The Healing Power of a Wholesome Diet for Brain Tumor Patients
By Jeanne M. Wallace, PhD, CNC

What can a healthy diet accomplish?
Brain tumors are a formidable foe, and many of us view our fight against them as a war,harnessing powerful treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy as the linchpin of our plan of attack. How then can “wimpy” fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods have any effect against this dreaded enemy? While wholesome foods and nutrients are not a cure for brain cancer, they can provide an important complementary strategy to help bolster the body’s regulatory “controls” against cancer. A healthy diet is one of the best ways to boost your immune system and complement your radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments…and there are several other ways good nutrition can help.

Phytonutrients: Our Cancer “Phyters”
The anti-cancer benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables have long been attributed to their high vitamin, mineral and fiber content. More recently, however, researchers have discovered that fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and kitchen spices contain thousands of other health-promoting compounds, collectively known as phytonutrients. Many phytonutrients appear to have significant cancer fighting properties.
Phytonutrients in many common foods have been shown to promote the death of brain tumor cells in cell culture studies. Among these are:
elemene (found in ginger)
tangeretin and limonene (in citrus peel),
catechins (in green tea)
anthocyanins (in blueberries and chokecherries).
Genistein (in soy)
Perhaps most compelling are new studies that demonstrate phytonutrients have the remarkable capacity to talk directly to and influence our genes. A growing
body of research on phytonutrients shows they can inhibit oncogenes (tumor-promoting genes) and increase the expression of tumor suppressor genes.
In addition, food-based phytonutrients are the richest source of antioxidants - far more potent than vitamin pills! The antioxidant capacity for vitamin E (one 400iu capsule) has been measured as 125 ORAC units, but it’s over 1,000 units per serving for blueberries, cinnamon, pomegranate juice, figs, prunes, raspberries, green tea, strawberries, spinach and kale. Food-based antioxidants are important for promoting gene stability and preventing mutations to the DNA of cancer cells that may lead to more aggressive behavior of tumors and/or resistance to Chemotherapy.