The Ketogenic Diet For Cancer: What It's All About

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Ketogenic Diet And Dieting For Cancer: Does It Really Help?

Cancer is one of the most common diseases. Up to half a million people are diagnosed with cancer every year.

With over 200 different types of cancer, not all cancers are the same.
One of the biggest problems with cancer is the tumors. Unlike healthy cells, tumor cells do not degrade over time and are therefore not replaced by healthy cells. Spread over the entire body is possible.
The tumors affect the metabolism, leading to a loss of appetite, among other things. The so-called anorexia occurs at the latest during cancer therapy. In some cases, this is a relevant cause of death in cancer patients.
This is where the diets come in, including the ketogenic diet. Proper nutrition should prevent anorexia as best as possible so that therapy does not fail because of this crucial factor.

It is known that carbohydrates, especially glucose, play a special role in cancer patients.

Compared to healthy cells, tumor cells absorb significantly more sugar and use it to form, among other things, the enzyme lactate, which serves as a protective layer for the cells.
To avoid anorexia, patients must consume sufficient energy from food. It was sometimes recommended to consume as much energy as possible in the form of sugar. In the meantime, however, we know that this energy cannot be sufficiently utilized in this situation. In addition, sugar nourishes the tumor cells.
Instead, fat is said to be more suitable than sugar, since the tumor cells absorb almost none of the fatty acids it contains. This is where the ketogenic diet comes into play, which focuses on high-fat but low-carbohydrate nutrition.
The increased absorption of fat ensures that the energy source of the tumor cells, glucose, runs dry. The growth of the tumor cells should thus be inhibited. In addition, the breakdown of protein should be curbed, so that the frequent muscle breakdown during the disease is also limited.
There are still no large long-term studies on diets during cancer therapy. Animal experiments sometimes even showed completely opposite results. Carbohydrate abstinence initially slowed growth in mice, but later growth accelerated again.
Important: Diet alone does not fight cancer. You should always discuss with a doctor whether it makes sense to adapt your diet to your eating habits and work out an individual nutrition plan.