July 23, 2020
AMA with Dom D’Agostino, Ph.D., Part II of II: Ketosis for Cancer and Chronic Disease, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, And The Effect Of Ketosis On Female Health | The Drive with Peter Attia #120
Key Takeaways
- Ketone metabolic therapy (AKA Therapeutic Ketosis) disrupt tumor growth and proliferation which weakens the tumor
- Ketone bodies are not a good source of fuel for cancer cells
- A lower glucose-ketone index (ideally, 1 or 2) sets the stage to slow tumor growth and proliferation
- “If you reduce glucose availability, inhibit insulin – you’re creating a scenario where if you give an oxidative challenge with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you can potentially kill cancer” – Dr. Dom D’Agostino
- Two potential combination treatments for cancer: 1) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy + radiation + IV vitamin C – or – 2) hyperbaric oxygen + IV vitamin C
Introduction
Bob Kaplan, Head of Research at Attia Medical, PC continues his conversation with Dr. Dom D’Agostino for Part II of II of a special Ask Me Anything about all things ketogenic diet and cancer. Note, this is only a preview. The full episode is only available to subscribers.
Dr. Dom D’Agostino (@DominicDAgosti2) is an academic researcher and expert on ketones and the ketogenic diet
Hosts: Peter Attia (@PeterAttiaMD) and Bob Kaplan Bob Kaplan (@bobkaplan)
Ketosis and Cancer Background
- Ketone metabolic therapy (AKA Therapeutic Ketosis) disrupt tumor growth and proliferation which weakens the tumor
- Ketone bodies are not a good source of fuel for cancer cells
- Being in a state of ketosis suppresses insulin signaling which drives PI3-kinase, lowers glucose availability to the tumor, and elevates ketone bodies
- Tumors are resilient because they have upregulated antioxidant pathways by high levels of glutathione
- A new publication outlines a case of metastatic thymoma which was treated with a combination of a ketogenic diet, water fasting, and prednisone and led to apoptosis in cancer cells and a 96% decrease in tumor burden
Press-Pulse Therapy
- “Press-pulse” describes the shift from respiration to fermentation of cancer cells as glucose and glutamine become prime fuels for tumor growth
- From a press-pulse perspective, we need to control glucose-ketone index
- Controlling the glucose-ketone index also makes the tumor more vulnerable to hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other cancer metabolic drugs
- More details available here: “Press-pulse: A novel therapeutic strategy for the metabolic management of cancer” by Thomas N. Seyfried, Georg Yu, Joseph C. Maroon, & Dominic P. D’Agostino
Hyperbaric Oxygen, IV Vitamin C, and Cancer
Hyperbaric oxygen
- “If you reduce glucose availability, inhibit insulin – you’re creating a scenario where if you give an oxidative challenge with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you can potentially kill cancer” – Dr. Dom D’Agostino
- New research is extrapolating from the fact that radiation therapy kills cancer cells by 80-90% by generating reactive oxygen species which are toxic to tumor cells
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy before or after radiation therapy, could increase residual reactive oxygen species and dramatically sensitize tumor cells
- Modified ketogenic diet with hyperbaric oxygen delivered for 60 minutes 3x/week, decreased tumor burden and extended lifespan in an animal model of metastatic cancer
Intravenous (IV) vitamin C
- At high doses, vitamin C is a pro-oxidant
- If you elevate vitamin C in the blood, it functions as a glucose antagonist so you inhibit glucose transport and increase reactive oxidant species
- Two potential combination treatments for cancer: 1) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy + radiation + IV vitamin C – or – 2) hyperbaric oxygen + IV vitamin C
- For more information check out Valter D. Longo’s newest article, “Synergistic effect of fasting-mimicking diet and vitamin C against KRAS mutated cancers”
