Fast Mimicking Diet 5 Cancer and the Magic Shield

April 02, 2018

Fast Mimicking Diet 5: Cancer and the Magic Shield


ReferencesCellBMC CancerCancer CellPLOS Biology


 Last week we learned about reversing diabetes. This might be the Holy Grail of modern medicine. The prevention and treatment of cancer might be just as important. Cancer frequency increases with age, essentially equating aging with more disease. How to prevent it? The first key concept is to understand how cancer comes about. It takes a key mutation, or probably several mutations or changes in the DNA sequence of a cell, for the cancer cell to develop "oncogenes", cancer favoring genes. Cancer cells stop obeying orders, which in fact makes them weaker and more vulnerable to damage from external toxins. This is why Vitamin C, ozone, and many chemotherapy drugs have a deterring effect. It's as though cancer cells are race cars with the accelerator stuck to the floor: they can't slow down. 


 Longo recognized that key characteristic of cancer cells, and the essential response of healthy yeast/worms/mice to the fast mimicking diet. When you deprive healthy cells of key nutrients for a fixed period of time, they recognize that they are in trouble. The "get the memo" and respond by hunkering down. Longo called it the "magic shield". Cancer cells can't do that. The cancer cell tries to keep growing, even with no nutrients around. In an experiment with mice, one of Longo's graduate students gave mice chemotherapy and compared a group with normal daily diet versus some fed no food for two days prior to the chemo. 


The differences were striking. The fasting mice were dandy, the normally fed mice all got sick. In a week or two, 65% of the regular diet mice were dead. The same dramatic effects were found when mice with lung cancer were given chemo with or without fast mimicking: the fasting mice had 60-70% remission rates compared to much lower in the normally fed mice. It appears there are two key dynamics going on with this cancer effect: the first is that the fasting weakens the cancer cells, making them more vulnerable. 


The second is that it renews and "revs" up the immune system, making it more aggressive against the cancer cells.. And the effects go beyond just making the immune system stronger. The use of potent steroids is a part of many chemo regimens with mixed blessings as the resulting elevation of glucose adds to toxicity. The FMD reduces glucose dramatically, suggesting that the use of steroids should be reconsidered. Where are we with randomized clinical trials in cancer? Considering that there are several hundred types of cancer scattered all over, it takes a while to conduct studies on any one cancer with this strategy, so there are very few studies completed. The three or four that Longo refers to in his book make the strong argument for safety of the strategy, reduction of side effects, increased ability to complete chemo regimens. 


With that in hand, Longo suggest the following guidelines in his book. 


       1. If the oncologist agrees, the patient may fast or do the FMD for three days before chemo and 1-2 days after standard chemo drugs. 

       2. If fasting, make sure you don't resume regular eating immediately following the chemo as the rebounding growth of liver cells at a time of lingering blood levels of chemo lead to liver toxicity. Weather it out with fasting at least 24 if not 48 hours after the chemo. And start slowly on vegan food, with lots of olive oil: rice, bread, pasta, vegetables and soups. Finally, try to return to normal body weight between cycles. If on any diabetes drug, please, please consult a knowledgeable physician first. 


 WWW. What will work for me. And just what do you want to do if you have high risk for cancer? Start by reading Longo's book. If I had the BRCA gene, I would be doing this diet for the rest of my life. I do have diabetes genes in my genetic code, so I probably will be doing this the rest of my life, just like all of us should be. Your blood tests will tell you how often you should be doing it. In the meantime, I've now seen three people with dramatic success in just a few months with their diabetes getting better. Want to join that list? 


 Pop Quiz  

  1. The Fast Mimicking Diet is called what by Longo?                      Answer: The Magic Shield
  2. Cancer cells disobey orders and can't do what?                            Answer: Take their foot off the accelerator and stop growing when there are no nutrients around.
  3. What happens to your immune system against cancer after you FMD?            Answer: Rev Rev.
  4. What's the likelihood of your doing better if you do FMD while getting chemo? Answer: Fewer side effects and likelihood to get more chemo in you.
  5. Do we want you to lose weight via the FMD when you have cancer?                 Answer: NO! In between cycles we want you to gain it back.
 

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