Glutamine. Glutamine is also an important food for cancer growth. Glutamine is an essential amino acid. This means that glutamine cannot be completely eliminated from the diet. Glutamine is an important component of a healthy immune system. This slide shows the glutamine balance between the normal immune system and the cancer. Professor Seynfried is in the process of a clinical trial for the treatment of a brain tumour, glioblastoma, which eliminates glucose (carbohydrates) and restricts glutamine. He calls it stress/pulse. Stress refers to eliminating glucose and pulse refers to eliminating glutamine for short periods (3 weeks) and restarting again in a series of cycles. This is exciting work which may change the way we think about treating cancer.