Can The Keto Diet Prevent Cancer? - Doctor Reacts
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Eric Westman discusses the potential of a ketogenic diet in preventing or treating cancer. He features Nick Norwitz, a medical student at Harvard, who explains how ketones, particularly beta-hydroxybutyrate, can disrupt cancer cell metabolism by inhibiting key enzymes and growth pathways. While the science is promising, Dr. Westman cautions that it's still theoretical and not yet ready for clinical application. He highlights the need for more research and evidence before keto diets can be recommended as a cancer treatment.
Takeaways
- 𧬠Dr. Eric Westman introduces the potential of a keto diet in treating or preventing cancer, based on the insights of Nick Norwitz, a medical student at Harvard University.
- π The video discusses the biochemical reasons why ketones might be beneficial, suggesting they can rewire metabolism and potentially inhibit cancer growth.
- π₯ Dr. Westman offers an online course on metabolic nutrition for cancer, taught by Dr. Christe Kesslering, an oncologist experienced in metabolic therapies.
- π½ The script challenges the common perception of keto as merely an elimination diet, emphasizing it also adds a beneficial metabolic stateβketosis.
- π§ͺ New research published in 2024 suggests that ketones, particularly beta-hydroxybutyrate, can inhibit key enzymes in cancer cell metabolism, such as LDHA, which is involved in glycolysis.
- π« The Warburg effect, which notes that cancer cells predominantly use glucose, is mentioned as a historical context for current research on how a keto diet might impact cancer cells' energy sources.
- π Dr. Westman cautions that while the theory is promising, the practical application of a keto diet in cancer treatment is not yet ready for prime time due to the early stage of clinical research.
- π§ͺ The video suggests that in addition to dietary changes, supplemental ketones might be a future avenue for cancer treatment, though this is still in early research stages.
- πΉ The taste and palatability of ketone supplements have improved significantly, making them a more viable option for those looking to increase ketone levels without a full keto diet.
- π Dr. Westman expresses optimism about the future of keto diets and supplementation in cancer treatment, while acknowledging the current lack of high-level clinical evidence.
Q & A
What is the main focus of Dr. Eric Westman's channel?
-Dr. Eric Westman's channel focuses on reviewing and debunking nutritional information online.
What is the theoretical and biochemical reason discussed for ketones being useful in treating or preventing cancer?
-Ketones, specifically beta-hydroxybutyrate, can be useful in treating or preventing cancer by inhibiting key enzymes in glycolysis, such as aldolase B, which helps break down sugar. This action impairs cancer growth by blocking glycolysis and inhibiting mTOR, a master regulator of growth.
Who is Nick Norwitz and what is his role in the video?
-Nick Norwitz is a medical student at Harvard University and an up-and-coming star in the field of biochemistry and the ketogenic diet. He discusses the potential of ketones in cancer treatment in the video.
What is the 'metabolic nutrition for cancer' course mentioned in the script?
-The 'metabolic nutrition for cancer' course is an online course that teaches about the connection between sugar, insulin, and cancer, and how to use a customized ketogenic diet as part of cancer treatment.
What does Dr. Westman argue about the ketogenic diet in relation to cancer cells?
-Dr. Westman argues that the ketogenic diet is not just an elimination diet but also an additive one, as it adds a metabolic state of ketosis, which can potentially reshape cancer metabolism and impair cancer growth.
What is the Warburg effect and how does it relate to cancer cells?
-The Warburg effect is the observation that cancer cells predominantly use glucose for energy. This effect is mentioned in the context of how cancer cells are sensitive to glucose and can potentially be affected by a diet that restricts carbohydrates.
What is the current state of research on the use of ketones in cancer treatment?
-The research on the use of ketones in cancer treatment is still in its early stages, with the script mentioning that it is not yet ready for prime time and requires further clinical trials to establish its efficacy.
What is the significance of the paper 'Ketogenic diet reshapes cancer metabolism through lysine beta-hydroxylation' mentioned in the script?
