March is National Nutrition Month! Run by the American Dietetic Association, their message is:  


“Eat Right, Your Way, Everyday”



 Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

When you think about it, it shouldn’t be surprising that food can treat illness and disease-the chemicals in many prescription drugs originate from plants!

So, for National Nutrition Month I did a little research into what foods and nutrients can help fight brain cancer-a disease that will kill around 14,080 Americans in 2013.

Equally, you must keep in mind; there is no diet/food group/miracle food, out there to cure and prevent cancer. Diet’s just one of the factors, that is believed to affect cancer development, along with genetics, environmental exposure and many others.

The following foods and nutrients are believed to affect brain tumor development and growth.

Folic Acid

Moms will know about this nutrient, women take it during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Folic acid is the synthetic name for folate, a type of vitamin B. Studies have found that people with cancer, often have low folate levels. Folate is important for healthy cell division and replication of cells, a process that cancer manipulates. Folic acid can be found in fortified pastas, rice and breads-just check the food label to be sure! Folate can be found naturally in leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, and lettuce), asparagus, fruits (bananas, citric fruits, melons), legumes, organ meats (liver,kidneys), orange juice and tomato juice.

Antioxidants

Fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, kiwi and cranberries, all have extremely strong antioxidant properties-which are believed to affect brain tumor growth. They are also extremely delicious! Make a fruit salad with all these fruits for maximum antioxidant effect! Or put some on your cereal in the morning.