This is the foundation and I have not gone off this since March 2014
Otto Warburg (born 1883), a friend of Albert Einstein, discovered that cancer cells generate too much lactic acid… cancer cells use fermentation for energy (which is not normal). Warburg believed that cancer must be caused by injury to the cells’ metabolism. Warburg was brilliant but lived before powerful microscopes were developed so he was hindered by not being able to see inside the cells.
Pedersen was born (1939) after powerful microscopes had been developed. He followed up on Warburg’s research and found that the worst cancer cells had the most problems with their mitochondria (mitochondria are the part of the cells Warburg suspected were injured – they control the cell metabolism!) Cancer cells had mitochondria that were too small, too few or misshapen. These damaged mitochondria meant that the cancer cells could not produce energy as normal cells do and caused cancer cells to turn to fermentation for energy – and caused lactic acid built up. Warburg’s defective “metabolism” was caused by defective mitochondria!
Pedersen went on to develop the first PET scans which use “labeled glucose” to see how cancer is growing inside the body. Glucose concentrates in cancer cells because cancer cells have 17x as many glucose receptors as normal cells. They hoard glucose because they have defective mitochondria.
Thomas Seyfried studied the work of Otto Warburg and Pedersen and found that transferring a nucleus from a cancerous cell into a healthy cell did not cause cancer. But when he transferred the cytoplasm with defective mitochondria into a healthy cell, it became cancerous. He wrote “Cancer as a Metabolic Disease” in 2012.
Seyfried noticed calorie restriction shrank tumors, and found that restricting carbohydrates (restricting blood glucose) shrank tumors. The body produces ketones when carbohydrates are restricted and fat is 75% of the calories consumed. Ketones can be used by healthy cells for energy but cannot be used by cancer cells. He recommended a ketogenic diet for cancer patients
- Cancer cells rely on glucose (from carbohydrates) and Glutamine (from protein) for fuel. Since cancer cells have defective or missing mitochondria- glucose can be used “fermented to get energy” in the cytoplasm of the cell – so cancer cells can survive without healthy mitochondria. and the glutamine provides the nitrogen needed by cancer cells.
- A ketogenic diet helps keep the blood glucose low. It is high fat and very low carbohydrate – our bodies are created by God to be able to live during famine – we can convert from using carbohydrates for fuel to using body fat for fuel during famines. All healthy cells in the body can use ketones for fuel – but cancer cells cannot use ketones for fuel (since they have defective mitochondria), so a ketogenic diet “starves” and/or weakens cancer cells.
- If a person eats a low carbohydrate and high fat diet their body will naturally convert to using ketones from fat – though it can take time to adjust.
- MCT oil and coconut oil turn into ketones more easily than other fats, so they are helpful in transition.
- Johns Hopkins University uses the ketogenic diet to treat children with epilepsy who do not respond to medication.
- A goal for everyone is to keep your mitochondria healthy.
- It is also wise for everyone to protect & nurture their immune system, since your immune system fights all the toxins and germs we come in contact with daily. I take probiotics every day and try to keep my gut biome healthy by avoiding most sugar substitutes.
I found something in Jan 2019 called a Ketonix to measure ketones. It was developed by a Swedish man with epilepsy.
Ketonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDE-CSyXEjw
https://www.biohackerslab.com/ep14-michel-lundell/
The following are notes from the video link above.
0:20] – Introducing Michel Lundell, founder of KETONIX .
[1:26] – Michel explains why he developed the blue and red Ketonix device. His epilepsy diagnosis and how prescription drugs changed him and how that led to his discovering the ketogenic diet.
[5:46] – Michel has adult onset epilepsy. Emma Williams from Matthew’s Friends also talked about ketogenic diet for management of epilepsy and how it’s not common treatment for adults.
[7:14] – Since 2013, Michel has been managing his epilepsy without medication.
[8:50] – There is no correlation between beta-hydroxybutyrate from the blood test and the acetone from breath test, but what is the correlation between acetone and glucose? Michel explains more about this. The big difference between the beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone is that the former is the excess of acetoacetate which is used for energy.
