What Is The Best Diet For Brain Metastases?

A brain metastases diet can not only help in the treatment of it, but also helps in healing of the brain tissue. It can help in regaining the strength and vigor that may be lost due to various treatment methods. A healthy brain metastases diet can increase your calorie consumption thereby helping you in gaining or maintaining weight. Including good amounts of protein can help in rebuilding and repair of the tissues and muscles. Brain metastases diet can provide you with certain healthy nutrients like vitamin- C, selenium, beta-carotene and vitamin E, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and fish can be a part of healthy brain diet. A healthy brain metastases diet can also reduce the severity of side-effects caused by various cancer treatments.

Brain metastases may benefit from certain changes made to the diet. These changes may include the following-

It is good to stay away from milk, cheese and gluten, soy and corn.
It is good to stay away from packaged and processed foods.
It is essential to consume less red meats, and choose organic meats if possible.
It is good to include vegetable smoothies, tofu and legumes in the diet for meeting the daily protein requirements.
Limit the intake of trans-fats and if possible, avoid completely.
It is essential to avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, alcohol etc.
Nutritional supplements can be taken in order to correct nutritional deficiencies if any in brain metastases. However, this should be done by proper guidance of a healthcare professional
Supplements can help in reducing the inflammation and improving the immunity.^{[1] [2]}

Brain metastases treatments causes various side effects, some of them can be diet related. Due to these treatments, one may feel too tired to eat, feel sick very often or feel nauseated, etc. these problems can be tackled in the following ways-

If you feel too tired to eat, you can try frequent smaller meals in a day rather than having three large meals
You can use snacks or ready- made meals to reduce the work of cooking, though it may not be a healthy option always. However, it may definitely do for a change
If you are close enough to a family member or a friend, you can ask them to cook a large batch of meals and then freeze them in portions so that you can defrost them and heat and use on days that you feel too tired
You can also ask your doctor for supplements like shakes which can be healthy as well as easier to cook
If you feel sick so much so that you do not have a desire to eat, you can ask your doctor to prescribe you medicines for this
you can eat small, frequent meals and snack on dry items like cereals and crackers
You can avoid strong odors
You can avoid spicy, hot, sweet, greasy foods
Sip clear fluids in between meals
Stop eating before you start getting that feeling of getting nauseated
If you feel a metallic taste in your mouth, you can try eating foods dressed with lemon or vinegar or pickles. Be careful though, if you have mouth sores
Eating with plastic cutlery is said to give relief from the metallic taste
Rinse and brush your mouth frequently
If you get severely constipated, ask your doctor for a laxative
Including fibers in your diet can tackle the problem of constipation
If you feel your appetite has increased overly due to medications, you can try eating foods high in protein and fiber as these will keep you fuller for longer
You can also try avoiding saturated fats^[3]

There is no best diet for brain metastases. Diet- related problems during the treatment etc. can be overcome by taking certain measures. Eating a healthy and a nutritious diet can help in building up the overall health, as well as benefiting your brain tissues.

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What Is The Best Diet For Brain Metastases?