The goal of the ketogenic diet as an anticancer therapy is to
feed the healthy cells and weaken or starve the diseased cells.
This is possible because healthy cells can obtain most of the
energy they need from "ketones", "ketone bodies" or
"ketonic acids", molecules that the liver makes from fats.
In contrast, most tumor cells are not able to do so, as the
preferred food of tumor cells is glucose, followed by proteins.
Ketogenic Diet: What Is It and What Are Its
Benefits?
To produce ketones, it is necessary to replace almost all of
the carbohydrate foods (cereals, legumes and fruits) in the standard diet with
fats.
The little glucose needed by some cells (red blood cells, for
example) is satisfied by the small amount provided by the permitted foods and
by the glucose manufactured by the body itself.
If there is no rare metabolic or genetic disorder, the
ketogenic diet is healthy and has no side effects (except for a feeling of low
energy at the beginning, which is overcome in a few days). Not only that:
following a ketogenic diet improves many variables that may be altered. Thus,
sugar, insulin and triglyceride levels go down, and good HDL cholesterol goes
up.
And, despite the bad reputation of fats, this type of diet
does not usually increase weight, as it is satiating.
Cancer and Inflammation
The ketogenic diet not only weakens cancer cells. Ketones
reduce inflammation, inhibit pro-cancer hormone factors and reinforce the
benefits of chemo- and radiotherapy.
According to biologists Ulrike Kammerer and Christina
Schlatterer, the ketone diet produces the benefits of fasting without its
drawbacks, especially if it is associated with moderate and regular physical
activity.
The ketogenic diet is used by integrative physicians, but
there are not yet enough studies to make it part of the protocol treatment
against cancer (it is for another disease: childhood epilepsy that does not
respond to drugs).
Dr. Natalia Eres considers it effective, but not a panacea,
since some tumors are capable of feeding on fats.
In addition, it is a difficult diet to follow at home without
good advice, warns Eres. It's easy to go overboard with carbohydrates or
protein, which impedes ketone production and ruins the diet.
To make sure it's done right, ketone, glucose and cortisol
tests are necessary.
The Ketogenic Pyramid
For the liver to produce ketones, carbohydrates are limited
to 20-50 grams per day. In the ketogenic diet most of the energy (more than
60%) comes from fats. Protein intake is moderate (20%).
- At the base of the pyramid are fats with 8-10 servings per day. Some examples are: 100 g of avocados, 30 g of tahini, 30 g of olives and 30 g of coconut oil.
- This is followed by vegetables with 5-7 servings per day. These can be 120 g of vegetables such as cabbage or lettuce. Another option is to take 60 g of sweeter vegetables: carrots, peppers....
- Then there are 3-4 servings of protein. For example, 100 g of tofu or seitan, 30 g of nuts or seeds.
- And at the top we find the fruits with 2-3 servings daily. 30 g of apples or 50 g of strawberries or other berries.