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Low Carb Diets & Cancer

Cancerous growths use the sugar in the blood as fuel. When a tumor is growing, it is essentially stealing the energy from the patient's blood. Eating a low carb diet, with foods that have a low glycemic index and eating meals with a low glycemic load can lower blood sugar levels, reducing the amount of fuel available to the cancer.

  1. Cancer Growth

    • Glucose is the preferred fuel source for tumors. When an individual eats a diet that is high in carbohydrate, the carbohydrates are absorbed by the body and turned into glucose in the blood. These higher blood sugar levels provide fuel for the cancer's growth. A low carb diet forces the body to use fat for fuel instead, which inhibits the tumor's growth.

    Carbohydrate Intake

    • In order to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood, it is necessary to reduce the intake of simple carbohydrates. White bread, sugar and other simple carbs cause an immediate and drastic rise in blood sugar. The additional glucose in the blood then becomes available for a cancer tumor's growth. A low carb diet that includes only complex carbohydrates, such as green leafy vegetables, keeps blood sugar levels stabilized.

    Glycemic Index

    • The glycemic index of a food refers to how much it makes an individual's blood sugar rise. Each food is measured in comparison to how much pure sugar or white bread make the blood sugar rise in an individual. Low glycemic foods, such as nuts, do not make the blood sugar rise much, while high glycemic index foods, such as bread, cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. Eating low glycemic foods can help to reduce the growth of a tumor, by restricting the amount of glucose available in the blood.

    Glycemic Load

    • The glycemic load of a meal takes into account several factors to determine the meal's effect on an individual's blood sugar levels. The combination of the amount of each type of food eaten, the glycemic index of each type of food and the type of foods eaten, all affect the glycemic load. A small amount of a high glycemic index food paired with a larger amount of a lower glycemic index food will result in a lower glycemic load for the meal. In addition, protein and fat slow the absorption of carbohydrate, which further lowers the glycemic load of the meal. A lower glycemic load results in lower blood sugar levels, and less fuel for a cancer's growth.

    Considerations

    • Cancer, and any other serious medical condition, should be treated by a medical professional. Drastic dietary changes, as well as any other major lifestyle change, should be made under the supervision of a doctor, in order to avoid complications. Making small substitutions, such as eating fruit instead of candy to cure a sweet tooth, can provide additional nutrients and fiber, while lowering carbohydrate intake.

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