Ketogenic Diets for Cancer

[Mandamoo]

Steph - my reading of above is that we are referring to two differing suggestions.
A study published last week about women with hormone negative disease reducing their fat intake by 20% having reduced rate of recurrence.

The other is in relation to using ketogenic diets to starve cancer,
"Dr. Seyfried recommends a specially-formulated low-calorie “ketogenic” diet consisting of 80% fat, with the rest (20%) being made up of protein + carbohydrate." so the two suggestions are polar opposite really. unless you reduce your caloric intake so much that 20% less is 80% of your intake!

I have been looking more at the paleo style diet which reduces carbohydrates from refined sources considerably - it is a no grains diet and a no dairy - it seems to tie in nicely but the ketogenic diet is more extreme. I think there is a lot to be said, the more I read about eliminating grains from diet - both from an inflammatory point of view and a carbs fuelling cancer perspective. I think we all vary enormously in how our bodies respond to food just as we do with medications so it is likely that one diet does not suit all. I personally wonder if the reduction of 20% in fat intake corresponds with weightloss which impacts insulin resistance issues for many women thereby assisting in reducing recurrence.
If only it were clear!
A x

[gdpawel]

I'm rusty on this, but I think if you stayed with a diet in which fewer than 20% of calories were from fat. In other words, lower your dietary fat to less than 20% of total calories by emphasizing vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy, controlled portions of healthy-type meats, etc.

[AlaskaAngel]

The discussion is very interesting when considered together with many of RB's posts.

It seems to me that by lumping all types of fats together as if the percentage of the diet that is fats is the only important factor, we may be missing a less obvious factor. The chemistry of the type of fat consumed may make a difference.

That usually results in getting side-tracked into a tug of war over the issue of whether it is more ethical to be vegetarian or not. But if one can skip past that discussion and examine the actual chemistry of the metabolism of fats, do vegetable-based fats tend to form different bonds than meat-based fats do, and in the process of metabolism, does one type of fat tend to bond more easily with toxic or cancer-causing substances, causing them to be retained in the body?

A.A.

[R.B.]

^ Hi AA (-:

Totally (-:

Different fats are metabolized very differently and have very different functional effects in the body.

I would argue the type of fat in the diet / looked at in trials is of enormous importance, and is probably the explanation for such varied results in dietary trials.

The utilization of fats by the body is a massive and complex subject.

For those interested in the subject of fats I would suggest inter alia a quick skim of my Omega 3 : 6 post below.

I will try and add some more thoughts in the next few days