[9:54] – How the body needs to become keto adapted where it uses fat for fuel. (keto adaptation). When the body breaks down fat it produces ketones.
[10:57] – Michel mentions a study by Robert Miller that shows how high beta-hydroxybutyrate and low breath acetone numbers may indicate issues with NAD+.
[17:55] [17:55] – Ketone researcher Dr Brianna Stubbs explained the point about raising ketones by taking exogenous ketones in her interview. It doesn’t increase fat burning but it might give people more energy to go to the gym.
[18:57] – Discussing using exogenous ketones to help manage epilepsy. It could be one way to give your brain alternative fuel, but there are more benefits to producing your own ketones. Sugar and insulin are damaging to the brain.
[20:10] – Using acetone to manage glucose levels. Michel shared some graphs showing that when acetone levels rose, glucose dropped correspondingly. The graphs also show levels of ketosis achieved by fasting depends on your liver’s levels of glycogen stores.
[23:40] – Michel gives us some guidelines around the best ways to measure our ketones. How measuring multiple times a day helps him understand how his body operates. The device is intended to help you figure out what works best for you– we all have different needs.
[27:28] – He found that taking a ketone salts supplement, intended to raise beta-hydroxybutyrate, resulted in a breath acetone drop and a glucose rise for Michel. When speaking to Peter Defte and others the consensus was that because this is a high energy drink, by putting a lot of end products in your system your body does not need to create more.
[29:30] – Michel created the software where people donated their results for research. When he gave Marty Kendall this database he found that high beta-hydroxybutyrate might not be what we are after, a better measure if you want to burn fat is breath acetone. (ref)
[30:56] – Why do we use blood ketones? Because it’s simple for doctors. Taking a proper measure with a breathalyzer requires some technique. Michel explains how the highest concentrations are at the bottom of the lungs and why people fail when taking measurements. What does good technique involve?
[32:45] – Some techniques around using the breathalyzer to get the most accurate readings. Don’t start with too much air in your lungs, before you breathe in exhale as long as you possibly can[34:42] – The current version of the device has software linked to it that can graph the measurements taken to an online account or to an app on your device using Bluetooth. Michel demonstrates the device and explains more about what the numbers mean.
[37:38] – The older version of the device had the color change and the flicker indicators for acetone measurement, but the newer meter shows ppm (parts per million).
[38:20] – Michel is not always in nutritional ketosis, he talks about how he experiments a lot with different vegetables, protein, amounts of wine and brands of wine to get a sense of how his body works and responds to different things. We don’t all respond in the same way and using the devices is a great way see the effects of what you are eating and adjust accordingly. He believe it’s more effective to take multiple measurements throughout the day.
[43:15] – Michel found MCT oils more effective in the beginning but as his body adapted and changed it became less so. That’s why repeatedly testing is important, the body adjusts and results could change over time. Also talking about coffee, what works better cream or butter in coffee?
[45:36] – Michel used to eat a very high fat diet. Now he is trying to reduce his fat intake until he reaches an optimal level.
[46:32] – What about intermittent fasting? Michel discusses the social issue around fasting for health and wanting to be a good role model for healthy eating to his kids. He tends to limit fasting protocol so he can eat once a day with his kids. Generally, though, when his ketones are high and sugar is low he feels better.
[48:30] – How does protein gluconeogenesis affect ketosis? Michel explains how this seems to be dependent on your lifestyle and individual energy status. Different individuals will respond differently so it’s important to measure your own response.
[50:08] – Can children use the Ketonix? It is workable for children three years and over, for children younger than that it could be difficult to explain how to use correctly. Michel is developing a prototype for small kids and dogs. He has even had a request for a device which could be used for cows!
[51:57] – Alison Gannett’s positive cancer story and how using the Ketonix device proved invaluable to her after taking up the ketogenic diet to help with her survive brain cancer. By taking her acetone measurements, she found coconut oil actually raised her glucose levels. The positive effects of this diet for people suffering from life-threatening diseases.
[56:49] – The biggest takeaway is the relationship between glucose and acetone and that glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate don’t correlate perfectly together.
[57:22] – Best way to get a Ketonix device; there is an international shop on the Ketonix website