Munich, 30 April 2012 - The first TZM nutrition day was a complete success. On the last Saturday in April approximately 200 doctors and patients came together to share information about the most important nutritional questions from cancer patients.

Caution with cancer diets
Professor Hans Hauner, nutrition specialist, warned of so-called cancer diets which are regularly circulated in the media. "There are no diets that can minimise or cure cancer" said Hauner. Even the role of dietary supplements is completely overrated. Taking vitamins and minerals is only necessary in comparatively few cases. A Mediterranean style diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and no more than two portions of meat per week is, according to Hauner, recommended for most cancer patients.

Unintentional weight loss
Dr. Marc Martignoni from Klinikum rechts der Isar highlighted that some cancer patients suffer from unintentional weight loss. Not only good quality food but also careful preparation to preserve the ingredients are important for a nutritious and high-calorie diet for these patients. Through the use of many individual examples he illustrated how the calorie count of the dishes can be increased for cancer patients who are particularly underweight.

Finally Dr. Peter Rittler eliminated any fear of artificial nutrition for the patients present at the information day. The instruments of nutrition specialists today range from liquid-based nutrition to nutrient infusions. He strongly warned of the danger of not taking nutritional problems seriously enough. According to Rittler, anyone who unintentionally loses more than 5 percent of their former weight within four weeks has a serious problem and should consult their doctor.

Healthy and delicious: 20 recipes by Hans Haas
At the end of the day Michelin-star chef Hans Haas, of the gourmet restaurant "Tantris" based in Munich, proved that it is and should be possible to enjoy food when suffering from cancer. He has adapted 20 recipes to the concerns of cancer patients and published them in a small cookbook in collaboration with Hans Hauner und Volkmar Nüssler, the coordinator of the TZM. The book is also available now from book stores. Ten participants from the nutrition day were selected via a draw and will take part in a cooking course personally led by Hans Haas in the near future.

There are already definite plans to continue with the "Cancer and Nutrition" training series  We will inform you of new dates in good time.