Keto diet is chemotherapy friendly, can be part of treatment for pancreatic cancer, finds study

The much popular low on carbs, the keto diet is not just the way to a great body and weight loss, researchers suggest it also kills pancreatic cancer cells when combined with a triple-drug therapy.

The findings of the study published in the journal ‘Med’ says that following a ketogenic diet decreases the supply of glucose in the pancreatic tumour, making cancer cells to starve to death. The diet also elevated ketone bodies produced by the liver can put additional stress on the tumour.

The keto diet by cutting the sugar flow destabilized the cancer cells and create a micro-environment conducive for the application of the triple-drug therapy designed by TGeni.e a combination of cisplatin, gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. The treatment then becomes more adept to knock out cancer.

The idea of the ketogenic diet is to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. Simple carbs that are easily digestible like bread, sugar, soda is removed from the diet.  The idea is to make the body starve for fuel it can use quickly and make it bread protein and fat for energy instead, making you lose weight.  Experts suggest the diet also help with medical conditions like epilepsy, heart diseases, acne, but there needs more research in that area.

According to TGen Distinguished Professor and one of the study authors, Daniel d. Von Hoff, limiting glucose availability to cells will promote chemotherapy efficacy.  The diet is also helpful in providing anti-tumour immunity by inducing pro-inflammatory tumour gene expression that makes cancer cells ineffective.

Researchers initiated a clinical trial of up to 40 patients at five centres nationwide. The clinical trial was tested by adding a ketogenic diet to triple therapy to increase overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer.

The clinical trials carried out in South Texas, New Jersey, Scottsdale, Connecticut spanned between late. 2020 and June 2023. One-half of the patients were assigned to receive the triple-drug regime on a standard diet. The other half received a ketogenic diet and triple-drug therapy.

The experiment showed that the ketogenic diet changes pancreatic cancer metabolism and their response to chemotherapy.