This document provides nutrition information and guidelines for individuals who have or have had brain tumors. It recommends maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise, following healthy eating guidelines like eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, reducing intake of high fat and salty foods, and drinking alcohol in moderation. Specific foods and nutrients discussed include whole grains, fish for omega-3s, plant stanols/sterols, and limiting refined sugar if experiencing steroid-induced diabetes. Physical activity is also recommended to discuss with one's doctor.

1. NUTRITION AND
BRAIN TUMOURS
Department of Nutrition & Dietetics
St. Luke’s Hospital
Rathgar

2. Nutrition and Brain
Tumours
O If you’re feeling sick/
unwell during
treatment, the
following advice may
not be appropriate for
you
O If you’re feeling well
while having
radiotherapy, the
following advice can
be implemented when
you have finished
your radiotherapy
treatment

3. Nutrition and Brain Tumours
O It is important for individuals who have or have
had brain tumours to take care of themselves.
Taking care of yourself includes:
O Being a healthy weight
O Being physically active
O Following the Healthy Eating Guidelines/ Food
Pyramid
O Being aware of the risks and benefits of popular
foods and supplements

4. Weight and BMI
O Body Mass Index (BMI):
Weight (kg)
Height (m2
)
Normal BMI = 20-25 kg/m2
Underweight = <20kg/m2
Overweight = >25 kg/m2
Obese = >30 kg/m2

5. Weight and BMI

6. Food Pyramid

7. Healthy Eating Guidelines
O Enjoy your food
O Eat a variety of different foods
O Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight
O Eat plenty of foods rich in starch & fibre
O Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
O Reduce intake of high fat foods
O Reduce intake of salt and salty foods
O Reduce intake of sugar and sugary drinks
O If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly

8. Cancer Risk
O Overall, scientists believe that cancer risk can be
lowered by eating a diet that contains mainly plant-
based foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and
beans, along with getting regular exercise and
maintaining a healthy weight
O Scientists also have found evidence that eating cancer-
fighting foods together, like tomatoes with broccoli,
may maximize the cancer-preventive effect of these
foods.
O However, there is no evidence that diet influences the
risk of brain tumours – it does affect gastric cancers,
bowel cancer and cancers present in the head and neck
region.

9. Wholegrains
O Evidence is mounting that eating wholegrains regularly
as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle may help to reduce
the risk of many common diseases e.g. heart disease,
Type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.
O Wholegrains may also help in maintaining a healthy
body weight over time.

10. How can I increase my
intake of wholegrains?
O When choosing foods from the starchy
group replace refined cereal foods with
wholegrain varieties. Wheat , rye, rice and
oats are the most commonly available
cereals in the wholegrain form e.g.
Weetabix, Allbran
O Look for the word “whole” before the
name of the cereal e.g. whole wheat pasta.
O Aim to have 2 –3 servings per day.

11. Eat fruit and vegetables
O Eating more fruit and vegetables could
significantly reduce the risk of many chronic
diseases, including high blood pressure,
cardiovascular diseases and some cancers.
O Including more fruit and vegetables reduces the
overall calorie density, which helps us maintain
a healthier weight.
O Fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants,
lycopenes and phyto-chemicals which may help
protect the body from damage that can lead to
cancer

12. O Fresh, frozen, canned, juiced or dried fruits and
vegetables all count in the diet.
O Potatoes are a carbohydrate and are therefore, included
in the bread and cereals food group.
O You should aim to eat a minimum of five portions of a
variety of fruit and vegetables each day.

13. Quick guide to fruit and vegetable
portions
Fruit Portion
Medium sized fruit e.g.
apple ,banana,pear
1
Small sized fruit e.g. plum,
satsuma, kiwi
2
Large fruit e.g. grapefruit Half
Dried fruit e.g. raisins,
currants, sultanas, mixed
fruit
1 tbsp.

14. Canned fruit is roughly the
same quantity of fruit that
you would eat as a fresh
portion
2 pears or
peach halves;
8 segments of
canned
grapefruit
Fruit Portion
Fruit juice
(Remember this only
counts as one of your five a
day portions!)
1 medium
glass (150ml)

15. Vegetables Portion
Brocolli spears
Cauliflower Florets
Cabbage, spinach, green
beans
2
8
4 heaped
tbsp.
Cooked vegeables e.g.
steamed, boiled,
microwaved
3 heaped
tbsp.
Canned & frozen
vegetables is roughly the
same as a fresh portion
3 heaped
tbsp.

16. Vegetables Portion
Pulses and beans e.g.
kidney, butter beans,
chick peas.
Remember these only
count as one of your
five a day portions!
3 heaped
tbsp.

17. Reduce Intake of High Fat
Foods
O While all types of fats are high in calories, some fats
can also raise cholesterol levels. The main
problematic fat is saturated fat, found in fatty meat,
dairy foods, cakes and pastries and palm oil.
O Some easy ways of reducing your intake of this
unhealthy fat include:
O Change to reduced-fat dairy products e.g. semi-
skimmed
milk

18. Reduce intake of high fat foods
O Use soft spreads made from vegetable oil, such as
rapeseed or olive oil, rather than choosing butter and
use sparingly.
O Trim the visible fat from meat and the skin from chicken
O Limit your intake of fried fast food, meat products such
as sausages, pies and streaky bacon
O Go for snacks which are low in saturated fat such as
fruits, breads, nuts, seeds, low fat yoghurt, vegetables
and cereals.

19. Omega – 3 fatty acids
O Benefits of eating oily fish:
1. Lower risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
2. Maintenance of healthy joints.
O To get the most benefit adults are advised to eat 2
portions of fish per week ( 140g), one of which
should be oily.

20. Omega – 3 fatty acids
O Main source is oily fish/ seafood.
O Tuna (Fresh)
O Salmon
O Herring
O Pilchards
O Mackeral
O Trout
O Shrimp
O Crab

21. Stanols & Sterols
O They work by reducing cholesterol absorption from
the gut.
O Both have similar effect on cholesterol
O A healthy diet, regular exercise in combination with
plant stanols and sterols can help reduce total
cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by
10-20%
O Recommend a intake of 2 – 3g per day for those with
raised cholesterol.

22. Stanols & Sterols
O Occur naturally in foods such as vegetables, nuts, seeds,
cereals, legumes, olive & peanut oils.
O Estimated we consume 150-400mg per day of naturally
occuring stanols and sterols, but an average dietary
intake at this level has little effect on cholesterol levels

23. Product Package size Varieties
Benecol Yoghurt
Drink
Flora Pro-activ
probiotic yoghurt
drink
Danone Danacol
yoghurt Drink
70g
(2.5g)
100g
100g (1.6g sterols
per bottle)
Plain, light, strawberry
Original, strawberry,
orange
Original, strawberry

24. SALT
O Eating too much salt can increase your risk of
developing high blood pressure.
O The average salt intake is currently 9.5g a day,
we should be having much less than this.
O The recommended salt intake is less than 6g per day
about 1 tsp.
O 75-80% of salt we eat is already added to the
food we buy.
O Reducing your intake of salty processed foods is an
important part of a healthy diet.

25. Tips for using less salt
O Use herbs and spices in cooking instead of salt.
O Try not to add extra salt at the table.
O Cut right down on salty processed foods and ready
meals.
O Check out food labels for salt content and choose
lower salt options.

26. Alcohol Intake & Cancer
Patients
OIf consumed at all, we recommend you limit
your intake to:
- Males : max 2 drinks per day
- Women : max 1 drink per day

27. Tips for reducing your
alcohol consumption
O When ordering an alcoholic drink, opt for
the smallest serving size. Avoid
‘double’measures
O Alternate between alcoholic drinks and
non-alcoholic drinks
O Dilute alcoholic drinks or opt for a low-
calorie/ low- alcohol alternative e.g. White
wine spritzer rather than a full glass of
white wine
O Aim for some alcohol free nights per week

28. Alcohol and Weight Gain
O Alcoholic drinks contain a lot of calories
and offer little nutritional benefit
O E.g.
-A pint of ordinary strength beer contains
250 calories
- A 125ml glass of wine contains 85
calories
Cutting down on the amount you drink
could help you lose weight or maintain a
healthy weight, and also reduce cancer risk

29. Physical Activity
O Research has shown that physical activity
helps maintain a healthy weight and overall,
increases feeling of wellbeing
O Check with your doctor before changing your
exercise routine.

30. AICR Guidelines
1. Choose a variety of fruit and vegetables
2. Limit intake of red meat to less than 3oz/day
3. Decrease the amount of fatty food in especially
those from animal and decrease total fat intake
4. Eat less salty foods and less salt in cooking, use
herbs and spices instead
5. Limit alcohol to less than 2 drinks a day for
men and one for women
6. Do not eat charred meat often, nor cured and
smoked meats
7. Avoid being overweight
8. Take 1 hour brisk walk or similar daily

31. Steroid Induced Diabetes &
Brain Tumours
Reduce foods containing high quantities
of refined sugar :
O Sugar
O Sweets
O Cakes
O Biscuits
O Desserts
O Fizzy Drinks
O Large volumes of fruit juice

32. Steroid Induced Diabetes &
Brain Tumours
Choose:
O Fruit
O Raw vegetables
O Diet yoghurt
O Water & Diet fizzy drinks
O Wholegrain breads, rice & pasta
O Watch out for ‘Diabetic Products’- often
expensive and may only contain slightly
less sugar than the normal variety- choose
normal variety and eat less

33. Summary
O Be a healthy weight
O Follow healthy eating guidelines
O Reduce fat intake
O Enjoy your food!
O Check with your doctor before
taking ANY supplements

34. Useful Websites
American Institute of Cancer Research
www.aicr.org
National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/
World Cancer Research Fund
(WCRF UK)
www.wcrf-uk.org
Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Centre
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative
medicine/