Q. Is a ketogenic diet cancer preventing or actually metastasis promoting?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
The short answer is that the research is still ongoing, so it's too early to definitively say whether a ketogenic diet is cancer-preventing or metastasis promoting. However, there have been several studies conducted on the effects of following a ketogenic diet for certain types of cancer patients that suggest some promising results.
One major study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2017 looked at 30 adult obesity patients who followed a ketogenic diet before and after undergoing radical cystectomy surgery for bladder cancer. This study found that those who initially followed a strict ketogenic diet had significant differences in their glycemic levels post-surgery compared with those who did not follow the strict dietary guidelines, indicating more efficient glucose metabolism. Additionally, this group had fewer cases of tumor recurrence than those without strict pre-operative adherence to a ketogenic lifestyle; suggesting that following such nutritional guidelines may reduce long-term risk of tumor recurrence or metastasis.
More recent studies have also suggested potential anti-tumor effects when it comes to adhering to low carbohydrate diets like those associated with a typical keto plan. A 2019 review published in Frontiers in Oncology found evidence that suggests increased glucose metabolism via restriction can lead to decreased cell proliferation and reduced spread throughout the body's tissues – factors often associated with increases risks of metastases and local recurrences among tumors associated with certain cancers.
Overall, while further exploration into how well these findings apply across different cancers types remains necessary, preliminary evidence does suggest there might be benefits when it comes to combining basic principles from both mainstream oncology treatments and nutrition science based around low carb/keto style diets -- especially among particular patient populations vulnerable to tumor growths or metastatic spread as result from high blood sugar levels as part of their disease progression.