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A Nutritional Perspective of Ketogenic Diet in Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
April 1, 2018
Camila L P Oliveira et al. (6 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the potential of a ketogenic diet (KD) as a metabolic therapy for cancer treatment by targeting the Warburg effect and assessing its impact on nutritional status and prognosis.

Results Summary

The study found that KD shows potentially promising but inconsistent results in cancer treatment, with limited high-quality evidence due to variations in study design and characteristics. The positive influences justify further well-designed clinical trials to better understand its mechanisms and effects.

Population

Humans with diverse cancer types and stages.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (5)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
ketogenic diet (KD)
no change
cancer treatment
humans with diverse cancer types and stages
-
shows potentially promising, but inconsistent, results
#1
ketogenic diet (KD)
increase
cancer treatment
-
-
may have on cancer treatment
#2
ketogenic diet (KD)
neutral
nutritional status
-
-
affects
#3
ketogenic diet (KD)
neutral
cancer prognosis
-
-
affects
#4
ketogenic diet (KD)
neutral
overall health
-
-
affects
#5
Abstract

The predominant use of glucose anaerobically by cancer cells (Warburg effect) may be the most important characteristic the majority of these cells have in common and, therefore, a potential metabolic pathway to be targeted during cancer treatment. Because this effect relates to fuel oxidation, dietary manipulation has been hypothesized as an important strategy during cancer treatment. As such, the concept of a ketogenic diet (KD) in cancer emerged as a metabolic therapy (ie, targeting cancer cell metabolism) rather than a dietary approach. The therapeutic mechanisms of action of this high-fat, moderate-to-low protein, and very-low-carbohydrate diet may potentially influence cancer treatment and prognosis. Considering the lack of a dietetics-focused narrative review on this topic, we compiled the evidence related to the use of this diet in humans with diverse cancer types and stages, also focusing on the nutrition and health perspective. The use of KD in cancer shows potentially promising, but inconsistent, results. The limited number of studies and differences in study design and characteristics contribute to overall poor quality evidence, limiting the ability to draw evidence-based conclusions. However, the potential positive influences a KD may have on cancer treatment justify the need for well-designed clinical trials to better elucidate the mechanisms by which this dietary approach affects nutritional status, cancer prognosis, and overall health. The role of registered dietitian nutritionists is demonstrated to be crucial in planning and implementing KD protocols in oncology research settings, while also ensuring patients' adherence and optimal nutritional status.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Clinical ProtocolsDiet, KetogenicDieteticsHumansNeoplasmsNutritional StatusProfessional Role
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality70/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations45
Citations/Year6.4
Relative Citation Ratio1.88
NIH Percentile72.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.08
Normalized Score0.60
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