Medical Oncologist
Diet & complementary therapy
Do Immunity Boosters — Help During Cancer Treatment?
Most supplements sold as immunity boosters have no strong evidence behind them in cancer patients, and some can interfere with your treatment. What your body actually needs is enough food and protein — and your oncologist needs to know about everything you are taking.
Medically reviewed by Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS (Gold Medal) · DNB · DM (Medical Oncology, Gold Medal) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Eating well is the real foundation — Adequate nutrition — enough calories and protein — is more evidence-based than any supplement during treatment.
- Some supplements reduce treatment effectiveness — High-dose antioxidants may protect cancer cells from the damage that chemotherapy and radiotherapy are designed to cause.
- Tell your team everything — Include Ayurvedic herbs, powders and home preparations — your oncologist cannot advise you safely without this information.
- Your family can genuinely help — The most useful thing a family member can do is help you eat regularly, not source a supplement.
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Most immunity boosters on sale in India are not supported by clinical evidence, and some supplements can interfere with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. What your immune system actually needs during treatment is adequate food, protein, and rest — not a pill or powder. Tell your oncologist about anything you are considering, including Ayurvedic or herbal preparations.
How can you support your body safely during cancer treatment?
List everything you are taking
Before your next appointment, write down every supplement, herb, powder, churna or Ayurvedic preparation you are taking or considering. Bring the packets. Your team cannot advise you safely without this information.
Ask for a dietitian referral
A dietitian who works with cancer patients can assess your nutritional needs based on your treatment, your weight, and what you are actually able to eat. This is more useful than a general supplement plan.
Focus on getting enough food
Keeping your weight stable and eating enough protein are the nutritional goals that evidence supports during cancer treatment. If you are struggling to eat, that is what your team needs to know first.
Check each supplement individually before starting
Do not assume a supplement is safe because it is natural or because someone without cancer uses it. Ask your oncologist specifically about each one — the answer may differ depending on which treatment you are receiving.
What does safe nutritional support look like in practice?
- Eat small meals every few hours if a full plate feels too much.
- Include a protein source in each meal — dal, eggs, paneer, curd, fish or chicken.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day, especially in Telangana's heat.
- Tell your team if your weight has dropped, even by a small amount.
- Bring every supplement, powder or herb to your appointment in its original packet.
- Ask your oncologist before starting anything new, including preparations labelled as natural or Ayurvedic.
Why does 'boosting your immunity' not mean what the labels say?
The phrase 'immunity booster' implies your immune system is like a battery that can be charged. During cancer treatment, a stronger immune response across the board is usually not the goal.
During chemotherapy, your immune system is in a carefully managed state. Supplements that stimulate immune activity can interfere with how the treatment works or worsen side effects.
During immunotherapy, your immune system is already being activated to target cancer cells. Adding extra stimulation can make immune-related side effects — rashes, gut inflammation, joint pain — more difficult to control.
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Which Indian foods actually help during cancer treatment?
Home-cooked food is your most reliable nutritional support. Dal and rice together provide complete protein and carbohydrates. Khichdi is easy to digest on difficult days. Curd, eggs, paneer and chicken are all useful protein sources.
Warm soups, lightly spiced sabzis and soft roti are generally easier to manage than raw or heavily fried foods, especially when treatment is affecting your appetite or gut.
Using haldi and ginger in everyday cooking, in the amounts you normally use in food, is not the same as taking a high-dose supplement. Normal cooking quantities are not a concern.
Which supplements carry real risk during chemotherapy or radiotherapy?
High-dose antioxidant supplements — including Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene — may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, according to ASCO. Both treatments work partly by generating oxidative damage in cancer cells, and high-dose antioxidants can interfere with that process.
Concentrated curcumin tablets and high-dose turmeric supplements carry the same concern. Giloy, ashwagandha and other Ayurvedic preparations can affect how the liver processes certain chemotherapy drugs, changing how much of the drug your body actually receives.
None of this means these things have no value in any context. It means the timing and the dose matter, and that is a conversation for your oncologist — not a decision to make based on a pharmacy counter recommendation or a social media post.
Did you know?
ASCO guidance advises against routine use of high-dose antioxidant supplements during active chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The concern is specific: chemotherapy and radiotherapy work partly by generating oxidative damage in cancer cells — high-dose antioxidants can reduce that damage and potentially reduce how well the treatment works.
Source: ASCO-SIO Clinical Practice Guidelines on Integrative Oncology
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I take turmeric or curcumin supplements during chemotherapy?
Eating haldi in your everyday cooking is not a concern. The issue is with concentrated curcumin supplements taken in high doses, which may interfere with chemotherapy by protecting cancer cells from oxidative damage. ASCO guidance advises caution with high-dose antioxidant supplements during active treatment. Tell your oncologist if you are taking or considering curcumin tablets, and wait for their specific answer before starting.
Is giloy safe to take during cancer treatment?
Giloy is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, but the evidence in people undergoing cancer treatment is not yet strong enough to say it is safe across all treatments and doses. Some Ayurvedic herbs can affect how the liver breaks down chemotherapy drugs, which changes how much drug your body actually receives. Do not assume safety because something is traditional or natural. Tell your oncologist you are considering it before you start.
My family wants to help by buying me supplements. What should I tell them?
Tell them the most useful thing they can do is help you eat regularly. Getting enough food on the days when treatment makes eating difficult is harder and more important than any supplement. If they want to bring something, ask them to bring foods you can actually manage — khichdi, soup, soft fruit, curd. If they do buy a supplement, bring it to your next appointment before you take it.
Will eating well make my cancer treatment work better?
Maintaining your weight and protein intake supports your body's ability to complete treatment and recover between cycles. People who maintain good nutrition during treatment typically tolerate it better and need fewer dose reductions. Nutrition does not directly change how the treatment acts on the tumour, but it matters for your ability to get through the full course.
What if I have completely lost my appetite and cannot eat?
Tell your team. Loss of appetite and weight loss during cancer treatment are common, and there are specific interventions — dietary counselling, appetite medication, nutritional supplements that your oncologist approves — that can help. Do not wait until you have lost significant weight. Early input from a dietitian gives more options. If you cannot keep fluids down, call your team the same day rather than waiting for your next appointment.