Edenshealth · Area
Cancer
A page for guidance. Keeped short, because the most important information here doesn't come from us, but from people who know you personally.
Before you read on
This page does not recommend any treatment and does not advise against any. It's there so you understand what you're deciding about. You make the decision – with people who know you and with a team that understands the diagnosis.
Do not take any medication during ongoing treatment without consulting a doctor. Not even herbal remedies, tea as a treatment, or vitamins. Some can weaken the effectiveness of the treatment. The reasons are explained in Chapter 3.
There are no product links in this section. We sell tea and nutritional supplements in our shop – but not to people who have just received this diagnosis. That will remain the case.
What matters first now
In the first few days, nobody needs to understand everything. It's enough to know the next three steps.
- Second opinion
- It is present in many types of cancer. legally provided and is paid for by the health insurance fund. It is not considered a sign of distrust – experts expect it.
Between the initial consultation with the doctor and the first appointment, there are often days during which one feels the need to do something. It is precisely during this gap that the most sales are made online.
There is very little you can do wrong during this time, as long as you don't take anything on your own and keep your appointments.
Which helps almost everyone
- Take someone with you. Two people can keep more than one, and the second person may ask if the first person is blocked.
- Write down your questions beforehand. The six most important ones are listed below on a takeaway card.
- Getting a second opinion is normal. Nobody takes it personally.
The best-documented
Of all the things that are within one's control during this time, exercise has the strongest evidence. No other medication can compare.
- The order of magnitude
- 3 × 30Minutes per week for at least three months - that was the amount in the studies on fatigue.
Tailored training improves fatigue, maintains muscle mass and resilience, and improves quality of life - this is proven, not just claimed.
What's possible depends on blood test results, diagnosis, and how you feel on the day, and needs to be discussed. The usual starting points are walks, light cycling, or gentle yoga.
Rehabilitation sports are prescribed by the doctor., The statutory health insurance covers it without any co-payment. Ask about it – it rarely happens automatically.
When movement pauses
In cases of acute infections or fever, low red blood cell or platelet counts, coagulation disorders, unexplained severe pain, balance disorders or nerve damage in the hands and feet, bone metastases - and directly after surgery.
Source: Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) - Sport and exercise after cancer; Fatigue information sheet.
Food that carries
During cancer treatment, the rule that usually applies on this website is reversed: maintaining weight is more important than eating right. Those who lose weight tolerate the treatment less well.
- Cachexia
- The technical term for muscle and weight loss in cancer. It affects different types of cancer. 50 to 80 percent of those affected and is a separate risk factor - not a marginal issue.
- Herbs instead of salt
- When tastes change, strong herbs often work better than salt: thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, dill. Ours Botanical Archive She leads them all.
This is the most uncomfortable sentence on this website, and yet it's true. Unintentional weight loss is not a minor issue in cancer patients. Even a ten percent weight loss within six months worsens tolerability, quality of life, and disease progression.
What disappears first is not fat, but muscle. Therefore, it's not just about calories, but about protein – and about getting both early enough, not just when your pants start to slip down.
The need, in numbers
Kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per dayFor a person weighing 70 kilograms, this equates to approximately 1,750 to 2,100 doses – more than most people can actually manage during a treatment.
grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per dayFor 70 kilograms, that's 84 to 105 grams. The diagram below shows what that looks like.
Weight loss in six monthsFrom this point on, it is considered significant and must be addressed - even if one had "some leeway" before.
This is how you get 100 grams.
Protein per typical serving, in grams
Read: Quark in the morning, lentils at midday, a piece of grass-fed beef in the evening, and an egg in between – that already adds up to 67 grams. The rest comes from bread, milk, and nuts. Values are rounded.
What helps practically
- Six times a little instead of three times a lot. People who aren't hungry are more likely to eat small portions.
- Put the egg whites on the plate first. If the portion remains small, at least the beginning should count.
- Drinking counts towards your drinking - as broth, soup, milk or smoothie, if chewing is tiring.
- Weigh yourself once a week, Not daily. A trend over four weeks says more than a single number.
- Don't forbid anything that still tastes good. A piece of cake that goes down is worth more than a salad that stays standing.