-The paper is significant because it provides a recent (2024) scientific perspective on how a ketogenic diet can influence cancer metabolism, specifically by reshaping it through the action of ketone bodies like beta-hydroxybutyrate.
What are the limitations Dr. Westman acknowledges about using a keto diet for cancer treatment?
-Dr. Westman acknowledges that while the theory behind using a keto diet for cancer treatment is solid, there is not yet high-level clinical trial evidence to guarantee its effectiveness in preventing or reversing cancer.
What is the current status of ketone supplementation in cancer treatment according to the script?
-The script suggests that ketone supplementation in the form of a pill, drink, or gummy is an area of research that is still in its infancy, with the potential to be used as an adjunct to cancer treatment.
Outlines
𧬠Exploring the Ketogenic Diet's Impact on Cancer
Dr. Eric Westman introduces the topic of whether a ketogenic diet can prevent or treat cancer. He features Nick Norwitz, a medical student at Harvard University, who discusses the theoretical and biochemical reasons why ketones might be beneficial in cancer treatment. The video promises to explain how ketones can rewire metabolism and potentially block cancer growth. Dr. Westman also mentions an online course on metabolic nutrition for cancer, taught by Dr. Christe Kesslering, which covers the connection between sugar, insulin, and cancer, and how a customized ketogenic diet can support treatment.
π¬ Ketones as Metabolic Signaling Molecules in Cancer
This paragraph delves into how cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to facilitate growth, primarily through the glycolysis pathway. It explains that ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxybutyrate, can inhibit key enzymes like LDH-A involved in glycolysis, thereby impairing cancer cell growth. The discussion highlights that ketones are not just a fuel source but also signaling molecules that can reshape cancer metabolism. The video acknowledges that while the science is promising, it is still in early stages and not yet ready for widespread clinical application.
π₯ The Clinical Readiness of Ketogenic Diets for Cancer Treatment
Dr. Westman concludes the video by tempering the excitement around ketones and cancer with a dose of realism. He emphasizes that while the theoretical framework is solid, clinical evidence supporting the use of ketogenic diets to prevent or treat cancer is not yet robust. He mentions that some anecdotal evidence and early research suggest certain types of cancer, like glioblastoma multiforme, might be particularly responsive to ketogenic diets. However, he stresses the need for higher-level evidence before recommending ketogenic diets as a standard treatment for cancer.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Ketogenic Diet
π‘Ketones
π‘Cancer Metabolism
π‘Nick Norwitz
π‘Glycolysis
π‘mTOR
π‘Metabolic Therapies
π‘Warburg Effect
π‘Ketone Supplementation
π‘Oxidative Stress
Highlights
Dr. Eric Westman discusses the theoretical and biochemical reasons why ketones may be useful in treating or preventing cancer.
Nick Norwitz, a medical student at Harvard University, presents on the potential of ketones in cancer treatment.
Ketogenic diets may offer benefits beyond just eliminating carbs, by inducing a metabolic state of ketosis.
Ketones, particularly beta-hydroxybutyrate, are suggested to have a dual role as fuel and signaling molecules.
Cancer cells require metabolic reprogramming, including upregulating glycolysis for growth.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate can inhibit key enzymes in glycolysis, such as aldolase B, thus impairing cancer growth.
Inhibiting aldolase B also affects the mTOR pathway, which is a master regulator of growth.
The concept of ketosis as an 'addition' of a metabolic state and signaling molecules is emphasized.
Dr. Westman acknowledges the emotional attachment many people have to carbs and the resistance to viewing them as harmful.
The Warburg effect, which suggests cancer cells predominantly use glucose, is discussed in the context of keto diets.
Cancer's ability to use amino acids for growth even when sugar is cut out is highlighted.
The potential of adding ketones in supplement form to enhance the effects of a keto diet is mentioned.
Improvements in the taste and palatability of ketone supplements over the last decade are noted.
Dr. Westman expresses the need for higher level evidence before keto diets can be recommended as cancer treatments.
Anecdotal evidence and some cohort studies suggest certain types of cancer, like glioblastoma multiforme, may respond well to keto diets.
The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content and explore further resources.
Transcripts
can a keto diet prevent or treat
[Music]
cancer hi I'm Dr Eric Westman and
welcome to my channel where I review and
debunk nutritional information online in
this video we're going to hear the
theoretical and and
biochemical reason why ketones can be
useful in treating or preventing cancer
and it's done by Nick norwitz a upand
coming superstar in the biochemistry and
keto World he's a medical student at
Harvard University let's see what he has
to say be sure to wait till the end
where I give you my final thoughts want
to learn more about the metabolic
aspects of cancer wish you knew the
facts about how certain foods affect
cancer at risk our online course
metabolic nutrition for cancer will
teach you everything you need to know
about the connection between sugar
insulin and cancer and how to use a
customized ketogenic diet as part of
your treatment to support a successful
outcome it's taught by Dr christe
kesslering a leading oncologist who's
been using metabolic therapies with her
patients for years please click the link
in the description below to learn more
and to
enroll how can keto block cancer in this
video I promise to answer that question
based on brand new research but first I
will want to dissect why some people
maybe you have an adverse reaction to
the idea that keto is anti-cancer so
here's my high level take people see
keto as an Elimination Diet where you
just cut the carbs it's about
subtracting something not adding
something therefore the removal of
something presumably a bad something
carbs or sugar results in something good
anti-cancer and because people well many
people are emotionally attached to carbs
there's a negative visceral reaction as
if someone me is calling carbs evil but
you know me by now or if you don't you
will and with me there's always a
different frame a different lens a
different perspective I do not see keto
as a subtraction diet rather keto is the
addition of a metabolic state that of
ketosis where your body is making these
Ketone molecules which are not only fuel
for your body but also hormones and
signaling molecules that rewire
metabolism well so it's both it's an
Elimination Diet and an additive diet
the idea that someone has a gluten
problem and on a keto diet that's
glutenfree they get better it's an
Elimination Diet if someone has a fod
map issue meaning simple sugars cause
their irritable bowel syndrome or
heartburn and you eliminate those then
keto is an Elimination Diet but his
point is and and I understand is that
it's not just eliminating you're also
getting something beneficial from it I
remember Georgia Eid Eed who has a book
on Mental Health in the keto World
Georgia gave a talk on how if all you do
is subtract the the it was the
psychology of subtraction is was the
name of the talk and she said if you
present the keto diet just as
subtracting things people are like Nick
is saying are going to feel like they're
missing something so of course I in my
initial teaching talk about the things
you can have like bacon if people like
bacon or pork Rin in the South people
love pork Rin in North Carolina and
chichones of course other parts of the
US and the world too but so I emphasize
the foods that people can have that
maybe they thought they couldn't have
before
so it's not just entirely subtracting
out different things but so here adding
uh that spin that it's not just taking
away things you're fueling yourself on
ketones now is a really important Point
Let's see what ketones do yes I said
that Ketone bodies in particular the
Ketone body beta hydroxy butyrate is
much much more than gas for cellular
engines it can be the freaking steering
wheel and a I'll prove it to you enter
this paper ketogenic diet reshapes
cancer metabolism through lysine beta
hydroxy relation big words I know we're
going to break it down notice the date
2024 so this is uh and published August
12 20 brand new so the science coming
out on ketones is new so don't expect
your doctor or even your oncologist to
necessarily know about the things this
is this is Cutting Edge stuff cancer
cells are good at what they're good at
growing to do this they require
metabolic reprogramming that upregulates
Pathways that facilitate growth and this
includes the sugar breakdown pathway of
glycolysis which breaks down sugar
glucose into smaller carbon molecules
pyruvate and downstream of that acetal
COA you don't need to know those terms
just throwing them out there for jargon
sake anyway these can be used as carbon
building blocks for growth provided the
cancer cell can divert them as building
substrates which cancer cells are pretty
