To reduce the metallic or bitter taste in the mouth caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, you can use tips such as using only plastic and glass utensils to prepare food, marinate meat in fruit juices, and add herbs to season foods .
This change in taste can occur for up to 4 weeks after treatment, and it is common for foods to change taste or run out of flavor, and there is a bitter or metallic taste in the mouth. This happens mainly after the consumption of red meats, because foods rich in proteins are those that most have altered taste.
Some tips on what to do to alleviate this problem are:
- Use glass or plastic utensils to prepare food and feed, including cutlery, as this helps reduce the metallic taste in the mouth;
- Take a small glass of water with lemon drops or baking soda before meals, to cleanse the taste buds and take away the bad taste from the mouth;
- Eat an acidic fruit after meals such as orange, mandarin or pineapple, but remember to avoid these foods if there are mouth sores;
- Aromatize the water with drops of lemon, cinnamon or a piece of ginger to drink throughout the day;
- Use aromatic herbs to season foods such as rosemary, parsley, oregano, onion, garlic, pepper, bell pepper, thyme, basil and coriander;
- Chew mint gels or cinnamon without sugar to mask the bad taste in the mouth;
- Marinate the meats in acidic fruit juices like lemon and pineapple, vinegar or in sweet wines;
- Eat less red meat and prefer to consume chicken, fish, eggs, and cheeses as primary sources of protein if red meat causes too much palate to change;
- Use sea salt to season food instead of regular salt;
- Prefer frozen or frozen foods instead of hot ones.
Also, keep your mouth clean and healthy by brushing your teeth and tongue frequently, flossing and avoiding sores and canker sores, is also important to combat the unpleasant taste of the mouth caused by bacteria.
Treatment for cancer does not always change the taste of food, but at least half of the patients experience this side effect. To ease, you need to test these tips and see which ones help in each case, as each person adapts better in a different way. See other side effects of chemotherapy.
Because the taste changes
Bad taste in the mouth due to chemotherapy happens because the treatment causes changes in the taste buds, which are responsible for the taste sensation. The papillae are renewed every 3 weeks, and since chemotherapy works on rapidly reproducing cells, one of its side effects is reaching the papillae.
In radiation therapy this happens when the treatment is done in the region of the head and neck, because the radiation ends up reaching the papillae too. After both treatments, bad taste in the mouth usually goes by in about 3 to 4 weeks, but in some cases it may take longer.
Flavored Water Recipe
Flavored water helps maintain good hydration and removes bitter or metallic taste from the mouth and can be used throughout the day.
Ingredients:
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 thin slices of fresh ginger
- 4 slices of lemon, orange or tangerine with the peel
- 1 liter of filtered water
Preparation: Add the ingredients in the water, store in the refrigerator and wait at least 3 hours before drinking, time necessary to flavor and aromatize the water.
Orange Marinated Chicken Recipe
Making the marinated meat in fruits helps reduce the metallic or bitter taste in the mouth, so here's how to make a fruit marinade.
Ingredients:
- 500 g of chicken fillet
- juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- rosemary to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method of preparation:
Put the chicken fillets in a container and squeeze the orange, add the crushed garlic, the olive oil and the rosemary. Then mix everything and leave marinating in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
Heat the frying pan well and then broil the steaks. Do well on both sides, do not let the chicken for a long time grilling because it dries and is difficult to eat, try to leave it wet but well past.
See more tips on what to eat to lessen the side effects of chemotherapy.
