Justification and safety of “anti-cancer diets”: a review
- Authors: Obukhova O.A.1, Kurmukov I.A.1, Yunaev G.S.1, Ryk A.A.2
-
Affiliations:
- National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin
- N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine
- Issue: Vol 6, No 3 (2025)
- Pages: 128-138
- Section: Reviews
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2658-4433/article/view/363055
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/clinutr695962
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/LQIVAS
- ID: 363055
Cite item
Full Text
Abstract
Alternative diets have become widely used by patients with cancer, most of whom choose these diets on their own. The shortage of specialists with equal expertise in oncology, nutritional science, and gastroenterology contributes to an increase in self-medication and reliance on unqualified practitioners and unverified online sources. Therefore, evaluating the most popular diets is an urgent task. This work aimed to evaluate the validity of the most popular alternative diets as part of a combined supportive treatment strategy for patients with cancer, based on a review of publications. The following keywords were used to search relevant publications in PubMed and e-Library databases for the past 20 years: диета против рака (anti-cancer diet), альтернативная диета (alternative diet), рак (cancer), комплементарные методы лечения (complementary therapies), and клинические рекомендации (clinical guidelines). Based on the obtained data, the most popular diets in oncology practice are: the ketogenic diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Gerson diet, the Budwig diet, and the Breuss diet. We evaluated their compositions and effects on disease prevention, carcinogenesis, and overall survival. The justification and safety of prescribing these dietary regimens were considered. The data showed that the ketogenic and Mediterranean diets were the most extensively studied. Although the ketogenic diet is based on Warburg hypothesis, it does not have a significant antitumor effect. Moreover, some clinical studies have reported its carcinogenic potential. The Mediterranean diet is shown to be effective in preventing cancer, rather than its treatment. The Gerson, Budwig, and Breuss diets contradict fundamental principles of carcinogenesis and have no evidence base. Therefore, it is crucial to follow the nutritional support recommendations developed by international and Russian professional communities. These recommendations are based on substantial clinical data and sufficient evidence and prohibit risky diets for patients with cancer.
About the authors
Olga A. Obukhova
National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin
Author for correspondence.
Email: obukhova0404@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0197-7721
SPIN-code: 6876-7701
MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)
Russian Federation, MoscowIldar A. Kurmukov
National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin
Email: kurmukovia@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8463-2600
SPIN-code: 3692-5202
MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)
Russian Federation, MoscowGrigory S. Yunaev
National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin
Email: garik_dr@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9562-9113
SPIN-code: 4410-8937
Russian Federation, Moscow
Alla A. Ryk
N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine
Email: alla-ryk@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3968-3713
SPIN-code: 3984-7800
MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)
Russian Federation, MoscowReferences
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