What’s the Best Anti-Cancer Diet?

There’s a lot of debate about the “right” diet for cancer. Experts champion different diets: ketogenic, ancestral, paleo. Others say vegan is the only way to go. Or maybe a Mediterranean diet, the fasting-mimicking diet, or intermittent fasting. It can be dizzying to dive into the world of nutritional oncology.

So, what’s the best anticancer diet for you? It depends. There is no one right way to eat when you have cancer, says ­functional-medicine physician Patrick ­Hanaway, MD. The best approach will be tailored to your diagnosis and internal terrain.

“Some cancers, like glioblastoma multi­forme, are particularly insulin sensitive,” he says. “So, if we have someone with one of those cancers, then they may benefit greatly from a ketogenic approach,” which keeps insulin production low.

Depending on the cancer, this approach can even make treatments more potent, says Hanaway. Other insulin-sensitive cancers include breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and radiation-sensitive cancers, such as head and neck and anorectal.

Then there are the types with no apparent relationship to insulin sensitivity. “We can’t make a global statement,” he continues. “We can’t say all cancers are stimulated by sugar and all cancers should be treated with a ketogenic diet.”

If your terrain biomarkers suggest epigenetic changes are in play, “a plant-based diet might work well,” says cancer nutrition consultant Jeanne Wallace, PhD, CNC. Conversely, if blood tests indicate you have a problem with angiogenesis, a plant-based diet may not be the right choice for you. It can lower zinc and increase copper, and copper can fuel the angiogenesis that supports tumor growth.

A functional or integrative practitioner with expertise in nutritional oncology can help you understand your cancer biomarkers and develop the best approach.