Cancer is on the rise. It is one of the leading causes of death conditions across the globe. Cancer kills rough 1,500 each single day. Cancer can be treated if detected early. It can be through radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. Medical studies have extended up to the meals we consume. There are speculations that diet can trigger or help fight cancer. Research has been conducted on different diet strategies. Ketogenic diet is one of these diets. Some studies have revealed that regular intake of low carb or ketogenic diet can help fight off cancer. However, you are encouraged to discuss with your doctor before adopting ketogenic diet.
An overview of Ketogenic Diet
Ketogenic diet is one of the numerous diets a person can adopt. This diet encourages consumption of low carb and encourages consumption of high fat. Therefore, each meal should contain less carbs and increasing the amount of fats you consume. This diet has a metabolic impact called ketosis. The body will fully be relying on fat as the primary source of energy. This results into the body burning more calories. Ketogenic diet has successfully assisted people shed off some weight. Advancements have been done to the point Ketogenic diet is being used to fight and prevent cancer in the body.
The connection between Blood sugar and cancer
A lot of cancer therapies target the composition difference between normal cells and cancer cells. Medical studies have found similarity among all cancer cells. All cancer cells feed off blood sugar or carbs. They depend on carbs or blood sugar to grow and multiple to other parts of the body. So, how does ketogenic diet help deal with cancer? Ketogenic diet alters some metabolic reactions in the body. In the long run, your blood sugar levels will drop. This will automatically starve the cancer cells making slow in terms in size. The cancer cells can also decrease in size or die off. Ketogenic diet can also be used in controlling advanced cancer. This minimizes the effects of cancer. The decreased blood sugar levels in the body helps prevent cancer cells from rapidly growing and becoming more chronic.
There are different ways of explaining how ketogenic diet can be used to treat cancer. As earlier stated, cancer fully depends on carbs for energy. This is what helps them grow and spread to other parts of the body. Ketogenic diet reduces of completely eliminates carb intake. This reduces the amount of energy levels in the body and on the cells. The tumor cells will struggle to grow and progress. Ketogenic diet also poses other benefits to the body. Here are some other benefits linked to ketogenic diet:
- It lowers insulin levels in the body- Insulin is one of the anabolic hormone in the body. Anabolic hormones are always available in the body. They make all cells in the body to grow, including the cancerous ones. Ketogenic diet significantly reduces the insulin levels in the body. This will automatically reduce the tumor levels in the body.
- Ketogenic diet increase ketones in the body. Medical studies have proven that cancer cells cannot rely on ketones for energy. Therefore, increased ketones levels in the body might reduce cancer cells size and hinder their growth.
Is ketogenic Diet really effective when it comes to fighting cancer?
This is the key question everyone is asking, isn’t it? Researchers have spent over 50 years to understand the relationship between ketogenic diet and cancer. They wanted to prove if this practically works or is just a myth. Studies were carried out on animals to prove if ketogenic can be used an alternative therapy for cancer. Over ninety percent of the studies carried out revealed ketogenic diet can improve the survival rates of people suffering from cancer. A lot of tumors in animals significantly reduced in size. Studies also revealed that animals that were on ketogenic diet were in condition when compared to those on other diets. This is one reason you should fully focus your attention on ketogenic diet.
Ketogenic Diet and different types of cancer
As we all know, there are different types of cancer. They affect different cells on the body before spreading wide. A lot of research was only carried out on animals. Research has recently been carried out on human beings. Medical research indicates that ketogenic diet is only effective on specific cancers. It also depends on the level stage of your cancer. The first study was conducted on a woman in her 60s. She was suffering from brain cancer. She underwent surgery to remove some cancerous cells in her brain. Afterwards, she adopted the ketogenic diet. She strictly adhered to the ketogenic diet for a few months. Medical report indicated that the growth of her brain tumor had significantly slowed down.
She later changed her diet and returned to her normal diet. Medical research revealed that her brain tumor had significantly increased in terms of size and spread to other parts of the body. Another study was carried out on two girls suffering from advanced brain cancer. They adopted ketogenic diet while undergoing treatment. Medical report indicated that their glucose levels in the body reduced. This made it difficult for the advanced brain cancer to grow in size. Additionally, their general wellbeing improved.
Can ketogenic diet improve the quality of life for people with cancer?
Cancer can deteriorate the general wellbeing of a person. Well; studies have been conducted over the years to prove if ketogenic diet can improve the wellbeing of people suffering from cancer. A lot of people drop halfway on ketogenic diet. Some people don’t enjoy ketogenic diet despite the numerous benefits it posses. Studies revealed that people who dropped ketogenic diet halfway were struggling with their health. People who strictly adhered to the ketogenic diet improved in terms of health. Insomnia levels and other side effects of cancer drastically reduced. Their health also improved. Ketogenic diet isn’t linked or attributed to any side effects. A lot of people find it rough sticking to ketogenic diet. Try your best and stick to this diet because of its numerous benefits. In most instances, ketogenic diet alone cannot deliver good results. You must adhere to the prescribed medicine or the recommended surgical procedures.
Can Ketogenic diet prevent cancer?
Cancer is one of the leading killer diseases at moment. People are constantly looking for ways to prevent cancer. A lot of mechanisms indicate ketogenic diet can significantly reduce the possibility of contracting cancer. It eliminates or reduces the environment for development of cancer cells. Ketogenic diet reduces the possibility of contracting cancer in the following ways:
- Ketogenic diet reduces insulin levels in the body- Insulin is very important in the body. It helps in cell development. Insulin also ensures body cells don’t die away. This hormone helps all cells in the body including cancer cells to grow in size. Ketogenic reduces the insulin levels in the body. This makes it difficult for any cancer cell to survive.
- It lowers blood sugar levels- High blood sugar levels in the body acts a perfect breeding ground for cancer. Ketogenic diet is capable of reducing sugar levels in the body. This also reduces the possibility of developing diabetes.
- Ketogenic diet helps fight obesity. Obesity increases the possibility of contracting cancer. People are encouraged to adopt ketogenic diet if they want to shed off weight within a short period. This reduces the possibility of developing cancer.
Based on the above information, it is evident ketogenic can help deal with cancer. First, it makes it inhabitable for cancer cells. This makes them stagnant and prevents them from spreading. In the long run, the cancer cells will slowly wither away or remaining stagnant. Ketogenic diet also makes it difficult for cancer cells to develop.
