Diet and CLL

14 April 2005

There is no good evidence that diet affects CLL in any way. Some people are very fond

of particular types of diet on theoretical grounds, but there are no studies that

support them.

15 April 2005

Apart from the VIchy water that diet seems to come from Leviticus. I repeat,
no special diet has any validity in CLL. For some patients who have severe
neutropenia it is important to avoid bacterial infection, so things like salads
and soft fruit need to be avoided together with certain types of cheese, but
that does not usually apply to CLL.

15 April 2005

Although there is no evidence that any diet affects CLL, patients should be advised to eat healthily. Lots of fruit and green vegetables (5 helpings a day), avoid saturated fats, less rather than more red meat, limited alcohol, no cigarettes and plenty of exercise. Avoid junk food like turkey twizzlers and honey pops. Avoid artificial colors and flavors. Go for home made rather than factory produced.

I don't buy into the organic food theory or insist that the field is ploughed by a horse rather than a tractor.