Boosting Nutrition: How Supplements Affect Cancer Patients

Doctors often recommend oral nutritional supplements, or ONS, for cancer patients, especially those with gastrointestinal cancers. But how do these supplements really help? A recent study decided to find out. They focused on how well patients followed their supplement schedules and what types of supplements worked the best. The team wanted to know if these supplements improved patients' nutrition and muscle strength.For a long time, there hasn't been much research on this topic. So, doctors haven't been sure if ONS make a real difference. To get to the bottom of it, they kept tabs on a group of patients over time. They watched their use of ONS, especially those high in protein, and tracked their nutrition and muscle power. The results were encouraging. Patients who stuck to their supplements had better nutrition overall. High-protein supplements seemed to give them an extra boost. It showed that thorough use of ONS can really make a difference in the lives of cancer patients.