[Debbie L.]

This is interesting. And dense! However, if I'm reading this study correctly (click on free full text for the PDF), the percent of the population studied who had the allele (TT) that seemed strongly associated with increased glucose levels in response to high fat diet (and apparent corresponding lower glucose levels with low fat) was very small. Only 25 of 712 participants had the double T allele. So while still interesting, it seems irrelevant to most. Also, they were not looking at a ketogenic diet, but rather low fat/high fat (which they say was by default high carb/low carb).

There has been a LOT of research r/t type II diabetes, insulin resistance, carbohydrate intake, and glucose levels that all points to success in lowering blood sugar and insulin resistance with dietary interventions (limited carbs, perhaps high fiber) for most people. I don't think this evidence is strong enough to refute that evidence, although it raises the issue that one size may not fit all in this regard.

I don't know much about the idea that a ketogenic diet can affect cancer. I do know that it's much more complex than just looking at blood sugar levels. I think it has more to do with insulin resistance (and thus hyperinsulinemia). Insulin is a growth factor, and some cancers overexpress various insulin receptors, which is an area of research interest. We know that obese people and/or type II diabetics have worse cancer outcomes. However, like everything else, it's complex and we don't (IMHO) know enough yet to draw conclusions about the details.

Debbie Laxague