When nausea, loss of taste or mucous membranes occur
- Nausea: Eat cool, odorless foods, nothing fatty, and don't sit in the kitchen while cooking. Ginger tea or candy helps some people – it's mild and well-researched.
- Metallic taste: Use plastic cutlery instead of metal, add plenty of acid, avoid cold meat, and season with herbs instead of salt.
- Wonder Mouth: Nothing sour, nothing spicy, nothing crumbly. Soft, lukewarm, mild. Oral hygiene several times a day, but without alcohol in the rinsing water. Chamomile or sage rinse only after consulting a doctor – not everything mild is well tolerated by irritated mucous membranes.
- Dry mouth: Frequent small sips, thickened foods, sugar-free sweets.
- Diarrhea: Drink plenty of fluids, add salt to your diet - after three days or if you have a fever, contact the treatment team instead of treating yourself.
Two paths that hardly anyone knows
Nutritional therapy is available by prescription. According to the guidelines, screening for malnutrition should take place at the time of diagnosis and be repeated thereafter – in practice, this happens far too rarely. Asking about it costs nothing.
Nutritional drinks can be prescribed. If regular food no longer meets nutritional needs, the doctor can prescribe high-calorie nutritional drinks on a prescription covered by health insurance. The co-payment is ten percent, with a minimum of five and a maximum of ten euros.
Why there is no mention of fasting or treatment here
The updated S3 guideline explicitly advises against fasting, intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and Budwig or Breuss concepts during ongoing treatment—not as a matter of principle, but because food restriction can trigger malnutrition in these cases. The much-cited Berlin Fasting Study from 2018 also included only women with a BMI of 19 or higher and no recent weight loss. Fasting has a permanent place on this website - just not during this particular phase. The date when it will be suitable again is stated in Chapter 6.
The one sentence that truly matters
St. John's wort accelerates the breakdown of many medications in the liver, and high doses of vitamin C or E can reduce the effectiveness of some treatments. Therefore: never take any preparation without consulting your healthcare team. Not because plants are harmful, but because only they know the precise blood levels required.
Sources: S3 guideline Clinical nutrition in oncology; Cancer Information Service of the DKFZ; Drug guideline of the G-BA §§ 18–26 on enteral nutrition.
Our stance
Cancer patients should not eat anything processed or industrially produced.
This is our position, not a guideline recommendation – and we explain what it's based on. Even those who don't share it will still find everything they need on this page.
Edenshealth
What's gone - and what's instead
Get away
- Refined sugar, in any form
- Ready meals and anything with a long list of ingredients
- Sausage, ham, bacon, all cured and smoked meats
- White flour in its usual forms
- Soft drinks, including the "sugar-free" ones„
- Sweetened dairy products, fruit yogurt, breakfast cereals
- Refined oils and margarine
- Sweeteners
Instead
- Grass-fed beef, meat in a single piece
- Organic eggs, free-range chicken
- Fish
- Fresh vegetables and herbs, according to the season
- Cold-pressed oils: olive oil, linseed oil
- Nuts, legumes, quark
- If sweet: a teaspoon of honey
- Water and herbal tea
The one exception: Those who can barely eat anything and continue to lose weight eat as much as they can. Then every calorie counts more than any ideal.
How to recognize a dubious offer
Not the substance itself. It's the way it's discussed.
- The fastest test
- At the Cancer Information Service Call and ask if there's any truth to an offer. Free of charge, daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. That's exactly what it's there for.
„"Cancer" is not a single disease, but a family of over a hundred different diseases. Anyone offering a remedy that helps "against cancer" without specifying which type has already disqualified themselves.
Seven warning signs
- It supposedly always works And it has no side effects. Something that works will have side effects.
- Personal accounts, not studies. A single story is not proof – nor are twenty of them.
- You should stop the regular treatment. Or wait and see. The most dangerous sign of all.
- We are talking about suppressed knowledge. Anyone who tells you they're the only one who knows what everyone else is keeping secret wants one thing above all: to make you stop asking anyone. Ask anyway.
- Advance payment, packages, time pressure. Reputable medical practitioners do not sell treatments with a discount for immediate booking.
- No sources - or sources that don't exist when you look.
- Price comes before diagnosis. If you don't know what you have, you can't offer anything.
