Ketogenic Diet - A Possibility To Cancer Treatment

We have seen an increment in life expectancy of humans since the early evolution years. This IHME article underlines the fact that death tolls from major diseases have declined over the years. So, the yesteryears of inevitable death from cancer and other conditions are being overshadowed by the progress in medical research. That said, the list of incurable diseases is still considerably longer but hoped to get shorter as more research gets done on the subjects.

Cancer was once a sure shot sign of the demise of an individual. But that was yesterday when it was an unknown entity. Since then, medical research has gone a long way to be acquainted with cancer. First and foremost, it is no longer invincible. Today, a person who has cancer possesses a more significant chance of survival. Chemotherapy is one of the pronounced treatments that cancer patients undergo to be free from its clutches.

In addition to this, recent studies have shown that high fat, low carb diet can help in cancer cases. After all, any health disorders we suffer are the results of our food and lifestyles choices. But, in comparison to lifestyle, our food choices have a more substantial effect on our health. Heavy reliance on foods rich in sugar has led to various health disorders. Most of the modern day diseases are the result of high sugar consumption. Although it is not a direct cause of cancer, sugar or glucose promotes the complication of cancer cases. That’s because sugar is the primary source of energy for cancer cells. Cancer cells are entirely reliant on sugar for their functioning. Therefore, consuming sugar is equal to feeding cancer and contributes to an inflammatory environment within the body which invites various unknown ailments.

What ketogenic diet does is simple. It does two things: cut the glucose supply to the cancer cells, and provides an alternate fuel source to the body cells in the form of ketones.

Let’s see, how it works.

How ketogenic diet works

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb diet. When consuming a regular diet, the human body gets supplied with all the required nutrients. In a daily diet, our body feeds on the glucose from the food as the primary source of energy. What a ketogenic diet does is it alters the source of energy for the body. While a regular diet tempts for utilisation of glucose, a ketogenic diet asks the body to utilise fats as energy stores. In a ketogenic diet, body metabolism shifts its focus from burning glucose or sugar to burning fat. Hence, the most notable change in the body is the loss of body fat and therefore, the body weight. This state of body metabolism where fat gets burned to compensate for energy requirement is known as ketosis. In ketosis, the human body uses ketones as the energy source.

Ketones release energy when metabolised by fatty acids in the liver — a ketogenic diet results in fat loading and lack of glucose which creates ketone. Both ketone and glucose are energy sources but differ in the way they move within the body. Where glucose relies on the blood for propagation inside the body, ketone does not rely on blood and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Hence, it is an excellent form of energy source for neurons.

A human body can switch to ketosis upon controlled consumption of carbohydrates in the diet. In specific numbers, a body starts ketosis when the amount of carbohydrates consumed daily is less than 80 grams. Even proteins can promote the growth of cancer cells. Hence, a keto diet should have moderate protein content. In daily consumption terms, the protein quantity should account for no more than 1.2 gm protein per kg of lean body mass.

There has been a lot of research done in the medical field related to cancer. And, the results provide quite some insight. Dr Otto Warburg, a leading cell biologist, discovered that for functioning, the cancer cells primarily depend on glucose for energy. Apart from glucose, cancer cells also feed on amino acid and glutamine. And guess what, most of the things we consume today is rich in sugar.

The process of ketosis starves the cancer cells of glucose which is their energy source. Hence, an absence of energy source results in reduced growth and depletion of cancer cells.

Cancer cells – the root agent

Let’s know more about cancer cells. Cancer had been a life-terminating disease in the yesteryears, but after extensive research and study, we are more informed and aware of this disease. Yesterday, we had cancer victims, but today we have cancer survivors. So, what have we learned till now?

We have come to know that cancer cells are highly receptive to glucose. That’s because cancer cells have ten times more insulin receptors on their surface as compared to other cells. Hence, they can absorb glucose from the blood at a very high rate in comparison to other cells. So one can deduce from this that cancer patients with high blood sugar levels have a lower chance of survival.

Cancer cells do not have functioning mitochondria. The absence of mitochondria means that cancer cells cannot energise themselves from aerobic respiration. As a result, they cannot process fatty acids. Cancer cells thrive in an anaerobic environment while relying on glucose and amino acids. So to decimate the cancer cells, we need to cut off their source of energy, i.e. by stopping the supply of glucose and amino acid glutamine to the cells. A ketogenic diet does precisely that.

So, what does a keto diet consists of?

A ketogenic diet consists of healthy fats like avocados, butter, coconut oil and eggs. It also incorporates low carbohydrates vegetables like cabbage, celery, cauliflower and broccoli. The protein comes from the wild game, fish and seafood, fermented dairy and grass-fed raw organic dairy.

Since ketogenic diet is a restrictive diet, there’s a need for supplementation with high-quality multivitamins, probiotics, and omega-3s in the form of pills and tablets.

Do note. Ketogenic diets can be dangerous to health when not appropriately followed. Always consult your doctor or physician before making any dietary changes.

Source: How the Ketogenic Diet Weakens Cancer Cells