>This is one of those big mysteries to me.  If fat reduces tumours and
>>people who go on fruit and vegetable juices or just fruits also reduce

>or >eliminate tumours (much of this is anecdotal but there are plenty
>of >examples) then what is going on.
>
Hi Sean,
Although I can't provide a satisfactory answer about the juicing, I can
suggest a couple of factors that contribute to the therapeutic value of
the ketogenic diet.

1. A ketogenic diet excludes gluten and usually milk.... these are
sources of opioid peptides, among those with increased intestinal
permeability. In the context of celiac disease, these have been shown to
interfere with one part of the immune system that is particularly
involved in surveillance and destruction of malignant cells, called
Natural Killer cells. For further details, please see:
Hoggan R. Considering wheat, rye, and barley proteins as aids to
carcinogens. Med Hypotheses. 1997 Sep;49(3):285-8.

2. A ketogenic diet bears some similarity to the low-residue, low-fat
diet, free of gluten and free of milk and milk products used in:
Donaldson SS, Jundt S, Ricour C, Sarrazin D, Lemerle J, Schweisguth O.
Radiation enteritis in children. A retrospective review,
clinicopathologic correlation, and dietary management. Cancer. 1975
Apr;35(4):1167-78.

The rate of enteritis (the most common cause of death among cancer
patients undergoing such treatments) dropped from a majority to 0%

3. Liz's excellent article finds support in the biochemical descriptions
offered in the following articles:
Nebeling LC, Miraldi F, Shurin SB, Lerner E. Effects of a ketogenic diet
on tumor metabolism and nutritional status in pediatric oncology
patients: two case reports.J Am Coll Nutr. 1995 Apr;14(2):202-8.
and
Beck SA, Tisdale MJ. Effect of insulin on weight loss and tumour growth
in a cachexia model. Br J Cancer. 1989 May;59(5):677-81.


Best Wishes,
Ron Hoggan
co-author of Dangerous Grains