According to a study done at The University of Texas at
Dallas, the Ketogenic diet, which is very low in sugar, as well as the
administration of a diabetes drug that prevents glucose in the blood from being
adsorbed by the kidneys, slowed down the growth of squamous cell carcinoma
tumors in mice. This specific type of
lung cancer is not mesothelioma, but the results could eventually be applied to
different cancers including mesothelioma. Certain types of cancer can be
heavily reliant on glucose as an energy source, allowing their growth to be
restricted based on how much glucose is in the body. When mice had tumors and
were strictly given the Keto diet, tumor growth was much slower, and when the
diabetes drug was also given alongside the Keto diet, tumor growth was greatly
slowed.
The keto diet is able to slow down the growth of certain
types of cancer, but should not be followed for mesothelioma. It would not help
the body fight the cancer and would do more harm than good. What this study
does show is that using the body’s own systems can greatly help people fight
cancer, and mesothelioma could eventually be one of them. Diet and exercise are
not substitutes for cancer treatment, but can still be very helpful for people
and their cancer diagnoses.
Some people say that specific diets can help fight cancer and
improve people’s quality of life. The alkaline, Paleolithic, vegan, and
macrobiotic diets have been studied to see if this is the case. The alkaline diet’s philosophy is that cancer
is caused by having an acidic environment in the body, and eating alkaline
foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans could help reduce the
strain on acid-detox systems. There is little evidence that acidic environments
cause cancer, but the diet itself is very close to the American Cancer
Society’s guidelines for the decrease of mortality and recurrence of cancer. The
Paleolithic diet, which tries to replicate ancient Stone Age humans’ diets, is
very heavy on fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat, and eggs. This diet has problems
though because people eat too much red meat when following it, which can end up
being harmful. The vegan diet is also suggested, which has people avoid all
animal products. This diet can be problematic because people can miss certain nutrients
and whole foods can be skipped in favor of more processed foods. Finally the macrobiotic
diet tries to fix an imbalance in the body that causes cancer. It utilizes
whole foods like cereal grains, vegetables, and legumes, and is free from red
and processed meats. It is a wholesome diet that is high in fiber and is close
to American Cancer Society guidelines, and if it is followed correctly, could
be very beneficial.
Instead of following a specific diet, it is better to eat a
healthy and varied diet that focuses on whole and nutritious foods. Eating
enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be enough for maintaining a
healthy lifestyle while being treated for cancer. Diets can also be very
restrictive and can prevent someone from eating the proper nutrients, which
defeats the purpose of following the diet in the first place. There are many
different clinical trials and advances in cancer research, so it is less
important to focus on following a specific diet and instead to be treated by good
doctors.
Sources:
“Biologists’ Preclinical Work Suggests Keto Diet Has Anti-Cancer Effect” The University of Texas at Dallas News Center (August 15, 2019). [Link]
Rene Wisely, “The Best Diets for Cancer Patients and Cancer
Survivors” University of Michigan Health (January 9, 2019). [Link]