Nutritional Recommendations for Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The world is currently in a large-scale outbreak, referred to as a pandemic, for the novel coronavirus disease SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Patients having cancer have to combat their illness and its complications, but they also have to suffer a list of side effects due to chemotherapy. This article is written to suggest a list of nutritional considerations for chemotherapeutic patients at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance their immune system. Nutrition has a decisive role in immune response, specifically in immuno-suppressed patients, such as those undergoing chemotherapy. Due to the complexity of designing a diet for the mentioned patients, we recommend a balanced and varied diet in the COVID-19 pandemic, including zinc, omega-3, vitamin D, whole grains, and skimmed dairy, which were discussed in great detail in the article.