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Chemotherapy is the most common cancer treatment utilised in Australia that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body. Although chemotherapy is an effective method to treat many different types of cancer, it does carry its own risks and side effects. One of these risks that can occur with cancer or cancer treatment is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). For those who experience CIPN due to chemotherapy drugs, 7 out of 10 people will experience some symptoms one month after treatment while 3 out of 10 people will have ongoing symptoms six months after their treatment commences.*    CIPN can negatively impact or cause damage to the body’s peripheral nerves. These peripheral nerves are located away from the centre of the body, and they are important in carrying sensations or neurological messages to and from the spine and the brain. These messages allow you to control movements and have feeling in different parts of the body such as the feet, hands, arms, and legs. Often when this occurs, a person may experience weakness, numbness, tingling sensations like pins and needles, discomfort and burning. However, peripheral neuropathy can affect people in different ways and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Additionally, these symptoms may start during therapy or after therapy and they may be temporary or permanent. Symptoms often differ depending on the type of chemotherapy drug used.   Research has found that not managing CIPN can greatly impact a person’s quality of life. So, what can you be doing to help prevent and reduce your risk of the cell damage that causes peripheral neuropathy?   Studies suggest that cooling and compression can have a preventative effect on CIPN. A recent study by Michael and his colleagues (2022) (# insert study reference) found that cooling through  frozen gloves was highly effective in preventing grade 2 or more CIPN for patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. This study showed that ice gloves and socks during chemotherapy almost halved the risk of grade 2 or higher CIPN. These clinical studies are playing an important role in the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors and helping patients manage this common side effect of Chemotherapy.   Aurora Direct now offers Ice Cold Socks and Gloves for a convenient way to apply icy cool temperatures to your fingers, hands, wrists, ankles, feet, heels, and nail beds for those affected by neuropathy, arthritis, inflammation, localised injury, swelling or soreness. This means that you can conveniently apply cold or if needed heat to peripheral areas of the body that are experiencing these uncomfortable sensations.  These products also provide you with a convenient, reusable, flexible gel ice packs that can be fastened to your wrists or worn on the feet before, during or after chemotherapy treatment.   Whether you are just starting or are well into your treatment journey, do not wait until the side effects of chemo become an issue, interrupt your treatment, or become a long-term problem needing ongoing management. These Ice Cold treatment options are an excellent solution to apply icy cold in order to help patients try to address neuropathy symptoms. These Ice Cold Gloves and Socks with bag can be easily taken with you to chemotherapy appointments.  Click here to shop the Ice Cold Gloves and Socks today.   Link: https://auroradirect.com.au/collections/ice-cold

Amino acids are the building blocks of life. They come together to create the proteins that make up your organs, muscles, skin, etc. When you eat foods that contain proteins your body will digest and break them down into amino acids which will then be sent to carry out different functions throughout your body. Amino acids have many functions including: Building muscles Connective tissue repair Transporting of nutrients Boosting immunity Involvement in certain chemical reactions Source of energy In some cases, people can become deficient in amino acids, which can decrease immunity, cause depression, slow growth, and cause digestive issues. How do amino acids affect your gut? Gastrointestinal health is very important when it comes to feeling good and keeping your body strong. Many people don’t realize that 60-70% of your immune system is centralized in your GI tract. If your GI tract is unable to work efficiently then that can cause many health problems like a malnutrition, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, food allergies, constipation, gallbladder disease, and other digestive issues. This is where amino acids come in. Your body needs amino acids to fortify your digestive system. Amino acids help to detoxify unhealthy bacteria and tissue in the gut, strengthen the immune system, and repair damaged cells that line the gastrointestinal tract.   How does cancer treatment affect the GI? Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are excellent at killing cancer cells but they unfortunately also damage the healthy cells that make up your gut. When this happens, the good cells in your gut called villi become blunted, which affects their ability to absorb nutrients. This can result in unwanted weight loss and dehydration. Treatment can also weaken the barrier between the cells that prevent harmful toxins from entering your bloodstream. When these barriers are damaged, gaps open allowing toxins and bacteria to enter your system leaving you with side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue.   What should I include in my diet to help restore normal GI function? One reason why patients go often choose to discontinue treatment is due the severity of the side effects. The treatment should not be worse than the disease, especially when that treatment has the potential to beat cancer. Below is a list of important amino acid filled foods that may help manage the side effects of cancer treatment: 1) Vegetables- choose leafy, green vegetables like spinach, kale, and arugula. 2) Quinoa- is the most nutritious grain available as it contains the nine essential amino acids that your body needs. 