diet and lifestyle

08 Aug, 2025

to be clear: changing your diet or lifestyle isn’t going to shrink your tumor, and it’s definitely not a cure. but for me, it’s been part of how I’ve approached healing — physically, mentally, and emotionally. i’ve also been interested in what I can do (if anything) to reduce the chances of my tumor growing or coming back after treatment.

this post isn’t meant to be advice or medical guidance. i’m not a doctor or scientist — just someone trying to understand the body better after an unexpected and scary diagnosis.

what makes meningiomas different from other brain tumors

from what i’ve learned, most dietary strategies you hear about for cancer — things like the keto diet — are targeted toward malignant tumors, which grow fast and rely heavily on glucose. meningiomas are different in that they're usually slow-growing, benign, and don't seem to respond directly to dietary changes the same way cancerous tumors might.

but there’s one thing that stands out with meningiomas: most of them (especially in women) show hormone receptors — primarily progesterone, and sometimes estrogen. one study found that up to 88% of meningiomas are PR+ (progesterone receptor-positive)¹.

while there is no evidence to suggest hormone imbalances can cause meningiomas to develop, there is evidence to suggest that excess female sex hormones or an imbalance of female sex hormones could cause meningiomas to grow faster. a few of the neurosurgeons i spoke with over the past month confirmed this as well. i realized i actually knew very little about how progesterone and estrogen work in the body, so i decided to do a bit of a deeper dive and share what i learned here in case it can be interesting or useful to someone else.

what i've learned about hormones

a few main things about estrogen and progesterone:

• these are the two main sex hormones for people assigned female at birth
• they work in balance: estrogen builds, progesterone stabilizes
• too much or too little of either — or poor hormone metabolism — can throw the whole system off²
• some tumors (like PR+ meningiomas) may grow in response to elevated or imbalanced hormone signals

there’s not a ton of research proving that balancing your hormones will stop a tumor from growing, but it seems logical to try to support your body’s natural hormone pathways, especially if your tumor is hormone-sensitive.

lifestyle and diet changes that support hormone balance

again, none of this is meant to be a cure — but these are the things i’ve found might help create a healthier hormone environment and they make me feel like i'm doing something proactive to help better my health outcomes moving forward.

🥦 eating more cruciferous veggies

the liver helps remove hormones like estrogen from the bloodstream once they’re no longer needed. before they can leave the body, hormones are broken down into different forms. some forms are weaker and easier to clear, while others can linger and may cause more problems if they build up.

cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale, contain compounds like sulforaphane and DIM (diindolylmethane) that can help the liver process estrogen into its weaker, “safer” forms³. for a hormone-receptor-positive meningioma, supporting this process might mean fewer active hormone signals in circulation.

🧻 getting enough fiber

once estrogen is broken down, it’s sent to the digestive tract to be eliminated. if you’re constipated, some of it can be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, raising overall hormone levels. fiber binds to estrogen in the gut, helping carry it out, and it also supports gut bacteria that play a role in hormone metabolism⁴.

good sources of fiber include flax or chia seeds, lentils, beans, whole fruit, and oats.

🧴 minimizing hormone disruptors

certain chemicals can mimic estrogen in the body. these xenoestrogens are found in some plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, and cleaning products⁵. while it's really difficult to avoid them completely, cutting down on exposure may help reduce the overall hormone load.

simple swaps: store food in glass containers, avoid microwaving in plastic, choose organic meat and dairy when possible, and pick “paraben-free” and “phthalate-free” personal care items.

🧘🏻‍♀️ managing stress

managing stress is something i've always been really bad at (and have also possibly been gaslit into thinking i'm worse at than i actually am), but we all know that when you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol. chronically high cortisol can interfere with estrogen and progesterone balance, affect blood sugar, and increase inflammation — all of which can influence hormones⁶.

daily habits like walking outdoors, journaling, meditation, or gentle stretching before bed can help keep stress hormones in check.

🚶🏻‍♀️ gentle, consistent movement

exercise helps regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support hormone function. however, too much intense exercise without enough rest or calories can disrupt cycles and hormone production, so a moderate approach is best.

think brisk walks, light strength training, yoga, or active hobbies like gardening or dancing.

🍷 limiting alcohol and sugar

the liver processes both hormones and alcohol. drinking too much can slow estrogen clearance⁷, while high sugar intake can disrupt insulin levels, which also impacts hormone balance⁸.

simple swaps: sparkling water with citrus instead of soda, mocktails with herbal tea or kombucha, and setting alcohol-free days each week.

🌱 being more thoughtful about soy

soy contains plant compounds called phytoestrogens that can weakly mimic estrogen in the body. research is mixed — some studies suggest benefits, others raise questions for hormone-sensitive conditions⁹. whole soy like edamame or tempeh are probably fine in moderation, but soy protein isolate in bars, powders, and fake meat are highly processed and packed with phytoestrogens that may be worth avoiding.

there’s no diet or lifestyle tweak that will make a meningioma disappear, but supporting your body in ways that might help with recovery, reduce the chance of regrowth (especially if your tumor was only partially removed or treated with radiation), or simply help you feel better day-to-day is still worthwhile.

if nothing else, I hope this has been informative — especially for women (like myself) who maybe didn't even know much about how their hormones work, what affects them, and how daily choices can influence that balance. even without a tumor, understanding your own hormone health can help you make more informed decisions that support your well-being in the long run.

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