Can a Keto Diet Improve Breast Cancer Outcomes? What Research Says

[@EduardQualls]

@2:00 I'm surprised that a medical professional would not know that *you do not need carbs to supply glucose.* The liver can create glucose from protein, fat, and other non-carbohydrate sources to meet the body's needs. This is a process called *_gluconeogenesis_* There are many people who have gone full carnivore, who haven't had carb one in ten or more years, and they are thriving. I don't eat carbs, but do consume (whole, organic) milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc., so all my glucose needs are satisfied by the breakdown of lactose into galactose and glucose. (Galactose, itself, is extremely important for brain health.)

[@yerbba]

That's correct. The body makes energy from all types of compounds, both exogenous and endogenous. All medical professionals receive extensive education about gluconeogenesis. The key thing is that people with cancer are in a catabolic state. A balance of compounds is recommended for optimal health.

[@KK-lg8uz]

@@yerbbathe recommendations are wrong. You do not get vitamin deficiencies on an animal based diet, and energy levels are very good in ketosis. There’s nothing proven in plants that is essential for health.

[@miks564]

@@yerbba Too many carbs in people’s idea of balanced diet. Nothing wrong with that until, with aging, our body looses the ability to deal with all the glucose excess from years of glycemic rollercoaster. (Insulin resistance). Cancer cells are unable to get energy from ketones. That is a clear sign of what diet any cancer patient should follow.

[@justcomment8516]

Many thanks for talking about this important topic! I am a keto advocate and while I am undergoing BC treatment, I can only confirm on my own experience that keto with intermittent fasting does not replace treatment, but supports and enhances it, while significantly reducing treatment side effects. I discuss this with my oncologist and have a blood test every 4 weeks over the past 1,5 years. I have no deficits, had no side effects at all during and after radiation, barely any side effects from abemaciclib and my false menopause symptoms from letrozole and very mild, also thanks to exercising 4 times per week. I do take some supplements: vitamins D, K2, C, calcium 3x per week, ashwagandha, Q10, black garlic, fish and oregano oil, iodine, spirulina/chlorella, r-alpha-lipoic acid and milk thistle. However! What is very important for BC patients is to reduce animal fat and protein and dairy in the keto diet and increase vegetable intake, pay attention to liver and GI health, reduce/eliminate snacking to avoid blood sugar spikes and generally do everything possible to eliminate inflammation to support treatment. With this approach I get all the nutrients I need, don't feel hungry at all and generally feel great, even though I'm supposed to feel terrible with all the medications. So, keto can be very healthy and be great support to treatment and general well being during treatment, just needs to be modified to BC patients' needs. My oncologist tells me to keep doing what I'm doing because it shows on my blood test results and I can continue and complete my abemaciclib treatment based on that.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for sharing your story here!

[@Debilee16]

That does sound good but it all depends on what chemotherapy treatment you are on ,some have worse side effects than others , I was on Herceptin and kadcyla, which has caused extreme bone pains so have found it difficult to do exercises, im hoping that will settle down and will definitely start then ,few times a week, how long do you fast for ?

[@maattie]

I have been on a ketogenic diet for about 8-9 years. During radiation, I had almost no side effects. I also did well with chemo, I had AC x4, then Taxol x 12. I am now on AI and Verzenio. I am continuing my keto diet, but I do have joint pain from the AI and I have absolute neutrophil count depression on the Verzenio. I feel the diet really helps the standard treatments go better. It does not solve every problem, probably nothing does.

[@lindabueckert9559]

What do you get for protein on the keto diet if you are reducing animal protein?

[@justcomment8516]

@@lindabueckert9559 Great question! Good keto sources of plant based protein: nuts&seeds, broccoli, asparagus, avocado, cawliflower, artichokes, spinach, nutritional yeast. When I have my low carb days I add millet and buckwheat.

[@donnerjacob567]

Thank you for broaching this subject. I appreciate that as a physician, you advise people not to use any type of diet in lieu of proven BC treatment. Certainly, reducing sugar intake has been shown to be beneficial in addressing many cancers. Perhaps that is a consideration in favor of a ketogenic nutritional approach...of course, with physician supervision during BC treatment.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for your comment.

[@TheProactivePatients]

That does speak to changing your diet, but if you are already on a ketogenic diet or general lower carb diet and your body is used to it and you generally feel better on it (my mental clarity, energy, and GI system seem to work better on low carb), wouldn't be better to keep going with what works for you in general?

[@justcomment8516]

Yes! I am on keto and just had to modify a bit to the BC situation (reduced animal fat and protein, excluded dairy except for a bit of butter, increased raw veg and olive oil) and prolonged intermittent fasting to 18 hours.