3) Fish- most fish contain essential amino acids. Salmon is high in amino acids and omega 3s. Salmon also has important fatty acids that support heart health among other health benefits. 4) Beans and Legumes- these are great sources of protein and amino acids, especially the amino acid lysine, an important amino acid in the formation of collagen—a vital protein for bones and connective tissues including skin, cartilage, and tendons. The human body cannot make lysine on its own, so it must be eaten in the diet. Other sources of lysine include meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Want to get the right amino acids at the right time? There are specific amino acids that can directly help the GI side effects of cancer treatment Enterade is formulated with 5 specific amino acids to help rebuild the damaged cells in your gut, protect your GI from toxins by tightening the gut barrier while giving total body hydration. All these benefits will help to enhance a healthy immune function so that you can feel better and fight harder against cancer. Enterade contains no sugar and is plant-based medical food. – 91% of patients saw improvement in nausea – 74% of patients saw improvement in diarrhoea – 88% of patients saw improvement in dehydration – 77% of patients saw improvement in weight loss Enterade can help you stay on course with your treatment because when you feel better you can fight harder.  by Katie O'Grady   Sources: Amino Acids & Probiotics = Good Digestion – Healthy Beginnings (hbmag.com) 5 Foods High in Amino Acids (webmd.com) Amino acids: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Essential amino acids: Definition, benefits, and foods (medicalnewstoday.com)

Chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and immunotherapy act aggressively on rapidly dividing cancer cells, but also affect healthy, non-cancerous cells that are rapidly dividing, including those that line the GI tract. This damage results in symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and weight loss. These are some of the most common physical side effects patients experience and have the greatest impact on quality of life. Symptoms can become significant enough that patients often choose reductions in or discontinuation of treatment. As mentioned above, treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation target rapidly dividing cells–that’s why they work so well to combat cancer cells. The cells that line our gastrointestinal tracts (this includes both our stomach & intestines, along with other vital organs) are also rapidly dividing. Treatments can’t necessarily distinguish between “bad” cells and “good” cells, so our GI tract unfortunately takes on a lot of damage. Our small intestine houses tiny, fingerlike projections called villi. Villi are cells responsible for nutrient and electrolyte absorption. Healthy villi have a large surface area, allowing ample space for the nutrients in the foods we’re consuming to be absorbed into the body. Cancer treatments damage these cells, causing them to shrink. This decreases the amount of surface area that can absorb nutrients, resulting in weight loss, fatigue, malnutrition, etc. Along with breaking down food and absorbing nutrients, the digestive tract also works to protect our bodies from harmful toxins. The walls of our digestive tract form what is called the “gut barrier.” The gut barrier controls what enters the bloodstream to be later transported to our organs. When the tight junctions (small gaps in the intestinal wall) are working properly, essential nutrients are able to pass through and “harmful” substances are blocked. Cancer treatments can damage the cells that form this barrier, essentially causing these gaps to widen. Toxins and bacteria can then escape from the gut through those gaps and enter the bloodstream. This can lead to negative health outcomes in the rest of the body including diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, fatigue, and even possible infection. How can enterade® help? Enterade® Advanced Oncology Formula is a sugar-free medical food blended with plant-based amino acids, electrolytes, and lightly sweetened with stevia leaf extract. Enterade® was developed by oncologists and gastroenterologists and is clinically proven to reduce the side effects of treatment including nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, fatigue, and unwanted weight loss. We often hear “why can’t I just drink sports drinks?” or “this sounds like a pricey nutritional shake…” Enterade® Advanced Oncology Formula, unlike sports drinks that address only dehydration and shakes that address caloric intake (and are often packed to the brim with sugar), serves a true purpose in helping to repair your gut from the damage caused by cancer treatments. Backed by four published, peer-reviewed clinical studies, enterade® has earned its stripes as “more than a sports drink.” Enterade® is formulated with a proprietary blend of five plant-based amino acids: L-Aspartic Acid, L-Valine, L-Serine, L-Threonine, and L-Tyrosine. This patented formula has been developed to specifically address the damage caused to the GI tract from cancer therapies. There are very few products, if any, that are made to address these problems. The proprietary blend of plant-based amino acids in enterade® is the secret sauce, so to speak. We talked about how cancer therapies shrink or “blunt” the villi that are responsible for nutrient and electrolyte absorption. Enterade® nourishes the villi and improves villus height. In other words, enterade helps to rebuild the villi, which increases its overall surface area and allows more space for nutrients to be absorbed. Increased nutrient absorption is key to maintaining a healthy weight–a critical component in your fight against cancer.  enterade® helps to close the gaps in the gut barrier that form due to damage from cancer treatments. Keeping the gut barrier fortified helps protect your already compromised system from increased exposure to toxins so you can feel better and fight harder. Lastly, enterade® is not a sports drink but enterade® is formulated with HydroActive Techology® to hydrate better than leading sports drinks, oral rehydration solutions, and even water.