There is some evidence that a ketogenic diet might be of benefit to cancer patients: > In KDs, the 4:1 ratio of high fat to low carbohydrates mimics the metabo

There is some evidence that a ketogenic diet might be of benefit to cancer patients: > In KDs, the 4:1 ratio of high fat to low carbohydrates mimics the metabolic effects of starvation (Figure 2). These diets slow cancer by inhibiting insulin/IGF and downstream intracellular signaling pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Ketogenic diets also amplify adenosine monophosphate—activated protein kinase (AMPK), which inhibits aerobic glycolysis and suppresses tumor proliferation, invasion, and migration. Mouse models of metastatic cancer show that exogenous ketones themselves have direct cytotoxic effects on tumor viability.5 β-hydroxybutyrate can modify chromatin by binding to and thereby inhibiting histone deacetylase, ultimately repressing transcription and curbing cancer cell proliferation (Figure 1). [0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6375425/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6375425/ This same article also mentions that a ketogenic diet can promote weight gain in cancer patients, which is a concern because frequently such patients lose weight as a result of both their disease and the treatment for it. Although not a scientific paper, there is some suggestion in [1] that both fasting and keto can have benefits in terms of making chemotherapy both more tolerable and effective. The suggestion here is that driving down insulin and blood sugar may be the mechanism, which seems naively to mean it effectively "starves out" the cancer. Note however that both keto and fasting act on the insulin/IGF, AMPK and mTOR pathways, so there is a moderately large web of cellular/biological interactions to untangle here. As a side note, the insulin/IGF, AMPK, and mTOR pathways are frequently implicated in animal studies of general longevity as well. We don't know the extent to which this stuff transfers over to humans, but, if you're a mouse, we can extend your life dramatically by playing around with these metabolic pathways. --- [0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6375425/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6375425/ [1]: https://www.curetoday.com/view/early-evidence-shows-fasting-keto-diet-may-make-chemo-and-some-other-cancrer-treatments-more-effective-and-easier-to-tolerate https://www.curetoday.com/view/early-evidence-shows-fasting-...