Diet plays a crucial role in managing many diseases like diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure. If the findings of a latest study are to be believed, a healthy diet may play a crucial role in boosting cancer treatment too. There's a growing body of evidence that hints at a deeper link between diet and cancer treatment, this latest animal-based study published in the journal Nature revealed that restricting intake of amino acids found in red meat and eggs helped enhance cancer treatment in mice to slow tumour growth. By restricting intake of methionine, you also have a better chance at weight loss and it is also associated with anti-ageing. Jason Locasale of Duke University's School of Medicine, the author of the study suggests that combining drug with diet may help boost impact of your existing therapy.
For the study, methionine restriction was first evaluated in healthy mice to confirm its effects on metabolism. Post this, the researchers moved to testing on mice with soft tissue sarcomas and colorectal cancer. It was found that low dose of chemotherapy on its own had no effect but when it was combined with methionine restriction led to inhibited tumour growth in colorectal cancer.
According to the scientists you are starving the cancer cells at a very basic level. There are many interesting interactions between the food we eat, how it changes metabolis, and further how these metabolic interactions affect the cancer growth.
Since the study was conducted on mice, further investigation and larger studies are required to examine how the mechanism works in human bodies. However, scientists are affirmative of similar associations in humans too. Also, there's not enough evidence to support that vegan diet may help cancer patients better.
The researchers said that doctors may keep these pointers in mind and chart specific diets to patients so that it helps assist them with their treatment.