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For those of you who have been following along with my series of articles on "ketones, ketosis, and the ketogenic diet" you realize that I am amazed at the volume of research that is being generated on the subject of the "ketogenic lifestyle". I am recognizing the far-reaching Health and Wellness benefits of this lifestyle as well.
As I mentioned in my first installment, I attended a research symposium recently in which I heard leading researchers in the field of ketogenic studies present their findings on the subject. Today I would like to capsulize the information that was presented by Angela Poff, PhD. Dr. Poff is a Research Associate in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida. Her area of expertise and study is the development and characterization of metabolic based, non-toxic therapies for cancer and neurological disorders. She also serves as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance at the University of Tampa.
In order for you to fully understand the thought provoking research findings that Dr. Poff presented regarding the positive effects of "ketones" on cancer, I must first help you to recognize the "criteria" that Dr. Poff presented that all cancer cells demonstrate. So here is the list of things that every cancer cell does, and what separates cancer cells from "normal cells".
~ Cancer cells continually divide and make more cells
~ Cancer cells evade the substances that normally would "suppress their growth"
~ Cancer cells can reproduce "forever"
~ Cancer cells stimulate new blood vessels to be produced. This process is called "angiogenesis". This brings more blood, hence more nutrients [sugar] to the cancer cells
~ Cancer cells do not die off like "normal cells" do
~ Cancer cells invade other areas of the body in a process called "metastasis"
~ Cancer cells cause genetic instability and mutation
~ Cancer cells cause tumor proliferative inflammation. Meaning the tumors generate inflammation
~ Cancer cells avoid the body's immune systems destruction. Cancer cells deregulate "cellular energetics". This means that the metabolism of cancer cells is changed, and different than "normal cells". One of the things that changes relative to the metabolism of cancer cells is that they use sugar/glucose at an accelerated rate. In this case cancer cells gobble up glucose 200 times more rapidly than "normal cells"
That gives you an idea of how cancer cells differ from normal cells in your body.
Now I want to expose you to one sentence that Dr. Poff used that I believe is the critical point that we all must recognize if we ever plan to eradicate this "Scourge of our Health and Wellness"! She said that the parts of the cancer cells that generate energy for the cells are "atypical". She went on to say that; "Diets high in glycemic load" [meaning high in sugar] "are directly related to the onset of many cancers." I hope that you all recognize the significance of that statement. What I just related to you that Dr. Poff happened to "mention in passing" at the seminar is that the higher your diet is in sugar, the more likely you are to get cancer of any type.
So, how do we combat this process? How do we reduce the likelihood of "getting", or perhaps a better term would be "causing" cancer?
I plan to review Dr. Poff's findings in my next installment of this "Keto Series" of articles.
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