[@yerbba]

Yes, each person is different. The goal is to avoid stressing an already stressed body and to avoid becoming deficient in micronutrients.

[@crazychinesewoman]

Hello Doc! What about going on a keto diet after all your treatment - to prevent recurrence? How helpful is it to go on a keto diet for that reason? thank you very much .

[@yerbba]

Thanks for the question. There are theoretical reasons to pursue a ketogenic diet but no trials showing that it lowers recurrence in people with breast cancer. Dietary studies are exceptionally difficult to perform as you can probably imagine. Thanks for watching!

[@MariaS-Philly]

Thank you again Doctor! 💕

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching!

[@Debilee16]

I tried keto ,found it to hard was just miserable, now I'm careful of what I eat limit sugar ,and eat organic veg and fruits No proccessed meats and no take away foods ,feel so much better also fasting 14 hour seems to help

[@yerbba]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Listening to your body and adjusting your diet to what feels right for you is key to maintaining well-being during and after treatment.

[@jennypangalanko]

thank you for this info

[@yerbba]

You're welcome! We're glad you found the information helpful.

[@LCDC5759]

Thank you Doctor!

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching!

[@Viviane-k4v]

I had lumpectomy, a lymph node removed, stage1. 20 radiation treatments, ended 8/30. Now I saw the oncologist this past week and was prescribed Anastrozole to decrease chances of breast cancer coming back. After reading the side effects I am afraid to take them. Has anyone here ever taken these. I read the eyes can be affected and I already have glaucoma. I’m 68 almost 69 and I am just scared of all this.

[@yerbba]

It's normal to be nervous about starting a medication with a long list of side effects! Most people tolerate anastrozole and the other aromatase inhibitors quite well. You may find a few of our videos on aromatase inhibitors to be helpful [kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJyxqKGfbKyMerc] [kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqasYqB5f7pllbc]

[@Viviane-k4v]

@@yerbba thank you. I’ve been taking Anastrozole and have no side effects. Thank you for video. I am also trying to do the keto diet. Meat, seafood, eggs, and green veggies. I sometimes make a protein shake with almond milk, 1/2 bananas, blueberries and add some turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. I appreciate all the people that have responded and see what they are doing. Thank you again.

[@REALcatmom]

Question: I follow a keto diet, and use sweeteners like monk fruit, allulose, and stevia. Do cancers like these kind of sweeteners, the way they do sugar? I’ve always wondered.

[@yerbba]

We have a video on artificial sweeteners [kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfLpGmHq7qinMU] and another on the role of sugar [kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpO4f4aef9utrqc] in cancer that you might find helpful for deeper insights.

[@REALcatmom]

@ thank you so much for responding. I appreciate the info in both videos!

[@lindafox7506]

Please do not conflate ketosis with diabetic ketoACIDosis.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for this comment. You are correct that these are two distinct states. Ketoacidosis arises from a lack of insulin in people who have Type 1 diabetes.

[@MattSamson83]

You actually don't need to eat some carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose. Your body can produce all the glucose it needs from fat through a process called gluconeogenesis. I thought I would clear up the wrong information you provided regarding this.

[@yerbba]

It is not correct that the body can produce glucose from fat through gluconeogenesis. The body cannot directly convert fat into glucose. While the body can use fat for energy through other processes, it specifically needs different building blocks to make new glucose, including amino acids from proteins, lactate, and glycerol. The brain and red blood cells particularly rely on glucose as their primary fuel source. The body has a sophisticated system for maintaining blood glucose levels, involving hormones like insulin and glucagon. When we eat carbohydrates, they break down into glucose for immediate energy use. Any excess is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles for later use. When glucose levels drop, the body can make new glucose through gluconeogenesis, but it primarily uses protein sources, not fat, for this process. This is why maintaining adequate carbohydrate intake is important - it helps preserve muscle tissue that would otherwise be broken down for glucose production.

[@kellileung6741]

Thank you

[@yerbba]

Thanks for watching!

[@naheedakhtar4815]

Hi Dr i have pcos for the pass 18 years i have fatty liver and pre diabetic. Is keto fasting safe for me i fast twice a week for 19 hours . I been diagnosed with breast cancer last year i was grade 2 stange 3 her 2 positive after surgery her 2 negative stange 1 can i fast. Will keto work f f

[@yerbba]

Thanks for sharing your experience here. It would be prudent for you to see a registered dietician with expertise in cancer given your liver problems and other medical problems.

[@netravathi.b6804]

Hello mam is a chances of getting breast cancer during breastfeeding to a breast feeding mother

[@yerbba]

Yes, there is a chance of getting breast cancer during breastfeeding although it is relatively rare. Breastfeeding has protective benefits against breast cancer, but if you have any concerns or symptoms, it’s best to consult with a doctor.

[@fernandaandreasi7199]

@@yerbba I found I had breast cancer while breastfeeding my 8-month-old. I had to quit breastfeeding to start quimo+imunotherapy. I also thought it was impossible to have breast cancer since I breastfed my older daughter for 3 years and then my second one for 8 months.

[@naththomas9946]

Thank you,Dr. Griggs, for nutritional advice in support of breast cancer patients.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for being an active member of our Yerbba community!

[@miks564]

We can actually get rid of *all carbs* in our diet. I see no major problem on keeping a low intake of carbs for people without any health conditions, but I cannot say it's preferable. That's still debatable. More and more people are improving their life or solving heath conditions not only on Keto, but also on strict carnivore diets. Yes, our body do needs glucose, but our body produces all the glucose it needs by gluconeogenesis. ...it makes it with the amino acids from proteins, glycerol from fat breakdown and also lactate (from muscle metabolism) ...but muscle is easy to rebuild and maintain with regular exercise. The point is: carbs are not needed to have all the glucose we need in the blood. ...and it's very sad that healthcare professionals still resist so much to all the data from both people that were able to successfully fight off cancer (by lowering the glucose intake from carbs) and from actual biologists and physicians that are making real progress in the subject. I recommend Professor Thomas Seyfried work to everyone in need to fight cancer or just wanting to learn more about the human body proper nutrition.

[@yerbba]

We are extremely familiar with Dr. Thomas Seyfried's work. His metabolic theory of cancer faces significant scientific scrutiny due to its oversimplified approach to cancer biology. While he presents cancer as primarily a metabolic disease, his work relies heavily on limited mouse studies and minimal clinical evidence. His claims about cancer treatments contradict established research, and his methodology shows notable limitations, including lack of proper quantification and absence of blinded microscopy. The scientific community recognizes that cancer involves complex interactions between both metabolic and genetic factors, making Seyfried's singular focus on metabolism an incomplete explanation of cancer's nature.

[@miks564]

@ Please keep in mind that his theory is based on his own scientific research work. Not a wild guess, not repeating what someone wrote decades ago. He actually know patients surviving cancer on what you define as his theories. It’s not just mouse work. They follow mainly patients with brain tumors. Oversimplified I would say is your reply. He presents cancer as a metabolic disease because his actual work on replacing cell nucleus between cancer cells and healthy ones didn’t changed the cell status. Healthy cell with a cancer nucleus stayed healthy, cancer cell with healthy nucleus stayed unhealthy. It’s not DNA driven. I guess you will have to wait one or two decades more for conventional medicine to run their studies. But the wait could be longer. There’s no money to get from studies that show that cancer is indeed a metabolic disease and can be cured by own immune system by fixing metabolic disorder. Health Industry is not interested in sponsoring stuff that doesn’t bring any returns.

[@SBCA93111]

What about a keto diet after breast cancer treatment (chemo., surgery, radiation) while on AI and CDK46 inhibitors? Or even more specifically what about a Meditteranean Keto diet with lots of plant based foods?

[@justcomment8516]

It makes sense to stay on this lifestyle for the rest of our lives to avoid recurrence.

[@yerbba]

Such an approach may be suitable. Please check with your medical team as they know your personal history.

[@JaneRayMendham]

Are Turkey Tail mushrooms or lions mane mushrooms helpful in beating cancer

[@yerbba]

These are not helpful in beating cancer, no. Turkey tail can help with side effects, however.

[@leannarchangeli6820]

It is important to note that it must be derived not from mycellum of the mushroom to be more pure and helpful. ​@@yerbba

[@heart-centeredhealthcoachi3615]

I disagree! The ketogenic diet is a very important adjunct to traditional treatment for any cancer. The body runs perfectly on ketones especially the brain. Cancer can not burn ketones! I feel this message is going to keep people from beating cancer.

[@yerbba]

The ketogenic diet's role in cancer treatment is complex and not universally beneficial. While some studies show promise for specific cancers like glioblastoma, other research indicates certain cancer cells can adapt to use ketones for fuel. Some tumors may even become more aggressive on a ketogenic diet. Cancer treatment decisions should be individualized and guided by medical professionals.

[@ac_house]

oh God. The ketogenic diet does NOT deplete energy stores. You are woefully misinformed. Read Dr Thomas Seyfried’s book. You sound like you don’t even know what a ketogenic diet is! This is painful to watch.