Medical Oncologist
Eating well on abiraterone
Diet and Nutrition — While on Abiraterone
Abiraterone has one strict rule about food: timing. Beyond that, most Indian home cooking works well — once you know which dishes to favour, which to limit, and how the steroid taken alongside it changes what your body needs.
Medically reviewed by Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS (Gold Medal) · DNB · DM (Medical Oncology, Gold Medal) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Timing comes first — Abiraterone must be taken on an empty stomach, and food affects how much of the drug your body absorbs.
- The steroid matters too — The prednisolone prescribed alongside abiraterone raises salt and blood sugar — your food choices help manage both.
- Most Indian food works — Dal, khichdi, idli, curd rice — everyday home cooking fits well. A few items need limiting.
- Consistency helps — Taking your tablet at the same time each day, relative to meals, keeps absorption steady.
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Abiraterone must be taken on an empty stomach — no food for a set window before and after your tablet, because food changes how much of the drug your body absorbs. The steroid prescribed alongside it calls for less salt and care with sugary foods. Most everyday Indian home cooking suits this well once you know the timing.
How do I time my meals around my abiraterone tablet?
Take abiraterone on an empty stomach — every single day
Food, especially fatty food, changes how much abiraterone your body absorbs and makes your dose unpredictable. Take your tablet at the time your oncologist has confirmed, on a consistently empty stomach. Most people find first thing in the morning or last thing at night works best because the stomach is naturally empty.
Build your meals around your tablet time, not the other way around
A full meal — a thali, biryani, or a plate of dal, sabzi and roti — should sit outside the gap your team has told you to keep. If you take abiraterone in the morning, have breakfast after the gap closes. If you take it at night, finish dinner well before.
Take your prednisolone with food — it is a separate tablet with different timing
Prednisolone protects the stomach best when taken with a small meal. It has different timing from abiraterone. Ask your team to write out the daily schedule clearly so both tablets are timed correctly. A banana, a small bowl of curd, or a slice of bread is enough food for the prednisolone dose.
Reduce salt for the duration of treatment
Prednisolone causes the body to retain salt and water, which can raise blood pressure and cause swelling in the feet and legs. Cut down on achaar, papad, salted biscuits and packaged snacks. Home-cooked sabzi with less added salt is a straightforward substitute for most of these.
Eat small, regular meals to protect blood sugar
Prednisolone raises blood sugar in many people. Eating every three to four hours — smaller portions more often — is easier on blood sugar than two large meals a day. If you have diabetes or were told your readings are borderline, tell your oncology team before you start so they can monitor you through treatment.
Which Indian foods are good to eat on abiraterone?
Most everyday South Indian and North Indian home cooking suits this treatment well. Dal of any kind — toor, moong, masoor — gives you protein and potassium without heavy fat. Khichdi is easy to digest and gentle on days when your appetite is low. Idli and plain dosa are light and fermented, which most people find comfortable on the stomach.
Curd and chaas (buttermilk) are good choices. They are low in fat, and the live cultures support digestion. Banana, coconut water, cooked palak and methi provide potassium, which prednisolone can deplete over time.
Lean protein matters throughout treatment. Eggs, paneer in moderate amounts, chicken or fish without heavy gravy, and dal all help maintain muscle mass. Muscle loss is a known concern on long-term steroids, and adequate protein slows it.
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What foods should I avoid while on abiraterone?
Achaar, papad, salted biscuits, instant noodles and packaged snacks are high in sodium and worth reducing significantly. This matters more if your blood pressure is already being managed or if you develop any leg swelling.
Sweets and mithai, sugary chai, cold drinks and fruit juices raise blood sugar quickly. Occasional portions are fine for most people, but daily intake is worth watching. If your team has asked you to monitor your sugar, share your typical diet with them — they can advise for your specific situation.
Avoid alcohol during treatment. It places demand on the liver, and abiraterone is also metabolised by the liver — both at once is a combination to avoid. Fatty or very oily food close to your tablet time is the other clear avoidance, because of how it alters absorption.
Did you know?
According to the abiraterone prescribing information, eating — especially a fatty meal — before your tablet can substantially alter how much of the drug your body absorbs, making your effective dose unpredictable.
This is why the empty stomach rule is a safety instruction, not a lifestyle preference.
Source: Abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) prescribing information; NCCN Guidelines: Prostate Cancer
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink tea or coffee before taking abiraterone?
Plain water is the safest default — it does not affect how the drug is absorbed. Tea or coffee with milk or sugar counts as food and should follow the same timing gap your oncologist has given you for meals. If you are used to a morning cup before anything else, ask your team whether black tea or black coffee within that gap is acceptable for your specific schedule.
I have diabetes — does abiraterone make blood sugar harder to control?
The prednisolone taken alongside abiraterone raises blood sugar in many people, and in those with existing diabetes this can make control noticeably harder. Tell your oncology team about your diabetes before you start treatment. They may monitor your readings more closely, adjust the timing of your prednisolone dose, or coordinate with your endocrinologist. Small, regular meals with fewer refined carbohydrates help, but the medical side needs team management — diet alone is not enough.
Is it safe to eat grapefruit or take herbal supplements like giloy or ashwagandha?
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are worth avoiding — they affect enzymes in the liver that process many medicines, which can alter how the drug behaves in your body. For herbal supplements — including giloy, ashwagandha, amla, or any kadha — tell your oncology team what you are taking before continuing. Some herbal preparations affect the same liver enzymes. This is not a reason to feel embarrassed; it is simply information your team needs to keep your treatment predictable.
My appetite is very low — what are easy foods to eat?
Khichdi is the most forgiving option — warm, easy to digest, and adjustable in consistency depending on what your stomach will accept. Moong dal soup, plain curd rice, idli with a little sambar, or a banana with curd are all low-effort and gentle. Small portions eaten frequently work better than waiting until you are hungry and then struggling with a full plate. If appetite loss continues for more than a few days, mention it to your oncology team — there are options they can offer.
Are there any restrictions on vegetarian or non-vegetarian food?
There are no treatment-specific restrictions on vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. Lean protein from any source — eggs, chicken, fish, dal, paneer — helps maintain muscle mass during steroid use. If your religious practice or personal preference is vegetarian, dal combined with curd or paneer provides what you need. Whatever your diet, the two changes that matter most clinically are the timing around your abiraterone tablet and the reduction in salt and fatty food close to your dose.