. This target appears particularly relevant in patients with digestive cancers at risk or already malnourished, or in older patients. During active cancer treatments, protein intake should be closer to the upper limit of the recommended intake. Also, high protein intake should be maintained beyond the periods of catabolic crisis associated with active treatments. In contrast with general reasoning, animal proteins should represent the majority of the recommended intake. Based on the available evidence, the intake of no specific amino acid can be strongly recommended to enhance anabolic potentials or the immune modulating effects of high protein diets. High protein intake, mostly based on animal proteins, should be recommended to patients with digestive cancers. However, this target should be translated into clinical prescription after considering the clinical and metabolic needs of the patients. The quest for the optimal protein intake of patients with cancer at different time points of their clinical journey is still open. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.