Ketogenic Diet: Adjuvant to Cancer Therapy
The ketogenic diet is a high fat, adequate protein, and a very low-carbohydrate diet. It’s designed to metabolically shift your body to use fat instead of glucose for energy. When following the ketogenic diet, you should aim for 70-80% of your daily calories from fat, 20-25% from protein and only 5-10% from carbohydrates.
To generate energy, the body preferentially breaks down carbohydrates first, then fats and lastly proteins. When the body doesn’t receive adequate carbohydrates from food, it will start to use fat for energy, either from the diet or by breaking down fat stores in the body. When the body uses fat as its energy source, the body enters a metabolic state known as ketosis.
The body’s ability to use either carbohydrates or fats as an energy source is an evolutionary adaptation. This allowed humans to fast or go for long periods without eating when food wasn’t available. Modern researchers are discovering that this metabolic state of survival may be beneficial for many health conditions, including cancer.
The ketogenic diet was first used to treat epilepsy in the 1920’s. Dr. R.M. Wilder at the Mayo Clinic designed the ketogenic diet to mimic the metabolic and biochemical changes that take place in a fasting state because fasting had long been used to treat epilepsy. The ketogenic diet was widely and successfully used for treatment until the 1950’s, when anticonvulsant drugs entered the market. The ketogenic diet re-emerged in the 1990’s as a safe and effective treatment, now not just for epilepsy, but for many other disorders. Researchers are finding the ketogenic diet to be beneficial for ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, depression, PCOS, and Type 2 diabetes.
The ketogenic diet is also being studied as an adjuvant to cancer therapy. Researchers are showing ketogenic diets to reduce tumor growth, improve survival and potentiate the effect of radiation and chemotherapy. Cancer patients on the ketogenic diet also show improved emotional functioning, reduced insomnia, improved glucose levels, lowered cholesterol.
Researchers believe that the ketogenic diet is an effective adjuvant to cancer therapy because it damages cancer cells selectively by increasing their oxidative stress. Cancer cells are metabolically different than normal healthy cells, and have high glucose demands for tumor survival and metastasis. The restriction of carbohydrates and glucose on the ketogenic diet make it selectively toxic to cancer cells and exploits their metabolic weakness.
The ketogenic diet is proving to be useful in the treatment of many health conditions, and as an adjuvant to cancer therapy. The ketogenic diet encourages health by shifting the body’s metabolism to promote healthy weight loss and improved glycemic control. Though no severe adverse effects have been documented, the high fat nature of the ketogenic diet can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, lethargy, and nausea. As always, if you’re interested in pursuing the ketogenic diet, consult your health care provider for more information.
Written By Jennifer Peterson, MSOM, LAc
