Aug 07 2024 85 mins
In this episode, Dr. Dawn Lemanne and Dr. Deborah Gordon engage with author and ketogenic diet specialist Miriam Kalamian, who shares her profound personal journey of treating her son’s aggressive brain tumor with a ketogenic diet. The discussion delves into the diet's impressive effects on the size of her son's brain tumor, the surprising--and critical--role of calorie restriction for effective implementation of the keto diet in cancer, and the best combinations of fasting and the keto diet for optimal results.
She outlines tailored dietary approaches for different cancers, and why keto is not "one size fits all" in cancer.
For example, for brain cancer, particularly glioblastoma, a strict ketogenic diet with very low carbohydrates and calorie restriction is essential to maximize ketone levels and minimize glucose.
However, prostate cancer patients can follow a more moderate ketogenic diet, balancing carbohydrates to maintain quality of life and muscle mass, which is vital due to androgen deprivation therapy.
Dairy fats are avoided in hormone-sensitive cancers but are acceptable for brain cancer due to their easy digestibility and lack of systemic effect. She discusses her experience with exogenous ketones, and when she recommends those.
Finally, Ms. Kalamian emphasizes the importance of professional medical advice when using diet as part of cancer therapy, and warns of the dangerous misinformation about the ketogenic diet on the internet, misinformation that often leads to poor outcomes. For instance, the common misconception that the ketogenic diet alone is a reasonable treatment for most cancers is dangerous.
This episode offers invaluable insights into the potential of metabolic therapy in cancer treatment.
For more information on Miriam Kalamian's work
Her website: https://www.dietarytherapies.com
Her book: Keto for Cancer on Amazon
Dawn Lemanne, MD
Oregon Integrative Oncology
Leave no stone unturned.
Deborah Gordon, MD
Northwest Wellness and Memory Center
Building Healthy Brains