Why Fasting And The Ketogenic Diet Can Help With Cancer Treatment and Prevention

The Doctor's Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D.

Why Fasting And The Ketogenic Diet Can Help With Cancer Treatment and Prevention | This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker

The right diet is so imperative in preventing cancer or during the healing process. This is in large part because of the role insulin plays in cancer; insulin acts as a growth factor in the body, which is one of the reasons too much insulin leads to obesity. It’s also why insulin will support the growth of cancer cells. Recent research is now revealing some fascinating results of using fasting and/or the keto diet to dramatically decrease insulin. 

In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman speaks to Dr. Jason Fung about how fasting has been found as a useful adjunct to chemotherapy, as it helps to put cells into a quiet repair mode which lessens the really uncomfortable symptoms of chemo most people experience. He also speaks with Dr. Patrick Hanaway about his experience in managing stage IV cancer, using the ketogenic diet, fasting, radiation, chemotherapy, and his spiritual practices for maximum benefit. 

Dr. Jason Fung is a physician, author, and researcher. His groundbreaking science-based books about diabetes and obesity, The Diabetes Code, The Obesity Code, and The Complete Guide to Fasting have sold over one million copies and challenged the conventional wisdom that diabetics should be treated with insulin. Dr. Fung is also the co-founder of The Fasting Method, a program to help people lose weight and reverse type 2 diabetes naturally with fasting. His latest book, The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of a Medical Mystery, was just released. 

Dr. Patrick Hanaway is a board-certified family physician trained at Washington University. After 10 years as Chief Medical Officer at Genova Diagnostics, Dr. Hanaway became the Chief Medical Education Officer for the Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2014, Dr. Hanaway was the founding Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. His research focus is on nutrition, the microbiome, and evaluating value in Functional Medicine models of care. Currently, his teaching focus is on cancer, COVID, and uncertainty.

Dr. Hanaway was initiated in 2009 as a Mara’akame (Indigenous healer) by the Huichol people of the Sierra Madres in Mexico. He holds community fires, leads ceremonies, and offers traditional healing sessions. This part of his practice provides some much-welcome spiritual and emotional insight into addressing our imbalances as a nation. 

This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker. If you’re curious about getting your own health program dialed-in to your unique needs, check out InsideTracker. Right now they’re offering Doctor’s Farmacy listeners 25% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman.

Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Dr. Jason Fung, “Is Cancer Caused By Sugar?” here: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/DrJasonFung

Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Dr. Patrick Hanaway, “The Functional Medicine Approach To Treating COVID-19 And Post-COVID Syndrome” here: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/PatrickHanaway

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