Dietary Recommendations for Distortion of Taste in Gastric Cancer
This is called dysgeusia and it refers to the perception of unpleasant, metallic or bitter tastes in food and dishes.
WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND?
Maintain proper oral hygiene.
Between meals, eat sugar-free candy or chewing gum.
They may help to avoid bad tastes in foods.
Use non-metallic utensils and cutlery for food preparation and eating (plastic, silicone, porcelain, bamboo, wood, etc.).
Eat acidic fruit (orange, lemon, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, etc.) to help make the metallic taste disappear. However, avoid these fruits if they cause sores, acid reflux or heartburn.
If you find that water tastes unpleasant, add a few drops of lemon juice, dilute the juice of a tangerine or half a lemon in a litre of water or put citrus cubes in the water.
Eat small amounts of different dishes and not too much of a single one, since the metallic taste usually appears after eating.
Eat tapas-style (small amounts of many different dishes) rather than a single large dish of the same food.
To make sure that the necessary nutrients are included when eating tapas-style foods, start with the proportion of the plate method. This recipe is an example of adapting a balanced menu to tapas format.
Protein-rich foods can lead to increased off-flavours. Meat, fish, seafood and eggs should be prepared in a way that masks the unpleasant taste they may cause.
- Marinate meat and fish in juices, sweet and sour sauces or mild spices.
- Eat meat mixed with sweet foods or herbal or condiments (fruit, nuts, fruit compotes, jams, honey, etc.).
- Use foods that mix well with other ingredients, such as puddings, croquettes, fritters, empanadas, cannelloni or sandwich fillings.
Prepare unfamiliar or different dishes.
Many times the bad taste of food is accentuated when it does not meet expectations; if different dishes that have never been tasted before are prepared, expectations are minimised and strange tastes are better tolerated. It is also an opportunity to get to know new food cultures and try spicy, appealing dishes that are also easy to prepare.
