GoKawiilThe food we eat can affect cancer progression. A ketogenic diet — which restricts carbohydrate consumption in favour of fat — has gained attention in popular culture and scientific research for its potential health benefits. This diet pushes the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, in which blood sugar and insulin levels are reduced, and the consumed fat is converted into molecules known as ketone bodies, which are a major fuel source for tissues. Because cancer cells consume sugar avidly and are thought to metabolize ketone bodies poorly, a ketogenic diet has been touted as a possible anti-cancer strategy. In a paper in Nature, Shay et al.1 report a cautionary finding: in mice that were predisposed to intestinal tumours, a ketogenic diet increased tumour formation in the small intestine. Surprisingly, this effect is driven not by increased levels of ketone bodies, but by a high amount of dietary fat, which cancer cells use to promote tumour growth.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02039-w
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Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.
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