Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Fasting role in Cancer treatments discussion.

GaleHawkins
GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
edited November 16 in Debate Club
dailybulletin.com.au/the-conversation/24217-fasting-may-improve-cancer-treatment-but-needs-further-exploration

https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4215472/

If Cancer needs carbs to grow then Fasting seems like a good thing in trying to recover from cancer and or to prevent it based on my readings.

Replies

  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    dailybulletin.com.au/the-conversation/24217-fasting-may-improve-cancer-treatment-but-needs-further-exploration

    https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4215472/

    If Cancer needs carbs to grow then Fasting seems like a good thing in trying to recover from cancer and or to prevent it based on my readings.

    This isn't the study and it's done on mice but scientists were pretty excited about the findings that fat could cause cancer to grow faster. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161207132117.htm

    It's almost like we can't eat anything but then we'd still die:(

    Yes I was reading Oxygen is the leading cause of aging (ROS) but we die without it quickly. :(
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4161/cc.9.22.13954

    http://www.aging-us.com/article/100114/text

    http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/124/124ra27.short

    TL;DR: Fasting for 48+ hours prior to chemotherapy protects healthy cells from chemo side effects and sensitizes cancer cells to chemo. This could also be leveraged to allow a more aggressive course of chemo with fewer sides.

    As far as prevention goes, reducing oxidative stress and exposure to environmental mutagens (e.g. cigarette smoke) are likely going to be dramatically more effective than a low-carb diet (there is some evidence that some low carb diets actually increase the risk of some forms of cancer). If you want cancer-protective effects then Metformin seems a lot more promising than any specific diet, and has a lot more clinical evidence supporting its role in reducing cancer rates (we think it works by activating AMPK, which is one of the pathways activated by fasting). FWIW it's currently being studied for application as a life-extension agent (in the first FDA approved trials for any life-extending drug).
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    @wackyfunster is this in your field of expertise?

    I ask because I have a family member starting chemo soon for stage 3 colon cancer, she's 29.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @wackyfunster you made great points in the above post. I know of one doctor that is healthy but takes Metformin as a life extension tool. He still eats low carb (around 100 grams daily) but is not longer eating <50 grams of carbs daily. While my educational background includes an OD degree for the last two years I have been studying life extension research and the associated life styles after learning quite by accident that Low Carb High Fat would manage my arthritis pain well and start reversing 40 years of health decline.

    The one thing that stands out in my mind is there seems to be many causes for even the same health issues and there are no short fast answers that fits everyone.

    @leanjogreen18 sorry to hear about your family member. We know eating a high glucose diet can fuel cancer when a keto diet may do the inverse. Reverting stage 3-4 cancers back into normal cells is being done today we read however cancer prevention by our way of eating is much easier than reversing cancer by our way of eating.

    Since we all have cancer it seems eating/living in a way that keeps our immune system strong is what prevents cancer tumors from taking root so to speak. Google the subject and read what the health care professions in Europe and Asia are are doing to reverse/prevent cancer without surgery, chemo and radiation and see what you think about some of the reported results.

    Best of success to your family member and others dealing with active cancer issues.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I was just wondering because of the discussion of metformin and chemo. She will start her first round next week.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • anneok59
    anneok59 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi I'm just eighteen months over rectal cancer and had both chemo and radiotherapy. I tried to stick to an alkaline diet to reduce constipation or diahorrea but for the duration a small slice of toast, a few cornflakes or some boiled rice and grated apple were all I could physically manage. Some days you are glad to get a small amount of sustenance and unfortunately these are carbs. You need to get some energy food into you. There is light at the end so good luck. It's trial and error and you go with what suits you the best. God bless!
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    anneok59 wrote: »
    Hi I'm just eighteen months over rectal cancer and had both chemo and radiotherapy. I tried to stick to an alkaline diet to reduce constipation or diahorrea but for the duration a small slice of toast, a few cornflakes or some boiled rice and grated apple were all I could physically manage. Some days you are glad to get a small amount of sustenance and unfortunately these are carbs. You need to get some energy food into you. There is light at the end so good luck. It's trial and error and you go with what suits you the best. God bless!

    @anneok59 welcome to MFP forums and the best of continued success.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    @wackyfunster is this in your field of expertise?

    I ask because I have a family member starting chemo soon for stage 3 colon cancer, she's 29.

    I was dx'd with stage 3 rectal/colon 7 years ago at age 40. Feel free to DM me if ypu or family member has questions or wants to chat on phone.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited February 2017
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    @wackyfunster is this in your field of expertise?

    I ask because I have a family member starting chemo soon for stage 3 colon cancer, she's 29.

    I was dx'd with stage 3 rectal/colon 7 years ago at age 40. Feel free to DM me if ypu or family member has questions or wants to chat on phone.

    Thank you, this is so kind. I will keep that in mind!!

    Glad everything turned out good for you!

    ETA- I was reading its one of the fastest growing cancers in your age group.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    anneok59 wrote: »
    Hi I'm just eighteen months over rectal cancer and had both chemo and radiotherapy. I tried to stick to an alkaline diet to reduce constipation or diahorrea but for the duration a small slice of toast, a few cornflakes or some boiled rice and grated apple were all I could physically manage. Some days you are glad to get a small amount of sustenance and unfortunately these are carbs. You need to get some energy food into you. There is light at the end so good luck. It's trial and error and you go with what suits you the best. God bless!

    Thank you for sharing your experience.

    Best of luck!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories