NUTRITION AND BRAIN TUMOURS

Department of Nutrition & Dietetics

St. Luke’s Hospital

Rathgar

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

Nutrition and Brain Tumours

OIt is important for individuals who have or have had brain tumours to take care of themselves. Taking care of yourself includes:

OBeing a healthy weightOBeing physically activeOFollowing the Healthy Eating Guidelines/ Food

PyramidOBeing aware of the risks and benefits of popular

foods and supplements

Weight and BMIO 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

Weight and BMI

Food Pyramid

Healthy Eating GuidelinesO Enjoy your foodO Eat a variety of different foodsO Eat the right amount to be a healthy weightO Eat plenty of foods rich in starch & fibreO Eat plenty of fruit and vegetablesO Reduce intake of high fat foodsO Reduce intake of salt and salty foodsO Reduce intake of sugar and sugary drinksO If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly

Cancer RiskO 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.

WholegrainsO 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.

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.

Eat fruit and vegetablesOEating more fruit and vegetables could

significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers.

OIncluding more fruit and vegetables reduces the overall calorie density, which helps us maintain

a healthier weight.OFruit and vegetables contain antioxidants,

lycopenes and phyto-chemicals which may help protect the body from damage that can lead to cancer

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.

Quick guide to fruit and vegetable portionsFruit 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.

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)

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.

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.

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

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 chickenO Limit your intake of fried fast food, meat products such

as sausages, pies and streaky baconO Go for snacks which are low in saturated fat such as

fruits, breads, nuts, seeds, low fat yoghurt, vegetables

and cereals.

Omega – 3 fatty acidsO 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.

Omega – 3 fatty acidsO Main source is oily fish/ seafood.OTuna (Fresh)OSalmonOHerringOPilchardsOMackeralOTrout OShrimpOCrab

Stanols & SterolsO They work by reducing cholesterol absorption from

the gut.O Both have similar effect on cholesterolO 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.

Stanols & SterolsO 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

Product Package size VarietiesBenecol 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

SALTO 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.

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.

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

Tips for reducing your alcohol consumptionO 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

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

caloriesCutting down on the amount you drink could help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and also reduce cancer risk

Physical ActivityO 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.

AICR Guidelines1. Choose a variety of fruit and vegetables2. Limit intake of red meat to less than 3oz/day3. Decrease the amount of fatty food in especially

those from animal and decrease total fat intake4. Eat less salty foods and less salt in cooking, use

herbs and spices instead5. 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 meats7. Avoid being overweight8. Take 1 hour brisk walk or similar daily

Steroid Induced Diabetes & Brain

Tumours Reduce foods containing high quantities

of refined sugar :O SugarO Sweets O Cakes O Biscuits O Desserts O Fizzy DrinksO Large volumes of fruit juice

Steroid Induced Diabetes & Brain

Tumours Choose:O FruitO Raw vegetablesO Diet yoghurtO Water & Diet fizzy drinksO Wholegrain breads, rice & pastaO Watch out for ‘Diabetic Products’- often

expensive and may only contain slightly less sugar than the normal variety- choose normal variety and eat less

Summary

OBe a healthy weightOFollow healthy eating guidelines OReduce fat intakeOEnjoy your food!OCheck with your doctor before

taking ANY supplements

Useful WebsitesAmerican 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 Centrehttp://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrativemedicine/