Reduce Nausea from Chemo

There's a way to reduce nausea caused by chemo without using drugs, and it's free. Oh and
as an added bonus it doesn't cause nausea.

University of Southern California researchers have shown that a two-day fast before chemo
sessions prompts a natural cell function they call "shield mode."

Your cells recognize fasting as a starvation threat and respond by circling the wagons, so to
speak. The USC team found that when this shield is engaged, it also happens to protect
cells from the toxins in chemotherapy. The result is reduced nausea and fatigue in some
patients.

And there might be one more surprising advantage, and it's a HUGE one. While protecting
healthy cells, the shield appears to leave cancer cells more vulnerable. So fasting might
actually improve the cancer-killing effectiveness of chemo. (Researchers caution that fasting
isn't right for everyone, so patients should talk with their oncologists before trying a pre-
chemo fast.)

In addition to fasting, cancer patients can also try ginger, which has been shown to relieve
chemo-related nausea. Most anti-nausea drugs work by blocking signals to the brain, but
ginger has a localized effect on the stomach. Small doses repeated often will give the best
results.