In a recent review published in Nutrients, researchers explored the therapeutic potential of the ketogenic diet (KD) for breast cancer (BC).
Study: Ketogenic Diet and Breast Cancer: Recent Findings and Therapeutic Approaches. Image Credit: Boontoom Sae-Kor/Shutterstock.com
Background
BC, the most common cancer in women, is greatly influenced by dietary patterns. The ketogenic diet (KD), characterized by a high fat and low carbohydrate intake, has received interest as a potential treatment.
However, the benefits of KD on BC are unknown, and most research has concentrated on Mediterranean diets as preventative or therapeutic methods.
About the review
In the present review, researchers comprehensively reviewed existing data on the association between the ketogenic diet and breast cancer.
The review included preclinical animal studies, randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies, and clinical studies published in Scopus, PubMed/MedLine, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases exploring the role of KD in managing breast cancers.
Studies not published in English, editorials, commentaries, and those not fully accessible were excluded.
Association between breast cancer and diet
Breast cancer (BC) incidence has been connected to dietary changes and the introduction of ultra-processed food items, notably animal-based nutrition. Adiposity and energy homeostasis are important risk factors for BC. Recent research has shed more light on the impact of dietary variables on certain types of breast cancer, like estrogen receptor-negative (ER-ve) BC.
Hypercaloric diets, which include processed and red meats, fatty foods, and carbohydrates, raise BC risk by increasing circulating estrogen levels, inflammatory cytokines, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) linked to BC.
Healthy food habits, on the other hand, such as vegetables and fruits high in fiber, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, improve health by lowering deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and chronic inflammation.
The Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) showed that women who received nutritional treatments reduced their fat intake…