It’s a regime praised by A-list celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow for its slimming effect, but the ketogenic diet could also help fight a notoriously brutal cancer.
Scientists at the University of California have discovered that a low-carb, high-fat diet could help pancreatic cancer treatments work more effectively.
This is because, they say, diet deprives pancreatic tumors of the energy they need to survive.
Known as the “silent killer” because of its subtle symptoms, pancreatic cancer kills around 10,000 Britons every year.
Treatments are often useless, as the disease is usually detected in advanced stages. Only 40 percent of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.
The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, involves eliminating 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 cakes. Even dairy products, fruits and vegetables are limited.
Pancreatic cancer has been called the “silent killer” because of its subtle signs that are often detected too late.
For the latest study, published in the journal Nature, scientists divided mice into four groups.
One group was fed a ketogenic diet, another was fed a typical diet, another was fed a typical diet with an anti-cancer drug, and the last group was fed a ketogenic diet with an anti-cancer drug.
The drug administered is a new experimental compound known as eFT508, which works by preventing pancreatic tumors from metabolizing fat.
At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that mice in the group that followed the ketogenic diet and combined drugs experienced the greatest reduction in tumors.
Researchers suggest this is due to the release of a protein called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 (eIF4E), which helps the body metabolize fat, which is triggered by a low-carb diet.
It is thought that because pancreatic cancer cells feed on fat, this helps starve pancreatic tumors of fuel.
“We now have firm evidence of a way in which diet could be used alongside pre-existing cancer therapies to precisely eliminate a cancer,” said study author Dr. Davide Ruggero.
The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, involves eliminating almost all carbohydrates and adding a lot of fat and protein to each meal.
As a result, bread, rice and pasta are completely excluded, as are sweets, chocolate and cakes. Even dairy products, fruit and vegetables are limited.
The diet aims to force the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose, a process known as ketosis.
Dr. Ruggero, along with Dr. Kevan Shokat, a professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at UCSF, developed eFT508 in the 2010s and showed promising results in clinical trials. But now there’s a much more effective way to use it.
“The field has struggled to firmly link diet to cancer and cancer treatments,” Ruggero said.
“But to really connect these things in a productive way, you need to know the mechanism.”
Different combinations of diet and drugs will be needed to treat more forms of cancer.
“We expect that most cancers have other vulnerabilities,” Ruggero said.
“This is the basis of a new way of treating cancer with diet and personalized therapies.”
The pancreas is a tadpole-shaped organ that is part of the digestive system and also plays a crucial role in hormonal regulation.
It is located just behind the stomach and measures about 25 cm long.
In its digestive function, it helps produce enzymes that help the body break down food into the nutrients it needs.
It is also essential for producing hormones responsible for controlling blood sugar levels in the body.
Potential symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, in which the whites of the eyes and skin turn yellow, along with itchy skin and darker urine.
Other possible signs include loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, constipation, or bloating.
While the symptoms are unlikely to be cancer, it is important to get them checked out by a GP early just in case, especially if patients have had them for more than four weeks.