Singapore (Commonwealth Union) – In recent years, the ketogenic diet has gained immense popularity as a novel approach to weight loss and improved health. Originally developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy, the ketogenic diet has evolved into a mainstream dietary trend, capturing the attention of health-conscious individuals and researchers alike. In this article, we will explore what the ketogenic diet is, how it works, and the potential benefits and risks associated with its adoption.
The ketogenic diet, often referred to simply as “keto,” is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet designed to shift the body’s primary source of energy from carbohydrates to fats. The fundamental principle of the diet is to induce a state known as ketosis, in which the body produces ketones as an alternative fuel source when glucose (sugar) is scarce.
The consumption of lesser carbohydrates, makes the body’s glycogen storage get depleted. As a result, insulin levels drop, and your body begins to break down fats into molecules called ketones, which are used as an energy source. Ketones are produced in the liver from fatty acids and are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, providing a stable source of energy for the brain.
Professor Ashok Venkitaraman, Director of the Cancer Science Institute at the National University of Singapore, in collaboration with Assistant Professor Tobias Janowitz, Principal Investigator at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, and an international team of researchers from the USA and UK, have made a significant discovery. Their research revealed that ketogenic diets, characterized by their high-fat and low-carbohydrate composition, can delay the growth of tumors but also accelerate cachexia, a wasting syndrome with potentially fatal consequences.
Additionally, the study unveiled that dexamethasone may hold the key to optimizing the benefits of ketogenic diets by delaying the onset of cachexia.
Ketogenic diets have garnered attention recently as potential adjuncts to enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapy. This interest arises from the hypothesis that cancer cells rely on sugar for sustenance, making a high-fat ketogenic diet a promising approach to improve anti-cancer treatments and clinical outcomes by depriving tumors of their primary energy source.
The recently conducted research by the scientists and the team demonstrate, the utilization of 2 different experimental models, that such diets can indeed lessen the speed of cancer growth – however unexpectedly, they result in a ‘wasting syndrome’ (cachexia) which can make worse the disease prognosis as indicated by researchers. Professor Venkitaraman says, “Special diets may help to make cancer therapy more effective. However, our research highlights that dietary interventions affect many organ systems beyond just cancer cells, leading to both deleterious and positive consequences. The mechanism we have identified raises critical questions regarding the use of high-fat or starvation diets in the treatment of cancer. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the balance of benefits and risks associated with these dietary approaches.”
The research also unveiled that dexamethasone, a potent glucocorticoid known to boost appetite and enhance the body’s glucose production, has the potential to delay the onset of cachexia. When administered in conjunction with a ketogenic diet, such medications could enable the suppression of tumor growth without the unwanted consequences of cachexia. The development of novel combinations like these may be crucial in refining dietary interventions as part of cancer therapy. Ultimately, further investigations are required to translate these preclinical findings into tangible benefits for cancer patients.
These groundbreaking discoveries were published by the team in the esteemed scientific journal Cell Metabolism on June 12, 2023.
The numerous benefits of the ketogenic diets have been pointed out in a variety of health conditions and its benefits for cancer have also been seen in Professor Thomas Siegfried’s research over the last few years.
