When my father had chemotherapy years ago, he grew thinner and thinner. He still is thin, to this day. At the time of his treatment for colon cancer he said food “tasted like cardboard.” He had to force himself to eat.

When I heard I’d need chemotherapy, I’d hoped for a little weight loss. I could stand to lose a few pounds. I haven’t lost a single one. My appetite is still there, though I’m not sure why. Most foods have a bitter aftertaste to them. This past weekend I made fresh crab, homemade cocktail sauce, an accompanying salad with avocado, bell pepper, and crab meat. Such work. Such a wonderful meal. Such a bitter, nothing taste to the crab. I wondered why this was so and looked online.

From www.cancersupportivecare.com/diet comes this answer to the question about food tasting different: “Both smell receptor and taste bud cells are rapidly dividing cells. Many cancer chemotherapy agents act by killing off rapidly dividing cells, including these receptor cells. Bitter and metallic tastes are intensified possibly causing food aversions whereas sweet tastes tend to be tolerated well. Metallic and bitter tastes are usually perceived in foods such as meat (from the amino acids) and flavors like soy sauce.”

The web site offers some recommendations to enhance the flavor of food while undergoing chemotherapy. Suggestions include:
--Sweeten food with healthy alternatives such as fruit juices.
--Use fruit sauces with meats.
--Serve fruit nectars with meals.
--Enhance the flavor of meat, chicken or fish by marinating with fruit juice or sweet wine. Serve with a fruit sauce, such as mango or sweetened cranberry sauce.
--Try colder foods to eliminate smells. Cold foods can be good sources of protein and calories.

Somehow, I cannot see serving fish with a fruit sauce. But the other suggestions are definitely worth a try.