good at doing the Ketone body beta
hydroxy berate itself strangles cancer
by attaching itself to a key enzyme in
glycolysis alalas B that helps break
down sugar and in so doing it inhibits
alalas B just like I'd inhibit your
ability to run if I jumped on your back
isn't that a funny vision and in so
doing in inhibiting aldel spe it also
inhibits mtor the master regulator of
growth providing a onew punch whereby
ketones beta hydroxy berate as a
signaling molecule an enzyme modifier
reshapes cancer metabolism to impair
cancer growth blocking glycolysis and
inhibiting mtor and when you look at it
this way as the addition of a metabolic
State ketosis and the addition of
signaling molecules that result yes as a
function of carbohydrate restriction
things start to make a lot more sense so
no carbs are not evil but cancer it kind
of is and if we have a metabolic state
that helps to block cancer well you
better believe that's excellent news
because I certainly want to remain
Olive well thanks Nick for another great
video but I have to be a little bit of a
I know wet blanket it's not ready for
Prime Time meaning uh this is still
theoretical and and yet it's great it's
exciting it it's it's like you have just
um discovered the mechanism that's
needed to make a smartphone but you
don't have a smartphone yet so the the
research is still very early in terms of
progression through clinical trials and
knowing whether and how to use it in the
real oncology G world the cancer world
so the warberg effect 100 years ago or
so is the idea that cancer cells
predominantly use glucose it was sort of
rediscovered by these radiation
oncologists who were looking at tumors
lighting up because they were radiol
labeling glucose ftg glucose which is a
way to look for metastases lights up the
the Cancer all over the body glucose
uptake and then if you cut out the carbs
from the diet it it changes things that
even the heart isn't seen anymore
because the the glucose isn't taken up
by the heart on a keto diet so the
actually the heart runs on fat fatty
acids and and lactate but that's another
sidebar but so the idea that the cancer
runs on glucose is a bit limited so
while it is a factor and I see that
there now is a field of defining how
sensitive a tumor is to glucose and it
actually doesn't matter if it's you know
say for example a thyroid cancer where
what organ it is thyroid or or liver or
or breast what you want to know is the
molecular type and it's again kind of
not ready for prime time and that some
tumors rely on sugar a lot but if you
cut out the sugar it can still use amino
acids to grow and to you know shape
shift or morph to other kinds of energy
so cancer is a really tough thing to to
address and to to prevent and to treat
but other exciting things not just the
keto diet but what if you added ketones
in the form of a pill or a drink or a
gummy and that research again is in its
infancy The Taste the palatability of a
ketone drink has improved improved
greatly over the last 10 years first
ones that came around were tasted like
jet fuel and you know really hard to
drink now there are ones that are very
tasty and you can raise a ketone level
by drinking ketones so I look forward to
more research on keto diets and keto
supplementation with or without a keto
diet using keto as an adjunct or adant
an addition to cancer treatment to me
now Mak sense and I will train or teach
someone how to do a keto diet for any
kind of cancer really but I'll be very
clear is that I can't guarantee that it
will help that we don't have high level
meaning clinical trial evidence that a
keto diet will be helpful to reverse or
prevent cancer it just doesn't exist yes
there are a few anecdotes and and some
cohorts and it seems like the gleo
blastoma multiform this brain cancer
answer seems to be particularly
responsive people have come to our
meetings talking about how they're doing
and uh it's exciting to see but it's not
yet ready for a policy based on the
science yet but the the the theory is is
solid and thank you again Nick for
another great video um Nick if you
haven't watched him or subscribed to his
Channel please do he has a great story
of his own reversal of a serious
metabolic and medical issue using a keto
diet and I watch his videos all the time
to be up on the latest science as well
but in my positioning I'm in a clinic
where a patient comes to me I need
higher level evidence before I can say
that a keto diet will prevent or treat
cancer I hope that's helpful if you like
please like subscribe ring the
notification Bell leave your leave me
your comments below put out new content
Wednesdays and Fridays
now if you enjoyed this video be sure to
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Bell and check out adapt life
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