Is it true that the ketogenic diet can help treat most cancers? – 12/20/2022

There isn’t any scientific proof that the ketogenic diet helps treat most cancers, or that it prevents the illness. Lack of proof raises warning, as restrictive diets undermine the effectiveness of remedy.

A ketogenic diet prioritizes fats consumption over carbohydrates—the physique’s foremost supply of power—and prescribes reasonable protein consumption. Considering the complete power worth, the proportions can be: 90% fats, 8% protein and a pair of% carbohydrate.

This kind of diet has been identified to have optimistic results for the therapy of epilepsy since the Nineteen Twenties. On the different hand, the reference to most cancers emerged after German doctor Otto Heinrich Warburg, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1931, found that most cancers cells feed on glucose. This led to the concept of ​​decreasing carbohydrate consumption as an possibility to manage the illness. Without glucose, cells will bear oxidative stress, decreasing their proliferation.

However, following a ketogenic diet throughout most cancers therapy, particularly by yourself, carries dangers that compromise effectiveness. Among them:

• dehydration;
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies (similar to nutritional vitamins A, B6 and E, folate, calcium, magnesium and iron);
• weight and muscle loss;
• Reduced immunity, elevated danger of an infection.

Health organizations disapprove of adopting a diet for most cancers sufferers. INCA (National Cancer Institute) has a handbook towards restricted diets throughout therapy. Among the topics, there’s a warning to limit carbohydrate consumption.

The tips reinforce the absence of research that show the diet’s advantages. By consulting consultants reside effectively Point out the want for intensive analysis in people to analyze the efficacy and security of the ketogenic diet for varied tumors. So far, the evaluation has solely been achieved on animals.

What must be the diet in most cancers therapy?

Maintaining good vitamin is important to most cancers therapy and managing signs. General tips are:

• Choose for meals in nature (fruits, greens and greens);
• cut back consumption of extremely-processed merchandise (for instance crackers, on the spot noodles, soda and snacks);
• Choose meals from totally different teams (carbohydrates, proteins, nutritional vitamins, fiber and minerals);
• Immunity care can also be important, similar to: ingesting boiled, filtered or mineral water, avoiding consumption of uncooked and undercooked meat or uncooked eggs, thawing meals rigorously and sanitizing it earlier than consumption.

When there are dietary issues, together with weight reduction, malnutrition, and digestive signs similar to nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, and mucositis, help is required.

Sources: Ana Marta XimendesNutritionist Specialist in Oncology and Nutrition, Longevity and Aging, General Hospital of Fortaleza; Ana Carolina Lucio And Clelia Carla CarvalhoNutritionists from Huol-UFRN (University Hospital Onofre Lopes of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte); Gabriela VillacaNutritionist and Deputy Head of SND/HCII, Graduate Program in Oncology and Graduate Program in Collective Health and Cancer Control; LETICIA NASCIMENTO CARNIATTOAC Camargo is a scientific nutritionist at the Cancer Center, with a grasp’s diploma in well being sciences and a specialist in oncology vitamin, each from the Antonio Prudent Foundation.