Could Ketogenic Diet Be Helpful with Brain Cancer?

July 7, 2021

Keto food display.A modified ketogenic diet may be worth exploring for people with brain tumors, according to a new study published in the July 7, 2021 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The small study found that the diet, which is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, was safe and feasible for people with brain tumors called astrocytomas. While the study was not designed to determine whether the diet could slow down tumor growth or improve survival, the diet did lead to changes in the metabolism in the body and the brain.

“There are not a lot of effective treatments for these types of brain tumors, and survival rates are low, so any new advances are very welcome,” said study lead author Roy E. Strowd, MD, associate professor of neurology for Wake Forest School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. 

Read the full release from the American Academy of Neurology.

Media Contact
Myra Wright, mgwright@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-8806