Ketogenic Diet

[Ran2599dy]

Has anyone tried the ketogenic diet while on hormonal control? What are the advantages and/or disadvantages?

[FCoffey]

Once I learned to dial in the ketogenic diet, so that my ratio of glucose to ketone was consistently less than 2 and sometimes less than 1, my PSA dropped for 6 months. That was before ADT. Nothing else has moved the PSA like that, including ADT.

[Break60]

I tried using KETO pills for a month with no effect on weight.

[GP24]

I added Metformin to a low-carb diet and lost 18 kilos in nine months. Did no ADT and had no effect on PSA.

[NPfisherman in reply to GP24]

when you say low carbs--are we talking 80G's vs real low like 20G's...?? For the keto--some consider 20G's low...and anything else moderate carbs...

[GP24 in reply to NPfisherman]

I read this abstract and followed it:

meetinglibrary.asco.org/rec...

"Subjects in the low-carb arm ate fewer carbs (29.....[grams/carbs/day])"

I had about 40 grams/carbs/day.

[NPfisherman in reply to GP24]

Yes, that 20 G carb is crazy tough to achieve...I do about 60 gm myself daily and low fat plus exercise... When you say your PSA was unaffected--it got no worse without ADT during the 9 months?? If it increased was your PSADT different than previously/before the diet?? Curious about your post.... Thanks for the info...

Fish

[GP24 in reply to NPfisherman]

My PSADT was constant. The PSA value increased just as before I started with the diet.

But I hope to have decreased the risk for cardiovascular events.

[Tak-Druk]

I was on a ketogenic diet for 6 months prior to starting ADT and docetaxel. I ended up dropping about 25 lbs to what I weighed in high school and I felt amazing! (Although people thought I was wasting from cancer.) My energy level stayed very steady through the day, with no afternoon fatigue or after lunch sleepiness. Hoverer, my PSA continued to rise. It took a lot of work and put a lot of limitations on my life to maintain, so I stopped.

With ADT and chemo my psa dropped to undetectable for 3.5 years. Though I felt great on the keto diet, I'm just not motivated enough by that to do it again. I enjoy food and meals with family and friends, and eating out every now and then.

Good luck!

[GP24 in reply to Tak-Druk]

".. and eating out every now and then"

I just eat a steak and vegetables plus a glass of white wine. That's low carb.

[j-o-h-n in reply to GP24]

bon appétit.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Tuesday 02/19/2019 5:50 PM EST

[Rsdutcher7]

We have been on a primarily plant based Keto diet for over2 years. We focus on what we can eat, not what we can’t! Lots of organic veggies, berries, coconut, avocado, olive oil & ghee. Nuts, seeds, sardines, wild caught salmon, etc. BUT we are ALL IN because my husband has BRCA2 (rare & aggressive) gene mutation plus chooses no surgery, radiation or chemo treatments. (Haven’t shown promising for his mutation). He does cyclical Lupron (only when T rises), Xtandi (bone Mets), 8-10 IV Epigenetic treatments/month AND doc is starting him on Afinitor.

[Philip3]

Interesting to see this discussion - it would seem prostate cancer is driven by fats as well as glucose so care re Keto - see: myunexpectedguide.blogspot....

[cfrees1 in reply to Philip3]

All cancers are not the same and treating them as such is a mistake ala the blog you shared. PCa is feed by androgens (ie. testosterone). There are benefits to eating well and being active but I haven't seen any scientific evidence that PCa is driven by fats or glucose. We can never say never, but there is plenty of evidence that reducing Testosterone has an immediate impact of almost all incidence of PCa, at least for a while.

[Philip3 in reply to cfrees1]

If you are interested Jane McLelland's book is worth a read - it makes lots of sense to me re how to starve cancer - there seems to be enough evidence to show impacts of diet on cancers - totally agree cancers react differently - and we all have to find our way on this journey.

[Stegosaurus37]

What is a ketogenic diet?

[NPfisherman in reply to Stegosaurus37]

Carb restricted---Standard Keto is usually considered 20g or less daily, higher in fat--moderate proteins....Targeted Keto is usually around 30-60 G 0f carbs...

[Advo__cate]

My husband has been on the Keto diet (consuming much like Rsdutcher7 mentions) & in ketosis for over a year. It has helped him with not falling in the metabolic-syndrome- from ADT, all levels are normal. I do think it has helped in QoL, energy, etc. Still, it did not keep the arteries clear from calcifications from the Lupron. We look at the diet as an adjuvent to conventional SoC and not a magic bullet to sqaush the cancer in and of itself. It was suggested to us by our Integrative Oncologist (mentioning animal studies only) and our MO has many patients following the Keto diet (some are physicians with prostate cancer).

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

theguardian.com/science/201...

[Ran2599dy in reply to Advo__cate]

Great information, THANK YOU