Summary
The introduction section of the article describes how Otto Warburg discovered that glioma cells cannot metabolise ketones and by being on a ketogenic (ketone-rich) diet the tumour cells can be weakened. The review summarises 11 studies (four with animals, six with humans and one with both) and their outcomes such as diet tolerability, tumour response, disease progression, and overall survival. In total, 76 patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and 109 mice were included. The researcher concludes that the studies in mice showed reduced tumour growths and prolonged survival. It is interesting to note that for many of the mouse models there was no other treatment than the dietary intervention whereas patients would always be treated with additional therapies. The evidence from the human trials was promising but not robust enough to recommend a ketogenic diet to patients with a GBM. The available studies were too different in their diet interventions, the glucose and ketone levels were not consistent and glioma cell lines were not considered, which makes drawing valid correlations difficult. Further research in humans is required to establish adequate calorie intake and better tolerability.
The article is well-structured and provides detailed information in a comprehensible format. Read the abstract and the conclusion for a short summary of the information.
If you’d like to hear from our nutrition and exercise experts and their recommendations for brain tumour patients, you can watch our “Exercise, Nutrition & Wellbeing Seminar“. For questions around sugar intake and ketogenic diet watch from minute 21:40.
Full text
The full text is attached below.
Research publication
Clontz, A. D. (2023). Ketogenic therapies for glioblastoma: Understanding the limitations in transitioning from mice to patients. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1110291