Our stance
We believe: Cancer is a business. For those who sell medications, and equally for those who sell miracle cures, devices, and diets. Those who understand this read differently. This page is here to help you recognize the business before it recognizes you—no matter which direction it comes from. What you decide after that is yours.
Prevention and early detection
Approximately 37 percent of cancer cases in Germany are due to modifiable risk factors. The remaining two-thirds are not.
- Dietary fiber
- 30 gThe German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a daily intake. Approximately three out of four women and two out of three men do not reach this.
A study by the German Cancer Research Center led by Ute Mons and Hermann Brenner calculated this for Germany: Of the approximately 440,000 cases expected in 2018 among 35- to 84-year-olds, a good third were attributable to modifiable factors.
Tobacco smoking alone is by far the biggest single factor. This is followed by obesity, lack of exercise and diet, then alcohol, then infections and environmental factors.
The accompanying statement: Those who get sick haven't done anything wrong. Two-thirds of illnesses can't be prevented even by a perfect life.
What has been proven to protect: plant-based, high-fiber, low in sausage
The recommendations for cancer prevention have remained the same for decades, and they are unremarkable – which is a good sign. None of it is a cure, none of it is something you have to buy.
- 30 grams of fiber per day. A review article in the British Medical Journal found that consuming 10 grams of vitamin D daily reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 10 percent. The German Nutrition Society recommends 30 grams – on average, we consume between 23 and 25 grams.
- At least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day. The oldest rule in the book, and it still holds true.
- If meat, then choose grass-fed beef and chicken. - Whole, unprocessed, and in moderation: The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a maximum of 300 to 600 grams per week. What really matters is not the steak, but the sausage.
- Whole grain flour instead of white flour. The simplest swap with the greatest effect: It provides fiber without having to take anything away.
- Alcohol as little as possible. It is listed in the same evidence group as tobacco smoke by the WHO cancer agency.
And what about fasting? It belongs in this section, not in Chapter 3 – as a lifestyle for healthy periods, not as a treatment. What happens in the body during fasting, what has been proven, and where the limits lie are explained in detail in the main topic. The reset at the bottom of this page.
How certain is "carcinogenic"?
The groups of the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer
- Tobacco smoke
- asbestos
- alcohol
- UV radiation
- Processed meat
The link is considered established. For processed meat – sausage, ham, bacon, salami, all cured and smoked meats – the risk of colorectal cancer increases by approximately 18 percent for every 50 grams consumed per day.
- Red meat
- Very hot drinks above 65 °C
- Night shift work
There are clear indications, but the evidence is weaker than in Group 1.
- Asian-style pickled vegetables
- Aloe vera whole leaf extract
Limited information. It also contains some things that are otherwise sold as "natural".
The sentence that matters: The group says, how safe the connection is - not, how strong The risk. Sausage falls into the same category of evidence as tobacco smoke, but is nowhere near as dangerous. Those who fail to make this distinction create fear instead of knowledge.
Why the sun is not the enemy after all: UV radiation is rightly on this list – but we're talking about overexposure, not daylight. Sunburn, tanning beds, midday sun. Without sunlight, your body doesn't produce vitamin D, and your internal clock gets thrown off. Our rule: 25 to 30 minutes in direct sunlight, Then shade, clothing, a hat. Staying out longer won't help – not even with additional vitamin D, because at a certain point the skin stops producing more of it. And what good food does in this context: it also plays a role in how well your body repairs damage. More on this in the main topic of sunlight.
Where we stand: nothing ultra-processed
Not machine versus handwork – but how far a food product has been taken from its original form.
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- eggs
- Milk
- Meat in a piece
- Grains
- nuts
- Herbs
Washed, cut, dried, cooled, ground, pasteurized. That's the basics.
- Cold-pressed oil
- butter
- Honey
- Salt
- Sugar
Produced by pressing, grinding, and drying from Group 1. Here's the difference that most people don't make: Cold-pressed olive oil is produced mechanically, yet it belongs here, not in the realm of mass-produced food. A press is not a factory.
- Bread
- Mature cheese
- Pickled vegetables
- canned goods
Group 1 plus Group 2, usually three or four ingredients, preserved or fermented. Handcrafted, not laboratory-made.
- Sausage
- Ready meals
- Soft drinks
- Snacks
- Aromas
- Protein isolates
- Emulsifiers
- Sweeteners
Industrial formulations made from substances not found in any kitchen. Designed to be ready to eat, not to fill you up. That's the group we don't have.
Our house rule: We don't forbid anything. We recommend the good version.
- Beef: Grass-fed beef from the butcher, in one piece - instead of sausage from the refrigerated counter.
- Poultry: Chicken from pasture farming.
- Eggs: Organic, from free-range farming.
- Oil: cold-pressed, unrefined.
- Grain: Whole grain flour instead of refined flour.
- Sweeten: a teaspoon of honey - no refined sugar, no sweeteners.
What automatically disappears is Group 4: flavorings, isolates, emulsifiers, sweeteners, ready-made meals – and lab-grown or 3D-printed meat. The rule of thumb is simple: if the ingredient list contains something you wouldn't find on any kitchen shelf, it's Group 4.
And something that hardly anyone thinks about: The effectiveness of good food also depends on whether your stomach can break it down. Insufficient stomach acid is a common, often overlooked reason why protein, iron, and vitamin B12 are not absorbed. The reasons behind this and what helps can be found on the nutrition page of this section..
NOVA classification according to Monteiro et al., University of São Paulo - basis of the Brazilian government's dietary recommendations and the usual standard for degree of processing in research.
What the numbers say about Group 4
The stance shown above is a decision. The numbers below are not.
- Processed meat is in Group 1 of the WHO's cancer agency. - See the evidence above. Every 50 grams consumed per day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 18 percent. This refers to cured and smoked meats: sausage, ham, bacon, salami. A piece of grass-fed beef is something else entirely. - Unprocessed red meat is in group 2A, and there the quantity is the most important factor.
- The higher the proportion of ultra-processed foods, the higher the risk of cancer. The French NutriNet-Santé study followed nearly 105,000 people: If the proportion increases by ten percentage points, the overall cancer risk rises by approximately 12 percent. This observational study shows a correlation, not a causal relationship. Nevertheless, the correlation has been independently found in several large cohorts.
- Dietary fiber works in the opposite direction. For every 10 grams a day, there's roughly a 10 percent lower risk of colon cancer. And fiber is exactly what group 4 lacks.
And why pasture grazing then? Honestly, it's not because of the cancer risk – the claim that pasture-raised animals reduce it simply hasn't been studied. What is proven is something else: meat from pasture-raised animals has a different fatty acid profile. This was demonstrated in the EU project "Healthy Beef". about three times as much Omega-3 Measured results show an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of less than 2:1, fewer saturated fatty acids, and more vitamin E. In addition, the animal had a better life. Both are good reasons. It is not cancer prevention, and we don't market it as such.
Why we don't argue about individual additives: Whether this or that E-number is harmful in itself can be debated for years – and that's precisely the debate that suits the industry best. What has been proven, however, is something else and bigger: It's the Design of these products, The risks lie in the degree of processing, the high energy density without satiety, nitrite curing, salt, sugar, and the fact that they displace freshness from the plate. Therefore, our answer is not a list of prohibited substances, but an entire group.
One exception, and only one: During ongoing cancer treatment, Chapter 3 applies. Those who cannot eat should eat whatever they can – even if it comes from Group 4. Being underweight is the bigger problem during this phase. Once treatment is over, the instructions here apply again.
Sources: IARC monograph on red and processed meat, 2015; Fiolet et al., NutriNet-Santé, BMJ 2018; Aune et al., BMJ 2011 (dietary fiber).
| Investigation | For whom | From when | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical smear | Women | 20–34 | yearly |
| Cervical smear + HPV test | Women | from 35 | every 3 years |
| Breast - Palpation examination | Women | from 30 | yearly |
| Breast - Mammography Screening | Women | 50–75 | every 2 years |
| Prostate - digital rectal examination | Men | from age 45 | yearly |
| Skin - Full Body Screening | all | from 35 | every 2 years |
| Intestinal stool blood test | all | from 50 | every 2 years |
| Colonoscopy | all | from 50 | twice, with a 10-year interval |
Colonoscopy is a special case: it not only detects cancer, it removes precancerous lesions that would later have developed into cancer. Greatest benefit, least used.
Sources: DKFZ (Mons/Brenner, Deutsches Ärzteblatt 2018); Cancer screening guideline of the Joint Federal Committee, as of September 2026.
