Very low carbohydrate diets (VLCD) are defined as ones which contain less than 30 grams of total carbohydrate daily. They are also known as ketogenic diets because the liver metabolizes fat into “ketone bodies” which become the primary fuel for all the bodies functioning. The ketogenic diet has been used to treat seizures in children for many years because the brain is less sensitive to seizure activity when it is using ketones as fuel.. The first phase of the Atkins diet is a ketogenic diet.

Research suggests that some cancer cells are stimulated to grow by insulin (which is a “growth hormone”) and the cells take up sugar more readily than normal cells. Insulin levels drop to near zero with VLCDs. This deprives cancer cells of the hormonal stimulation to take up sugar and retards their growth.

Patient who follow VLCDs should be monitored carefully by their health care providers.

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