Ketogenic Diet and Cancer Study
The study proves that a Ketogenic diet helps to fight cancer. Researchers of The University of Texas at Dallas found out that reducing blood glucose could stop further tumor growth in mice with lung cancer.
A ketogenic diet, together with an anti-diabetic drug was sufficient enough to reduce the glucose levels in the blood.
The scientists confessed that their intervention did not shrink the tumors, but they did keep them from progressing. The effects were specific to squamous cell carcinoma.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, also called squamous cell lung cancer, accounts for about 30% of all lung cancers.
Source: University of Texas at Dallas
What is a ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic (or ‘keto’) diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. People on a ketogenic diet eat a minimal amount of carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and a high amount of fat per day.
After about two to seven days of following a ketogenic diet, you go into something called ketosis. Because of the missing carbs, your liver starts to produce ketones from fat and sends them into your bloodstream. Ketones can be used by your muscles and other organs to use them for fuel.
When should you be more careful?
For most people, a keto diet is safe. However, you should always consult a specialist when you do a keto diet while having certain conditions:
- Do you have diabetes? Are you taking insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs?
- Do you suffer from high blood pressure?
- Are you breastfeeding?
A ketogenic diet is contraindicated in patients with
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Liver failure
- Primary carnitine deficiency, a genetic condition that prevents the body from using certain fats for energy
- Porphyrias which are rare inherited blood disorders
- Pyruvate kinase deficiency, a genetic blood disorder characterized by low levels of an enzyme called pyruvate kinase
