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Keto Diet Linked to Intestinal Cancer Risk
17 Jul
Summary
- Ketogenic diet promoted tumor growth in mice intestines.
- Dietary fat, not ketones, activated cancer pathway.
- Findings in mice may not apply to healthy humans.
New research indicates that the ketogenic diet, widely adopted for weight loss and other health benefits, might elevate the risk of specific intestinal cancers. A study involving mice genetically prone to intestinal cancer revealed that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet stimulated tumor development in their small intestines.
Contrary to previous notions that ketogenic diets might offer protection, this investigation found a different effect in the small intestine. The researchers identified that dietary fat, rather than ketone bodies, was responsible for this outcome. Lipids from the diet activated a cellular pathway that boosted the activity of intestinal stem cells, potentially initiating tumor growth.
It is important to note that these findings were observed in mice with a genetic susceptibility to cancer and not in healthy humans. The study authors emphasize that further research is necessary to ascertain if similar mechanisms occur in people and to identify any potentially vulnerable populations. This adds complexity to the understanding of diet and cancer relationships.
