Brain cancer researchers have successfully treated mice with
malignant gliomas, a type of aggressive and deadly brain tumor, with a unique
combination of radiation therapy and ketogenic diet, a high fat, low
carbohydrate and minimal protein regime that forces the body to use fat instead
of sugar for energy. Should the approach succeed in human trials, they say the
diet could quickly and easily be added to current human brain tumor treatments.
The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate,
controlled protein diet that has been used since the 1920s to treat epilepsy.
The word ketogenic means the body produces ketones
(keto = ketone, genic =
producing).
Usually the body converts carbohydrates (from foods like
sugar, bread, pasta) into glucose (a type of sugar) to use for energy. In the
ketogenic diet, because of the restriction in carbohydrate intake, the body
can't use glucose and is forced to use fats as its source of energy: a process
known as "ketosis".
In a recent study, scientists showed it may be possible to
use specific fatty acids from the ketogenic diet to make a pill, so epilepsy
patients can have the benefit of the diet without its side effects, which
include constipation, hypoglycaemia, retarded growth and bone fractures.
There is also evidence that the diet's effect on brain
regulation or homeostasis has potential for treating other brain disorders.
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