Keto, Low Carb or what for prostate cancer?

This post is not going to attempt to answer the question about which diet to follow...indeed it is so individual...the science is still in early days but it is clear that nutrition can play a key role. There are a huge number of podcasts and webinars available covering the growing research - earlier this year we had a Nutritional Congress at Yes to Life (see here) and it was totally fascinating to see how this field is growing...but all this info can be confusing...

One key question is around fats - do they feed prostate cancer as the work of Jane McLelland suggests? In particular she highlights saturated fats that may be a key problem element - see more in a previous blog here. However there are many who argue that some saturated fat is important for the body. So where does that leave keto.....

I liked the latest podcast with Robin Daly, Founder and Chairman of Yes to Life, talking with oncologist, Penny Kechagioglou, Senior NHS Clinical Oncologist to nutritional therapist Carol Grainger. She talks about the impact diet may have on treatment - and warns about the dangers of taking a keto diet - we need to know what keto means as it is so widely used for different approaches - and can be dangerous. However new research shows that the right kind of keto diet with low carbs, ie only 20 grams a day, has shown cholesterol improved and prostate cancer PSA doubling time lessened significantly. Hear more on Podcast number 6 at: https://yestolife.org.uk/cancertalk-podcasts/

Back in 2007 and earlier we've had indications that low carb may help - so it is great that more evidence is finally emerging that says yes to low carb -  we still need more research to help us understand what that looks like.....and for many of us support would be needed if we are to cut carbs to only 20grams a day. Certainly nutritionists warn that considerable care is needed if you are to embark on such a plan.

Where to start? Nutrition, fear and exercise?

I've been meaning to write about my diet/nutrition - but it is such a huge topic it feels daunting to start any blog on that topic. I've therefore been delighted to see Penny Browns recent series of webinars with several focusing on prostate cancer - several done in conjunction with Prostate Cancer Research and Tackle Prostate Cancer. 

The nutrition webinar is basic and for me was close to where I started in terms of my own diet - since then I've built on that and do various other things to support it like additional supplements, juicing and some key foods. I'm also more rigourous around avoiding or eating certain foods than this webinar suggests but it is for each of us to find our own path. There is just not one size fits all diet for cancer. However this webinar is a great place to get hold of the basics - it is easier then to add/tinker/change....

I've written lots before one exercise as it is absolutely key - again this video is great at spelling out the key stuff you need to know.

Lastly I've also covered fear a few times as that is another key factor to try and get sorted - I love what Sophie Sabbage has to say in this webinar.

Big thanks to Penny Brohn. Here are the links to the three webinars that seem a particularly good place to start if recently diagnosed:

Here's the one on diet: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/resource/eating-well-with-prostate-cancer-webinar/

Here's the one on the importance of exercise; https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/resource/prostate-cancer-physical-activity/

Here's the fear webinar: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/resource/impact-fear-cancer/

You can also check out there other webinars at: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/webinars/

You might also like to see my blog on 'Getting the basics right': https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/08/getting-basics-right.html

The Alkaline Water Myth?

Hey folks water is a whole big issue but in this post I wanted to look at Alkaline Water as I've had several people recently musing about whether or not it is something to consider with cancer. I don't give advice here - I'll leave that to others, but here are some of my thoughts and link to a video that might interest....

When I was first diagnosed with cancer several people recommended I get an expensive alkaline water machine including a former GP. I spoke to suppliers at a Festival and they were convincing. There were many claims also on the internet about how alkaline water can help weight loss, detoxification, pH balance, bone health, hydration, heart health, energy levels and even claims around cancer - it is said that cancer cells can no longer develop in an alkaline environment. 

I bought pH strips for a few quid to test my urine, thinking this might help inform my decision - but I had nagging doubts. I couldn't see how it could work.

The pH scale is how you measure acidity; zero being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. A pH level of 7 is neither acidic nor alkaline. The human body apparently has a controlled pH level of about 7.4 - but levels vary in certain parts of the body. The stomach needs to be acidic between 1.35 and 3.5 to break down food and it seems urine is also naturally acidic. 

So testing pH of urine doesn’t give an accurate reading of your whole body’s pH level. So the strips were a waste of time in terms of this - but have been put to good use in chemistry experiments with a granddaughter.

It seems to me if a person drinks alkaline water it may increase pH, but only very temporarily - as it goes through the stomach it is surely impacted by digestive juices so that the contents all have the same pH? Since most uptake of water happens in the intestines, the water that enters the bloodstream will have the pH of the small intestine digestive juices rather than the pH present at the time of drinking. So how can alkaline water impact?

So it seems consuming alkaline water has little effect on changing the pH of the blood, but a few studies have also looked at the effect of alkaline water or diet on the development or progression of cancer. Very Well Health report on 'a large systematic review (combining 252 abstracts) looking at alkaline water and cancer' that 'there did not appear to be any evidence that consuming this water had any effect on the initiation (development) or treatment (progression) of cancer. In only one of the studies was any significant association found, and that, in turn, was slight (between pH and bladder cancer)....A Finnish study looking specifically at men with bladder cancer and an alkaline diet, however, found that a lower urine pH (reflective of the alkaline measures) did not significantly reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer.'

It is true cancer cells typically alter their environments and do seem to prefer a more acidic environment; converting glucose/sugar into lactic acid. The acidic pH levels of the area around cancer cells appear to help tumours grow. However the alkaline water has to go through the stomach so I am not clear on how it could work? Whereas an alkaline diet could have more impact because of the food nutrients rather than the alkalinity?

Dr Kevin Connors dismisses alkaline water and comments in his book 'Stop Fighting Cancer and Start Treating the Cause', "Vegetables and whole fruit help to bring balance back to the system and are alkalizing to the tissue, not because they register higher on the pH scale (lemons are extremely acidic) but because of what they do inside us. They are filled with nutrients and enzymes that aide healing."

Overall it seems alkaline water appears to have little effect on the development or progression of cancer. I didn't buy one of those expensive machines and it highlighted to me early on in my cancer journey how important it is to do research and check everything out. There is so much out there from so many well-meaning folks - as well as less-meaning folks!

If you want to hear more about this issue I think an interesting place to start is this video: Markus Rothkranz interviews James Sloane who explains acids and alkaline substances and how they affect our bodies, in particular why not to use baking soda or alkaline water as healing methods: https://youtu.be/7O6GhVCvVgE

So I'm still not sure re alkaline water but want to see a bit more research before going down this route.