It’s a regimen that’s been praised by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow for its slimming effects. But the keto diet could also help in the fight against a notoriously serious form of cancer.
Scientists at the University of California found that the diet, which is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, could make pancreatic cancer treatment more effective.
This, they say, is because the diet deprives the pancreatic tumors of the energy they need to survive.
Pancreatic cancer is sometimes called the ‘silent killer’ because of its subtle symptoms and claims around 10,000 lives in the UK each year.
Treatments are often futile because the disease is usually discovered at a late stage. Only 40 percent of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.
The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, involves cutting out almost all carbohydrates and adding a large amount of fat and protein to every meal. As a result, bread, rice and pasta are completely excluded, as are sweets, chocolate and pastries. Even dairy, fruits and vegetables are limited
Pancreatic cancer is called a ‘silent killer’ because of the subtle symptoms that are often not noticed until too late
For the latest research, published in the journal Nature, scientists divided the mice into four groups.
One group was given a ketogenic diet, another a normal diet, another a normal diet with a cancer drug, and the last group was given a ketogenic diet with a cancer drug.
The drug being given is a new, experimental drug called eFT508. The drug works by preventing pancreatic tumors from breaking down fat.
At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that the mice in the ketogenic diet and drug combination group showed the greatest tumor shrinkage.
The researchers suspect this is due to the release of a protein called eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4E), which helps the body process fat, caused by a low-carb diet.
Because pancreatic cancer cells thrive on fat, it is thought that this helps deprive the pancreatic tumors of fuel.
“We now have clear evidence of a way in which diet can be used in combination with existing cancer therapies to precisely eliminate cancer,” said study author Dr. Davide Ruggero.
The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, eliminates almost all carbohydrates and adds plenty of fat and protein to every meal.
Bread, rice and pasta are completely excluded, as are sweets, chocolate and pastries. Even dairy, fruit and vegetables are limited.
The diet is designed to force the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose – a process called ketosis.
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Dr. Ruggero, along with Dr. Kevan Shokat, UCSF professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology, developed eFT508 in the 2010s, and it showed some promise in clinical trials. But now there’s a much more powerful way to use it.
“The field has struggled to make a clear connection between diet and cancer and cancer treatments,” Ruggero said.
“But to really connect these things productively, you have to know the mechanism.”
To treat more types of cancer, different combinations of diet and drugs are needed.
“We expect that most cancers have different vulnerabilities,” Ruggero said.
‘This forms the basis for a new way to treat cancer with nutrition and personalized therapies.’
The pancreas is a tadpole-shaped organ that is part of the digestive system and plays an important role in hormone regulation.
It is located just behind the stomach and is about 25 cm long.
In digestion, it aids in the production of enzymes that help the body break down food into the nutrients it needs.
It also plays an important role in the production of hormones responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in the body.
Possible symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, where the whites of the eyes and skin turn yellow, along with itchy skin and darker urine.
Other possible symptoms include loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, constipation or bloating.
Although the symptoms are unlikely to indicate cancer, it is still important to have them checked out by a GP early to be on the safe side, especially if patients have been experiencing them for more than four weeks.