When the treatment is over
From this point on, everything else on this website applies again. This is the moment when fasting, breaks, and a conscious new beginning regain their place.
- Only then
- And not immediately even then: Weight stable, blood values normal, follow-up consultation. These are the three conditions before even considering a week of fasting.
For many, the end of therapy doesn't feel like liberation, but rather like a fall. During treatment, their schedule is full and someone is there to care for them. Afterwards, both of those things disappear – and suddenly there's room for the lingering exhaustion and the fear of relapse.
This is precisely where the dietary rule from Chapter 3 is reversed. For those who have maintained their weight and whose blood values are normal, the usual rules apply again: plant-based, high-fiber diet, little processed meat and alcohol – and, if the follow-up care approves, periods of fasting and periods of restricted eating are also permitted again.
For the sake of order: First regain strength and weight, then build up movement, and only then implement breaks like a week of fasting. Not the other way around.
Two things that are rightfully yours but rarely requested
The oncological rehabilitation It must be applied for – the clinic's social services department can help with this. And Rehabilitation sports The treatment continues upon prescription, even after the treatment is completed. Both services are free of charge and are rarely offered automatically.
Take away
The card for the doctor's appointment
Take a photo and save it to your phone. Six questions that will help in any initial consultation – and below them, the two numbers for free and independent advice.
Edenshealth
What I want to ask
- What type and stage of cancer are we talking about exactly?
- What is the goal of the treatment – a cure or control?
- What options are there, and why these?
- What happens if I start two weeks later?
- What side effects are likely, and what helps against them?
- Who is my designated contact person, and how can I reach them?
Bring someone along to the conversation. Two people remember more than one.
Two paths further
Food that carries
Protein, fiber, micronutrients - what the body needs to repair itself, how to recognize good foods and how to get 30 grams of fiber without doing any calculations.
The reset
How the body renews itself and what slows down repair - cell renewal, autophagy, silent inflammation, sleep, exercise and fasting as one of four key processes.
Where you can get help
Free of charge, independent and without any sales intent.
Cancer Information Service · DKFZ
0800 420 30 40
Available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., free of charge from Germany, also via email. It also answers the question of whether there is any truth to an offer from the internet.
Cancer Information Network · German Cancer Aid
0800 80708877
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., free of charge. Also for applications, rehabilitation and social issues.
On site
Cancer counseling centers
In most major cities, it's free and without a referral - also for family members.
In the clinic
Psycho-oncology
Many certified cancer centers offer free support. Simply informing the treatment team is sufficient.
Sources
- Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ): Sport and exercise after cancer · Fatigue information sheet · Nutrition in cancer patients · Malnutrition and nutritional therapy · Dietary supplements against cancer?
- S3 guideline Clinical nutrition in oncology: Screening at diagnosis and during follow-up; requirements 25–30 kcal/kg and 1.2–1.5 g protein/kg per day.
- S3 guideline on oncological nutritional medicine: Cancer diets, fasting and short-term fasting are not recommended during ongoing therapy.
- Bauersfeld SP, Michalsen A. et al.: Short-term fasting during chemotherapy, BMC Cancer 2018;18:476.
- Drug Directive of the Joint Federal Committee, Sections 18–26: Eligibility to prescribe enteral nutrition.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO: Classification of processed meat (Group 1) and red meat (Group 2A), 2015.
- Fiolet T. et al.: Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cancer, NutriNet-Santé, BMJ 2018.
- Aune D. et al.: Dietary fibre and colorectal cancer, British Medical Journal 2011; Recommendations of the German Nutrition Society.
- Mons U., Brenner H. et al., DKFZ: Proportion of avoidable risk factors, Deutsches Ärzteblatt 2018.
- Joint Federal Committee: Cancer Screening Guideline; Federal Ministry of Health: Cancer Screening.
The content of this page is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, establish a treatment relationship, or replace diagnosis or therapy by qualified medical professionals. If you experience any health problems, before making any changes to ongoing treatment, and before taking any medication—including herbal remedies—please consult your oncology team. Last updated: September 10, 2026.
Why this area exists
This section is dedicated to my brother, who passed away from cancer in 2019. It is intended to help name the unspeakable, to accompany the unimaginable – and perhaps to open up the impossible, even if only a little.
