Condition

Brain Tumor

A brain tumor is a growth of abnormal cells that either starts in the brain, as with gliomas and meningiomas, or spreads there from another cancer. Among supplements, Boswellia stands out, and one finding showed tumor size improved, while a small ginkgo study in people who had received radiation found no clear difference in attention. The evidence is limited, with very few small studies, so these are early signals.

Sources: PMID 22700031

Supplements studied: 2
Graded outcomes: 2
Trials: 2
People studied: 35

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

2 supplements

Boswellia

Boswellia: outcomes studied for Brain Tumor
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Brain Tumor Size Moderate Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Moderate effect		1 person

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba: outcomes studied for Brain Tumor
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Attention No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	34 people
Studies that measured attention Phase II study of Ginkgo biloba in irradiated brain tumor patients: effect on cognitive function, quality of life, and moodJ Neurooncol · PMID 22700031
	Cognition	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	34 people
Studies that measured cognition Cognitive performance, SPECT, and blood viscosity in elderly non-demented people using Ginkgo bilobaPharmacopsychiatry · PMID 12905098 Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761(R), donepezil or both combined in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with neuropsychiatric features: a randomised, double-blind, exploratory trialAging Ment Health · PMID 19347685 Acute, dose-dependent cognitive effects of Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng and their combination in healthy young volunteers: differential interactions with cognitive demandHum Psychopharmacol · PMID 12404705
	Memory	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	34 people
Studies that measured memory Acute cognitive effects of standardised Ginkgo biloba extract complexed with phosphatidylserineHum Psychopharmacol · PMID 17457961 A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in a sample of cognitively intact older adults: neuropsychological findingsHum Psychopharmacol · PMID 12404671 Safety and effectiveness of a traditional ginkgo fresh plant extract - results from a clinical trialForsch Komplementmed · PMID 19657199
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	34 people
Studies that measured subjective well-being Specific memory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in middle-aged healthy volunteersPhytomedicine · PMID 21802920
	Verbal Fluency	Improves (the measure goes up)			34 people
	Working Memory	Improves (the measure goes up)			34 people

Key findings

Brain Tumor SizeBoswelliaImproves (the measure goes down)
AttentionGinkgo Biloba

The Brain Tumor Supportive Care protocol

2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements

Boswellia Serrata4,200 mg standardized extract daily (H15 extract in studies)
Melatonin10–20 mg nightly

See the full protocol

Studies cited

1 study from PubMed

A lipoxygenase inhibitor in breast cancer brain metastasesJ Neurooncol · PMID 17001517