Brain Tumors Respond To Diet And Radiation Therapy Brain cancer researchers have successfully treated mice with malignant gliomas, a type of aggressive and deadly brain tumor , with a unique combination of radiation therapy and ketogenic diet, a high fat, low carbohydrate and minimal protein regime that forces the body to use fat instead of sugar for energy. Should the approach succeed in human trials, they say the diet could quickly and easily be added to current human brain tumor treatments. Ketogenic Diet The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, controlled protein diet that has been used since the 1920s to treat epilepsy. The word ketogenic means the body produces ketones (keto = ketone, genic = producing). Usually the body converts carbohydrates (from foods like sugar, bread, pasta) into glucose (a type of sugar) to use for energy. In the ketogenic diet, because of the restriction in carbohydrate intake, the body can't use glucose and ...