Check with your doctor and treatment team before starting any diet. Some may be harmful, especially during cancer treatment.
| ketogenic or keto | High-fat, low-carb diet that puts the body into ketosis. Some claim it slows cancer growth, but there’s no strong evidence. May cause nutritional issues. |
| vegan raw | Excludes all animal products and focuses on plant foods. May lack key nutrients such as iron and B12. No evidence it cures cancer. Needs careful planning during treatment. |
| paleo diet | Includes fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, meats and eggs, but excludes grains and dairy. Check with your doctor or nutritionist, as it may not be recommended for everyone. |
| alkaline diet | Claims eating alkaline foods, such as green vegetables, fruits, oily fish and nuts, lowers acidity in the body and stops cancer growth. No evidence to support this. |
| high-dose vitamins and minerals | There is little evidence that high-dose vitamins and minerals strengthen the immune system during treatment. Certain supplements can be toxic, increase bleeding risk, or interfere with radiation therapy, chemotherapy and medicines. Some examples include folic acid (B9), which can increase some treatment side effects, and antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E, COQ10, selenium), which can affect radiation therapy and chemotherapy. |
| Gerson diet/ therapy | Involves drinking fresh juice several times a day, limiting foods you can eat, taking supplements, and doing coffee enemas. No scientific evidence that it is an effective treatment for cancer. Evidence shows coffee enemas can be dangerous if used too often. |
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Video: How to eat well after a cancer diagnosis
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A/Prof Geraldine McDonald, Director Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; A/Prof Christine Carrington, Senior Consultant Pharmacist Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Metro South Health and The University of Queensland, QLD; Kellie Giannarelli, Consumer; Dr Suzanne Grant, Senior Research Fellow, Integrative Oncology, NICM Health Research Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Vivienne Hansen, Bush and Western Herbal Medicine Practitioner, WA; Karla Jaji, Administration Officer, Nepean Cancer and Wellness Centre, NSW; Dr Laura Kirsten, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Nepean Cancer Services, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, NSW; A/Prof Judith Lacey, Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim, Western Sydney University and University of Technology Sydney, NSW; Dr David Mizrahi, Senior Research Fellow and Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Professor Avni Sali AM, Founder and Director, National Institute of Integrative Medicine, VIC; Gillian Thompson, Consumer; A/Prof Kate Webber, Medical Oncologist, Monash Health, VIC; Tanya Wells, Integrative Oncology Consultant and Naturopath, Melbourne Integrative Oncology Group, VIC; Prof Kate White, Professor Cancer Nursing, Cancer Care Research Unit, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW.
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