Using the Ketogenic Diet to Heal Brain Tumors

Health Impact News Editor Comments:
Some of the most exciting research regarding the ketogenic diet has been in its use against cancer. This research is showing that a high-fat low-carbohydrate diet can starve cancer cells. We have published three stories on the ketogenic diet and cancer already this year (2013).
In this study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the ketogenic diet was applied to brain tumors.

The Restricted Ketogenic Diet: An Alternative Treatment Strategy for Glioblastoma Multiforme

Excerpts:

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is considered the most malignant of primary brain cancers with only about 12% of patients living beyond 36 months (long-term survivors).

Ketogenic Diet and Calorie Restriction

The high fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD) has long been recognized as an effective non-toxic therapy for reducing epileptic seizures in children. The mechanisms by which the KD manages seizures are linked to shifts in brain energy metabolism. Glucose is the sole metabolic fuel used for nearly all brain functions under normal physiological conditions, but the brain will metabolize ketone bodies for energy when access to glucose is limited, as would occur during water-only therapeutic fasting in humans or during calorie restriction in mice.  It has long been known that water-only fasting or calorie restriction is effective in managing epilepsy in humans and mice.

The KD was introduced as an alternative to fasting for the long-term management of seizures in humans. The efficacy of the classic KD is optimal when the ratio of dietary fats to combined carbohydrate/protein is 4:1. This requires careful attention to diet calculations. Importantly, the KD is also gaining recognition as a potential therapy for a host of other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. When administered in restricted amounts, which do not exceed the individual’s total energy needs, the KD can also be therapeutic against malignant brain tumors in mice and humans. 

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